I Shall Drink the Cup

John 18:1-11 ESV

When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Jesus Christ (God the Son) was both God and man when he lived on this earth (see John 1:1-36). And he knew that his purpose in coming to the earth was ultimately to be crucified on a cross for the sins of the world. So when he took his disciples with him (all but Judas) to the garden, he knew what was coming. He knew that Judas would betray him to the authorities who would then be the ones to put him to death on that cross. And yet he went willingly to that cross to die so that we might die to our sins.

Now, just because he was God incarnate, it did not make this easy for him to do. It was no “walk in the park,” so to speak, but it was a decision to go through the most horrible of horrible deaths in order that he might save you and me out of our lives of slavery (addiction) to sin so that we might now live holy lives, pleasing to God, and so that we might be at peace with God and have lives with purpose, meaning, and direction, which fulfill God’s purpose for our lives, that we might now live for him and not for self.

For in his death, he who knew no sin became sin for us so that when he died our sins died with him, and when he was raised from the dead he conquered death, sin, Satan and hell on our behalf. And this was so that we, by faith in him, would be crucified with him in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For he died that we might become the righteousness of God.

[2 Corinthians 5:15,21; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:1-23; Ephesians 4:17-24]

Now, if we have been taught the truth of the Scriptures regarding what it means to be a Christian and one who is believing in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, we should have been taught that it means to die to sin and to self and to follow Jesus in obedience to his commands under the New Covenant. We should have been taught that it means the surrender of our lives to God and to his will and purpose for our lives, and that he is now owner of our lives, and that we are now his possession, so he is boss!

So, we should have been taught that the Christian life is a life of self-denial and self-sacrifice and dying daily to sin and following our Lord in obedience to his commands in holy living – all in his power, strength, and wisdom, under the leading and direction of the Holy Spirit living within us (Luke 9:23-26; Titus 2:11-14; Romans 12:1-2). And we should have been taught that suffering as Jesus suffered and being hated, rejected, and persecuted by others is all part of the package of being a Christian and a follower of Christ.

But even knowing and accepting all of that does not make it easy for us. It is no “walk in the park” for us, either. For when the reality of it all is right in front of our faces, and we are now being abandoned and betrayed by our “friends,” and called “crazy” because we follow Jesus in obedience, it will be most painful. We will feel the pain of the rejection and the abandonment. We will feel the injury of betrayal and of false charges against us. But we must accept that this is all in God’s plan and purpose for our lives.

And so we must exercise the same courage as Jesus did. And when he lets us know that it is our time, we must, too, be willing to go to that “cross,” whatever that “cross” may look like for us, if it means the salvation of humans lives. Now obviously we are not called to nor could we ever do what Jesus did for us. But when we surrender our lives to the Lord, and when we speak the truth of the gospel and refute Satan’s lies in a day and time when so many are believing the lies, we are indeed going to that cross.

And we need to not be those who “chicken out” at the last minute and take what we believe is the “easy way out” so that we don’t get hated and rejected. For Jesus said that if we deny him that he will deny us when he returns for his bride, unless we repent of our sin and we turn and we follow him from that moment forward, like Peter did. But we must accept that persecution and rejection are “par for the course” if we are to be genuine followers of Jesus Christ, and we must do what our Lord says to do.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

Courageous!  

An Original Work / December 24, 2013  

Based off Various Scriptures

The Word of God throughout taught.

Some people heard but did doubt.

Still others had faith in Christ.

By grace He purified them.

They turned from sin

And they obeyed Christ.

He opened up their blinded eyesight;

Turned them from darkness 

To the true Light;

Forgave their sin by His might.

He strengthened them in their faith.

He said, “Remain my faithful.”

He called them to obedience.

By faith, they were so grateful.

By faith, they were to follow Jesus;

To daily sit and listen to Him;

To have such faith 

That mountains could move;

To love those whom He gave them.

Be on your guard; courageous.

Stand firm in faith. Be thankful.

Take up the shield of your faith;

Protect against all evil.

Do not move from 

The hope that you have.

Your faith in Jesus let it endure.

Hold to the truth; 

Your conscience be clear.

Endure with perseverance. 

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