Take this Cup

By Shirley Mitchell

“He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”

Luke 22:41-44

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus withdrew from His disciples a stone’s throw beyond them. He knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Matthew says that Jesus prayed this same prayer three times! Jesus knew that His Father Abba had all abilities. If there was another way besides the cross, God could make it possible. Jesus also said in Matthew, Mark, and Luke “Take this cup from me.” What cup was He talking about?

Remember Jesus came to the garden after eating the Passover Meal with His disciples in the Upper Room. At the Last Supper, Jesus told them that He eagerly desired to eat this Passover with them before He suffered. In Luke 22:16, He said, “For I tell you I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” The Passover Seder contains many allusions to Messianic hope, but let’s focus on the four cups.

In a Passover service, the family sits around the table in a special seating arrangement. The father sits at the head of the dinner table. Jesus, as their leader, would have taken the father’s role. The youngest sits at the father’s right side. He often reclines upon the father. John 13:23 tells us that John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining against Jesus. This is consistent with the early church tradition that he was the youngest apostle. He plays an important role because he asks the “father” questions leading the father to tell the beautiful Passover story when God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

In Kevin Howard’s and Marvin Rosenthal’s book, The Feasts of the LORD, they say, “Since wine is a symbol of the joy of harvest, four cups of wine are taken during the Passover service to reflect the fourfold joy of the Lord’s redemption.” These four cups represent the four “I wills” of God in Exodus 6. Let’s break down the four cups.

1st cup: The cup of sanctification: “I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.” (verse 6)

The father pours the first cup of wine and asks everyone to rise from the table. The father then lifts his cup toward heaven and recites the Kiddush, a prayer of sanctification. In Luke 22:17, Jesus asked all of His disciples to drink the first cup. He lifted the cup to heaven and prayed the Kiddush giving honor to His Father:

“Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who createst the fruit of the vine. Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, Who hast chosen us for Thy service from among the nations…. Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who hast kept us in life, Who hast preserved us and hast enabled us to reach this season.”

2nd cup: The cup of plagues: “I will free you from being slaves to them.” (verse 6)

In response to the youngest child’s question, the father would tell of the 10 plagues on Egypt. A tiny bit of wine was poured out for each plague. Jesus told the Passover story and the exodus of Israel. What a thrill to have heard the redemption story from the One and Only Redeemer! That night the Lamb of God told the story of the slaves who were set free from bondage and suffering, and the next day He freed all prisoners of sin.

3rd cup: The cup of redemption: “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.” (verse 6)

According to Luke 22:20 and Matthew 26:28-30, Jesus offered this 3rd cup after dinner and instituted the New Covenant. This is the cup that Jesus asked the Father to take from Him in the Garden. He asked for this 3rd cup, the cup of redemption to be taken. Jesus fulfilled the cup of redemption on the cross. How did Jesus redeem us? On the cross, He outstretched His arms and spilt His life’s blood for you and me. He became the cup and fulfilled the New Covenant by His perfect blood with His perfect antibodies to sin.

This was the cup of all of our sins, sorrows, and sufferings - yours, mine, and every person who has ever lived. It was repulsive and inflicted a pain that no one else has ever known. Jesus had never known sin. He was Holy. He recoiled from sin. His Father hated sin. Additionally, His Father could not look at sin. He would be separated from His Father. They had never been separated. He had never been without His Father.

His anguish was so intense over the world’s sins that would be heaped upon Him and being separated from Abba, His Father, that an angel was sent to strengthen Him. His sweat was like drops of blood. Medical journals say that it was a real condition. There is so much stress on the body that blood hemorrhages into pores where sweat comes out. Jesus battled what He knew had to be. He was praying for the strength to endure this difficulty. You have to remember that at any time He could have had one thought that sinned or one thought that picked up His power again in any of the beatings or trials. He could have healed any wound from a lash that went too deep. He had to be fortified. He laid His heart bare before God.

4th cup: The cup of the ingathering: “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.” (verse 7)

Jesus said He would not drink this cup until He drank it with His disciples in the new kingdom (Matthew 26:28-29). I believe this cup is saved for the marriage supper of Jesus and His bride which includes you and me! He included us! Oh, how I long for that time! We will dance and celebrate what God Almighty and His beloved Son did for us and rejoice with them forever! Hallelujah!

Pray with me: Oh, Jesus, thank You for becoming the 3rd cup, the cup of redemption. Thank You for outstretching Your arms and redeeming us! You wanted Your Father God to take the cup from You if it were possible. You were sweating drops of blood, and an angel was sent to strengthen You. Yet, You fortified Your mind and decided that You would do whatever God wanted You to do. Help us to be so determined to do the will of the Father no matter how much anguish it causes us.

You fulfilled the Passover. How amazing is it that the Passover reveals so much about You as Messiah, as well as You as King. Someday, there will be a marriage supper for You and Your bride, us. Then the Passover will find its complete fulfillment in the kingdom of God. Jesus, it is in Your Name, the Name above all names that we pray, Amen.

Copyright ©2011 Christ Compels Ministry