“Let This Cup Pass from Me”

By Steve Gwin

On the night before Jesus was crucified, He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.  His prayers were “with loud cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death” (Hebrews 5:7).  Matthew 26:39 records some of the words Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”  What was this cup that Jesus wanted to pass from Him?

Jesus had mentioned a cup He was going to drink in a conversation that seems to have happened only a couple of weeks earlier when the mother of James and John asked Jesus if her sons could sit, one on Jesus’ right and the other on His left, in His kingdom.  Jesus responded in Matthew 20:22-23, “You do not know what you are asking.  Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”  He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”  It seems clear that Jesus used the words, “drink the cup that I am to drink” to refer to His suffering.  James and John would indeed someday each suffer because of being His apostles.

When Jesus prayed “if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me”, He was using “cup” figuratively to represent all the suffering He would endure within the next several hours:

• falsely accused in repeated mock trials the rest of the night and into the next morning (Matthew 26:59-61; 27:1-2)
• repeatedly mocked, slapped, and spat upon (Matthew 26:67; 27:30-31)
• scourged, which was a brutal whipping that was so very painful as His flesh was ripped away (Matthew 27:26)
• a crown of thorns put on His head (Matthew 27:29)
• humiliated by stripping Him of His clothes (Matthew 27:28)
• the excruciating pain of crucifixion (Matthew 27:35)
• even more than all of the above, bearing all the sins of all humans, past, present and future (1 Peter 2:24).

It is likely that Jesus had an additional idea in mind when He prayed “if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me” because we read in Jeremiah 25:15-17, “Thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: ‘Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.  They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I am sending among them.’ So I took the cup from the LORD's hand, and made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink it:”  In verses 18 through 27, numerous nations are mentioned, and then in Jeremiah 25:28-29, “And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: You must drink!  For behold, I begin to work disaster at the city that is called by my name, and shall you go unpunished?  You shall not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of hosts.’”  Drinking the cup of God’s wrath represented nations receiving God’s judgment for their sins.

A similar use of the “cup” figure of speech is in Revelation 14:9-10, “And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.’”  Again, drinking the cup of God’s wrath represented receiving God’s judgment for sins.

Let us every day give thanks for Jesus enduring the judgment we each deserve for our sins.  Jesus had no sin, but He drank the cup of God’s wrath for our sins, so we won’t have to drink it. 

Trusting God in Uncertainty

By Mark McCrary

Life can become burdensome almost every day for some people. The book of Habakkuk wrestles with the sovereignty of God in the face of suffering and injustice. Habakkuk teaches us how to embrace deep, unshakable joy in God, even when our circumstances seem overwhelming.

The Painful Cry of the Faithful (Habakkuk 1:2-4)

Habakkuk begins with a prayer of frustration with the wicked. How could God allow their violence on the poor? Why wouldn't He intervene and save? God’s answer? You haven’t seen the worst of it yet. He would deal with the oppressors in Judah through the Chaldeans (Babylonians) (Hab. 1:6-9).

Three pressing questions arise: Why would a good God allow this? How could a good God allow this? Finally, what would Habakkuk do? Habakkuk’s cry resonates with anyone who has ever felt abandoned in their time of need. He was not turning away from God but earnestly seeking Him.

Here’s the good news: God allows questions, which are a desire for a deeper understanding of His ways. Doubts don’t mean one is unfaithful; they are a testament to deep faith. When we wrestle with our questions, we actively seek a greater understanding of God’s will and character.

God is Still in Control (Habakkuk 2:2-3)

God’s message to Habakkuk is that comfort isn’t necessarily found in the removal of problems but in the sovereignty of God. Either what has come upon us has been put there by God (2 Corinthians 12:7), or it is something God has allowed because of our fallen world: 1 Corinthians 10:13 - God will not allow something in our lives that we cannot, by His power, endure.

This can help us find peace in our struggles. We may not always understand His ways, but we can trust that His plans are for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). Things are not out of control. God loves you (Romans 8:36-39).

Trustful Responses (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Understanding that God wants to hear even our questions and that He is in control of everything, what should be our response?

First, maintain your faith in Him.  God declared, “The just shall live by faith” (Hab. 2:4). The idea here is more than simply believing in God; it is acting on what He says. 

Second, verbalize your faith in God.  At the conclusion of the book, Habakkuk wrote, “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab. 3:17-18).  Saying something out loud makes it more real and commits you to it. Think of the first time you said, “I love you” to someone else. You probably thought about it a lot, but when you said it, things changed.  State your faith verbally to God, not just in thought. State it to a friend. State it to your faith. Habakkuk's faith and trust were deeply rooted in the character and salvation of God. His joy came from the character of God alone (Hab. 3:18-19), not from external conditions.

Finally, know God will strengthen you.  “God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer's; He makes me tread on my high places” (Hab. 3:19).  Move past trust.  Know with confidence that God will be with you. Just as a deer nimbly moves along, know that in the midst of your uncertainty, God will give you the strength to do the same. Know.

Habakkuk’s name means “embracer.” He embraced God and trusted in Him. It is okay to question God and hurt when life isn’t as imagined. Trust in the sovereign God. Put your faith and confidence in Him, not in circumstances.

How Long, O Lord?

By Gary Watson

David was being hunted in the mountains by Saul. Saul's jealousy had prompted him to make a vow to take the life of David. David flees for his life and while in the mountains, he wrote Psalm 13. (http://www.fbbc.com/messages/hyles_psalms.htm).  It might be observed that David was so stressed that he felt alone and deserted.

