The Content of the Cup Which Christ Did Drink
by Wayne Camp
THE CONTENT OF
CHRIST’S CUP AND HOW SEEING THEM AFFECTED THE MAN CHRIST JESUS Scripture: Lu. 22:39-44; Mat. 26:38-44 TEXT: Matthew 26:39 And he went a little further, and
fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass
from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. INTRO: The cup is used symbolically in our text and in many
other places in Scripture. In those times it is used symbolically it may speak of that
which is good or bad. In the good sense it is used of the Lord and his blessings. David
wrote, Psalm 16:5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou
maintainest my lot. Again David wrote, Psalm 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. He also wrote, Psalm 73:10 Therefore his people return hither:
and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. Once more we read, Psalm 116:13 I will take the cup of
salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. Most often, I believe, it is used symbolically to speak of the
Lord's fury and the sin that provokes that fury and judgment. Of God's judgment on the wicked David writes, Psalm 11:6 Upon
the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall
be the portion of their cup. Psalm 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and
the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs
thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them. The prophet Isaiah wrote, Isaiah 51:17 Awake, awake, stand up,
O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast
drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out. Isaiah 51:22 Thus
saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have
taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou
shalt no more drink it again. Jeremiah wrote in similar language. He said, Jeremiah 25:15
For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand,
and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. Ezekiel also used the cup symbolically to speak of Divine judgment
on sin. He said, Ezekiel 23:31-33 Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister;
therefore will I give her cup into thine hand. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou shalt drink
of thy sister's cup deep and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it
containeth much. Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of
astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria. Habakkuk wrote, Habakkuk 2:16 Thou art filled with shame for
glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD'S right
hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory. And Zechariah spoke of how God would use Jerusalem and Judah to
cause the nations about them to tremble. Zechariah 12:2 Behold, I will make
Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the
siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. Finally, let us notice four verses from the book of Revelation where
the cup is used in the same manner as we have seen it is used in the Old Testament. Revelation
14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without
mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone
in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. Revelation 16:19 And the great city was divided into three
parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before
God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. Revelation 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and
scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup
in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication. Revelation 18:6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and
double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to
her double. PLEASE NOTE: In every instance these verses speak of the
fury, the wrath, the severe judgment of God upon sin or the sin which deserves and brings
that judgment. And, in the light of their context, it is evident that this is the way
Jesus uses the cup when he prays, If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.
This is the man Christ Jesus praying. Everything about his sinless humanity was repulsed
by the thought of being made sin. His sinless mind revolted at the thought of being made
sin. That alone could have driven him into this deep agony and depression that is
expressed in our text. In that cup, he no doubt saw the infinite, inflexible justice of
God which must be satisfied before he could cry, "It is finished!" What a price
must be paid, what suffering must be endured to satisfy Divine justice for the sins of His
people. These were about to be put upon him and for them he must satisfy Divine holiness
and justice to the last iota. In that cup he doubtless also saw, the infinite fury and
terrible wrath of God against sin and sinners. All the abominable sins of all the elect
would be heaped on him and God would pour out his undiluted wrath upon him for those sins. I pray that we may fellowship in that agony and depression for a
little while. I pray that we may better comprehend the cup of which Jesus drank so that we
could drink of the cup of his salvation. I. THE CONTENTS OF THIS CUP INCLUDED HIS
BEING MADE SIN FOR US AND THIS HAD TO BE TERRIBLY REPULSIVE TO HIS SINLESS NATURE A. When David was confronted by his own sins he was driven to agony
and depression. Psalm 32:3-4 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my
roaring all the day long. 4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is
turned into the drought of summer. Selah. Psalm 38:1-10 O LORD, rebuke me not in thy
wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. 2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, and
thy hand presseth me sore. 3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger;
neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. 4 For mine iniquities are gone
over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds stink and are
corrupt because of my foolishness. 6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning
all the day long. 7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no
soundness in my flesh. 8 I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the
disquietness of my heart. 9 Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid
