“And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.””
Matthew 26:39
Alone. In a garden. The weight of the world’s sin bearing down upon His shoulders. And He prays. He doesn’t run. He doesn’t grovel. He doesn’t excuse. He lifts up His heart to His Father.
This moment of decision forever etched into the tablets of history. The whole host of heaven together with breaths held. There, every eye transfixed upon the plight of God’s Son. And He is there, face down upon the creation He brought into being, praying.
“Let this cup pass…”
What does this cup look like? What is the smell emitting from its contents? What experience does this cup bring with its first sip?
“Let this cup…”
Jesus didn’t say, “Let that cup…”, nor “Let a cup…”, but, “Let this cup…”
Let this cup…Let this cup pass…
What is this cup?
This cup can be nothing less than the design of God Himself. Yes, it is the carefully crafted handiwork of the Triune Creator-God, who–from before time began–determined the arrival of this day–this moment…this cup…this prayer.
What is this cup?
This cup is nothing less than the result of man’s failure to be good enough for God. This cup is nothing less than the result of man’s attempt to create for himself a world of his own making. This cup is nothing less than the agony caused by hate-filled anger…by selfish and twisted abuse…by all forms of sexual, substance, and self-help addiction…by every form of greed…by every word gossiped against another…by murder of the mind and hand…by every moment of slothfulness of self-love and shirked-duty…by the ultimate pride and exaltation of self.
This is a cup that is personalized. This cup has a monogram eternally etched upon it. And, this cup is sloshing with God’s righteous judgments that could only be gripped by One Person–God Himself. This cup is a bitter cup full of the wrath of God stored up because of man’s sin. And so, Jesus prays:
“Let this cup pass…”
This was not Christ wavering. No, no. This was Christ’s humanity. He is the God-man. He knew thirst. He knew hunger. He knew pain. He had to–for the sake of man’s redemption–he had to. But this pain…this suffering–of not only imminent and inhumane torture upon His body, but the bearing of the Father’s wrath, justice, and separation never before known–surfaced not from a man scared, but from the God-man–the second person of Trinity–fully God and fully man anticipating the magnanimous bruising from His Father…
Thus, the God-man prayed, “…let this cup pass…”
But…
O, glory… But…He didn’t stop there! Thank the living God He didn’t stop there. No, no. The God-man continued, “…not as I will, but as You will.”
The heavenly hosts resound in praise…He didn’t stop praying. No, He continued, “…not as I will, but as You will.”
His mission. The mission of mankind’s redemption unfolds. There is hope for every man, because Jesus prayed, “…let this cup pass from Me, yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Therefore, on this Good Friday, we remember Jesus’ prayer of submission to the will of His Father! This Friday is good, because Jesus prayed a prayer of acceptance of the cup of judgment for the freedom…for the life…for the redemption of mankind.
Amen. I will remember this cup on Good Friday.
— April 19, 2019