Psalm 13 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

³ Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
⁴ lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

⁵ But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

According to the Mayo Clinic, stress has many common effects on our bodies:

• Headache
• Muscle tension or pain
• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Stomach upset
• Sleep problems

Common effects of stress on your mood

• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Lack of motivation or focus
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Irritability or anger
• Sadness or depression

Common effects of stress on your behavior

• Overeating or undereating
• Angry outbursts
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Tobacco use
• Social withdrawal
• Exercising less often

Scripture abound in assuring us that God will help us cope with stress.  1 Peter 5 strongly assures us that God will help.

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. ⁸ Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. ¹⁰ And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹ To him be the dominion forever and ever.

Note the assurances, challenges, and attitudes necessary as the passage describes: we must humble ourselves, submit ourselves to God, be sober-minded, and watchful.  We must resist the doubt and despair Satan causes. We need to be firm in the faith even if we suffer a while.

The words of Isaiah should reassure us:

Isaiah 40:

²⁹ He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
³⁰ Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
³¹ but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.

Journeying With Jesus

By Matt Hennecke

Have you ever noticed the number of journeys spoken of in Scripture? We have Abraham’s journey from Ur to Haran to Canaan and on to Egypt and back. We have the exodus story as Israel journeyed from Egypt to the promised land. We have the many evangelistic journeys of Paul. In fact, the more I think about it the more I see the entire Bible as a travelogue – a book of journeys. In some cases, the journeys are physical as people travel, sometimes as captives – as when God’s people went into Assyrian and Babylonian captivity – but, perhaps in more cases, they are journeys of discovery as people learn about their sinful selves and a loving God seeking their redemption. It’s not surprising, then, that God’s people are often referred to as wayfarers, weary travelers, or pilgrims inroute to a heavenly City.

Amidst all of the stories of journeys described in the Bible, there is one that surpasses them all. It is the longest, the most arduous, and difficult journey ever undertaken. It is a journey without maps or mileage that lasted for 33 years. Of what journey do I speak? It is Jesus’ journey of humility from heaven to earth and back again. It is a journey that reveals his heart of humility. The story of his journey is told in Philippians 2:3-11. There Paul writes. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be            grasped….” Then Paul tells us the stages of Jesus’s journey of humility when he says Jesus 1) emptied himself, 2) took the form of a servant, 3) humbled himself, and 4) then died on a cross.

Has there ever been a longer more challenging journey? Jesus was (and is) God, but he travelled to earth and went from the very highest place to a tomb. Thankfully his journey wasn’t over, for then “God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Here's the thing. The journey Jesus took is similar to the journey faithful Christians should be taking. We are to empty ourselves, become servants, be humble, and die to sin so we might be servants of God and exalted by Him. How’s your journey going? When the path ahead seems unclear, be sure to consult the road-map frequently (your Bible) and always consider the Pathfinder (Jesus) who showed us how to find our way Home.

Why Suffering?

By Paul Earnhart

Job, out of his wretchedness and deep anguish, once declared, ”Man that is born of women is of few days and full of trouble" (14:1).  It may not be the whole story, but it is a significant part of it.  Early and late, all of us will face some heartbreaking adversities.  The presence of so much pain in life has caused some to question even the existence of God.  The trap in that is that we are arguing against God by a standard which cannot exist without Him.

The adversity in human life is real, not imagined.  The Bible deals forthrightly with it.  Solomon speaks plainly in Ecclesiastes not only of the presence of pain but the absence of justice in life "under the sun."  Most all of us have felt that knowing the why of all this suffering and who or what is behind it might help.  It is altogether human to probe into such things, but we need to recognize the limitations of our own knowledge (Deuteronomy 29:29).

In the fall of the year before He died, Jesus and His disciples came upon a beggar in Jerusalem which moved the disciples to ask, "Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?" (John 9:1).  They presumed that physical tragedy was always a result of divine judgment on sin.  Jesus' answer, "Neither . . .  but that the works of God should be revealed in him" opened up a much broader perspective on suffering.  This man's suffering had a purpose.  The disciples had seen it only as a consequence.

Where does suffering come from?  From several sources.  It can come from God, in the general suffering and death unleashed in the world after man sinned (Genesis 3:16-19; Romans 8:20), or in specific cases to humble or strengthen (Job, Miriam, Numbers 12:1-10, Manasseh, 2 Chronicles 33:10-20, and even Paul, 2 Corinthians 12:7).

It can come from Satan, through God's allowance, as illustrated in the case of the horrific suffering of the righteous Job.  Even Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was "a messenger of Satan" which God used for very different purposes than the Tempter intended.

It can come as the inevitable fruit of our own sins.  "The way of the transgressor is hard" (Proverbs 13:15).  Sin has its temporal consequences--physical, emotional and social.

Yet, at last, unless there is some direct link to our sin, it is very difficult to know the exact origins of our adversity.  And that is just as well, for far more important than knowing why we are suffering is our response to it.  Adversity, regardless of its source, is one of God's most effective tools to deepen our faith in Him and transform our lives.  So said the Psalmist: "Before I was afflicted I went astray.  But now I keep Your word . . . It is good that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes" (Psalm 119:67,72).  As C. S. Lewis once observed, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, and shouts at us in our pain".  And as Scripture observes, "Whom the Lord loves He chastens" (Hebrews 12:6).

The anguish of Christ on the cross reflects the influence of God (Isaiah 53:6), and Satan (Luke 22:3,4) and our own sins (1 Peter 2:24). Yet it was our Savior's trusting response to this awful suffering that enabled God to work by it something transcendently wonderful.  So it will be with us, if we choose our response to suffering wisely--especially when we don't understand why.  "For our light affliction, which is for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17).  At last, like that ancient blind man, what we suffer here is in order that "the works of God may be revealed in us."