from thee. 10 My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it
also is gone from me. B. When Job saw God he abhorred himself. Job 42:5-6 I have
heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 6 Wherefore I abhor
myself, and repent in dust and ashes. C. When Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up he cried our his
sinfulness. Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting
upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Isaiah 6:5 Then said
I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the
midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. D. All these men were sinners by nature and by practice and were
born into this world in a state of utter depravity, yet they drew back when they saw the
repulsiveness of their sins; how much more the sinless Son of Man, as he contemplated
being made sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew
no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. E. He who was the very embodiment of truth and who had never spoken
one lie, would be looked upon by the Holy Father as the embodiment of all the liars among
his elect. 1. He who had never looked upon a woman to lust after her would be
looked upon by the Holy God of heaven as though he were the very embodiment of all kinds
of lewd and perverted sinners because some of his elect were such terrible sinners. 1
Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor
abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of
you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 2. He who was truly a man, no fuddy, duddy, namby, pamby, would be
looked on as though he were the worst of effeminate person because among his elect were
such persons. 3. He who is the prince of life, who had never harmed anyone, would
be looked upon as a murderous fiend because some of his elect would be such as Saul of
Tarsus, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the churches of God. Acts
9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the
Lord, went unto the high priest 4. If his sin caused Paul to cry out "Oh wretched man
that I am," how much more would Jesus, the sinless Son of man be repulsed by
the prospect of being made sin for us. II. IN THAT CUP WAS ALL THE DEMANDS OF
THE LAW AND DIVINE JUSTICE A. When David was dealing with his sin, he cried out, "My
strength faileth me!" (Psa. 38:10). B. He himself would cry out, "My strength is dried up
like a potsherd" (Psa. 22:15). C. Justice demanded payment for ever offense against God's holy law
of every one of those given to him to save. 1. This drove him to the deepest depression; he was sorrowful even
unto death. Matthew 26:37-39 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,
and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding
sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little
further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let
this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 2. It caused him to pray three times, "If it be possible,
let this cup pass from me!" 3. He must go to the cross in the weakness of human flesh and in
that humanity satisfy the infinite demands of Divine justice. Would his humanity be
capable of bearing what it must bear to accomplish this mighty work? a. Some of those who have problems coming to terms with the true and
complete human nature of Christ may have problems with my reference to his weakness but
let me remind you that he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. Romans 8:3 For
what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. b. I would also remind you of the words of Paul in his second letter
to the Corinthians. II Corinthians 13:4 For though he was crucified through
weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall
live with him by the power of God toward you. III. IN THAT CUP WAS THE BROKEN
FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER WHICH HE MUST EXPERIENCE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER A. He had had an eternal, unmarred, uninterrupted fellowship with
God the Father, and now that fellowship would be interrupted because God cannot fellowship
with one who has been made sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. B. Even as he was there in the garden he could not bear what would
happen when God made him sin and he prayed "If it be possible let this cup pass
from me." C. He saw the full meaning of being left alone to experience the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of an infinitely holy and greatly offended God. 1. In his sin-bearing work he would be in the hands of an vengeful,
offended, absolutely inflexible justice demanding holy God. 2. Not an angel would lift a finger to minister to him as they had
after his temptation in the mountain. 3. His own disciples would forsake him and would not be near during
his suffering. 4. God himself would forsake him, and that was nearly unbearable for
him to contemplate. D. He saw the full import of having his soul made an offering for
sin. Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief:
when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong
his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. IV. HOW SEEING THE CONTENTS OF THIS CUP
AFFECTED THE MAN CHRIST JESUS A. This look into the cup drove him into the deepest depression,
made his soul exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death. B. This look into the cup drove him into deepest agony. C. This look into the cup drove him caused him such inward turmoil
that he sweat bloody sweat, great drops of bloody sweat. CONCLUSION Let me conclude with a word to those saved ones reading this: If our sins laid on him caused him to experience such agony, should
our sins not cause us great sorrow and agony? If our sins laid on Christ were such that he prayed for deliverance
from drinking that cup, should not we be falling on our face before God and crying out
with Paul, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this
death? Of those who are lost, let me ask, "If being made sin so
depressed and made sorrowful the Lord Jesus Christ, should not you have godly sorrow for
your sins, repent of them and flee to Christ for refuge from the terrible wrath of an
offended God?