Who will drink the cup?

Luke 22:39 – 62

It’s a simple request. ‘Pray. Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’

And it’s not as if Jesus asks something he’s not prepared to do himself: ‘Jesus withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed.’

But of course, the disciples had already shown their natural inclinations, and it’s really no surprise when they fail to pray and fall asleep.

Just think about these 12 men who have witnessed the teaching, the kindness, the humility and power of Jesus:

• One of them has left the meal early and gone out into the night to betray him.
• The others have argued about which of them should be considered the greatest.
• Peter promised his loyalty, ‘I’m ready to go with you to prison and death.’ But Jesus says, ‘Peter, before the cock crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.’

And so they walk to the Mount of Olives: Jesus in front, the 11 remaining disciples following on. Then, after Jesus has prayed, Judas returns, leading a crowd of religious leaders, temple guards and servants to Jesus, and he betrays Jesus with… a kiss.

Though Jesus taught the disciples to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them, they draw their swords and attack the servant of the High Priest. And Jesus has to heal him. Then, as Jesus is arrested and taken away to prison, Peter hangs back from Jesus and follows only ‘at a distance.’

Later, as Jesus stands before the high priest, Peter warms himself by the fire.

A servant girl comes up and takes a good look at him, ‘This man was with Jesus.’

‘Woman, I don’t know him.’

A little later, someone else thinks he recognises Peter, ‘You are one of them’. But again, Peter denies Jesus,  ‘Man, I’m not!’

As time drags on, Peter gets into conversation with some of the others gathered around the fire, and hearing his accent, someone else says, ‘This man was with him – he’s from Galilee like them.’ 

‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ says Peter.

And the cock crows.

Far from going to prison and to death with Jesus, Peter has denied him 3 times.

So here we have the disciples: Self-promoting. Superficial. Spineless. Violent. Faithless. Power-hungry. It’s a desperately sad picture of humanity.

“But”, you protest, “you’re exaggerating: The disciples didn’t understand Jesus and his call to humility... and verse 45 tells us they were exhausted from sorrow… Judas was disillusioned with Jesus’ focus on spiritual matters and his lack of social and political action… Peter was frightened – Jesus had been arrested – his denials are understandable. You’re too harsh on the disciples.”

Maybe. Maybe not. What’s Jesus’ own verdict on the situation? Have a look at v53.‘This is your hour – when darkness reigns.’ This isn’t a moment of mere weakness.This is a dark, dark hour. This is the moment when ignorance and evil reign.

And what was Peter’s verdict on his own denials? As soon as Jesus looked at him, and he realised what he’d done, v62, “he went outside and wept bitterly.”This hard-nosed fisherman, this natural leader of men, wept because of his cowardice.

 

This moment in history demonstrates all-too-well the response of the whole of humanity to the authority, the compassion, the humility, the truth of the Son of God: too tired; betrayers; deniers.

It was a simple request, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’ But they didn’t pray, and they did fall into temptation.

And while they should have been praying, Jesus was praying on his knees,  ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.’ An angel came – probably with a message from heaven -and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.’

How can you describe or imagine the agony of Jesus at this moment?

‘Should I do my Father’s will and drink the cup or walk away?’ The cup – the cup of suffering, yes, but so much more than that. It’s described in Isaiah 51 as the cup of God’s wrath that makes men stagger.

This is the cup that contains the divine, eternal and just punishment for the self-promoting, superficial, spineless, violent, faithless, power-hungry, murdering darkness of humanity.

And as he contemplates the horror of this cup, Jesus prays more earnestly and his sweat drips from his face like drops of blood. His exertion in prayer is like that of an Olympic Athlete.

And he makes his decision. ‘Father, not my will but yours be done.’Jesus has not fallen into temptation – not even when faced with the prospect of drinking the foaming cup of God’s wrath. Jesus isn’t too tired to pray. He won’t deny or betray his Father.

And then Judas arrives, walks up to Jesus and kisses his cheek. Jesus turns to the leaders of God’s people – the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders – ‘Am I leading a rebellion that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you I the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour – when darkness reigns.’ This is the hour when the perfectly good, honourable, sinless Son of God is treated as an evil criminal.

But think back to what Jesus had said just before they left the Last Supper: v17, ‘It is written, ‘he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, and what is written about me is reaching its fulfilment.’

So here he is, numbered with the transgressors – treated as a common criminal, as if he had done wrong, as if the Son of God had blasphemed. This truly is the darkest hour when the moral order is turned upside down; the ultimate injustice is done; the good is punished as if it were evil.

And yet… it’s not only the religious authorities who treat Jesus as a criminal. God does too.

As we saw earlier, Jesus has steeled himself to drink the cup of God’s wrath – not because he has been disobedient, but because we have, and he drinks the cup on our behalf. If you remember, the reference to the cup of wrath was in Isaiah 51. And in Isaiah 52 & 53 we have that most astonishing OT passage describing Jesus’ death:

He was pierced for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

And by his wounds we have been healed.

We all, like sheep have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to his own way,

And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

And the passage concludes:

he poured out his soul to death

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors

Why was Jesus numbered with the transgressors? Why was he counted as a sinner by God? Why did he drink the cup of God’s wrath? Because he bore the sins of many.

Because he bore the sins of the disciples: the self-promoting, superficial, spineless, violent, faithless, power-hungry disciples. But he bore more than just their sin. He bore our sin. My sin. Your sin.

An yet, here’s a question you must answer for yourself: have you ever recognised and admitted that he also carried your sins?

Oh, you may have been attending church for years. You may understand the theory of the cross of Christ. You may even be able to give a good explanation of penal substitutionary atonement.

But have you ever experienced the overwhelming freedom and joy of Jesus carrying your sins to his cross and paying your penalty?

When we sang that opening hymn, was it truly, deeply personal to you?

And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

After Peter had persistently denied Jesus, the cock crowed. The Lord Jesus looked straight at him. And Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And Peter went outside and wept bitterly.

Peter needed that jolt – that look from the Lord – to make him realise the seriousness of his attitude towards Jesus – his mistrust, his denial, the way he distanced himself from Jesus.

What will it take to jolt you out of your complacency, your denial, your mistrust, your cold-heartedness, your downright disobedience towards Jesus?

Can you look at Jesus on his knees in the garden and remain unmoved as he faces the horror of the cup of God’s wrath which should be yours, but which he will drink for you?

At the end of the service this morning, we’re going to sing an old hymn. Again, I ask you, can you sing this for yourself?

Thy grief and Thy compassion

were all for sinners’ gain;

mine, mine was the transgression,

but Thine the deadly pain.

What language shall I borrow

to praise Thee, heavenly Friend,

for this, Thy dying sorrow,

Thy pity without end?

Lord, make me Thine for ever,

nor let me faithless prove;

O let me never, never

abuse such dying love!