THE CUP WE DRINK

Matthew 20:17-23

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the third film in the Indiana Jones series. Released in 1989, it was directed by Steven Spielberg. Although it was the third motion picture released, the movie is chapter twenty-five in The Complete Adventures of Indiana Jones. It was believed that if one could drink from the cup that Jesus drank from they would be immortal. The cup was called the Holy Grail.
Set two years after the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the story follows archaeologist Indiana Jones as he discovers his estranged father has gone missing while seeking out clues leading to the Holy Grail. Guided in his search by his father’s diary, Jones learns that the Nazis are also interested in the Biblical cup, and must overcome them to be reunited with his father.

Indy, guided by his recollection of his father’s diary, surpasses the three challenges, and enters a room with Holy Grail hidden amongst many false grails and an ancient knight guarding the Grail. With the traps disabled, Donovan and Schneider follow Jones into the Grail chamber. Donovan allows Schneider to choose out the Grail for him, and she selects a golden, bejeweled grail which Donovan drinks from. The grail turned out to be a false one and Donovan ages rapidly, and dies trying to grab Schneider.

With death on the line, Indiana Jones picks the true Grail, a plain carpenter’s cup, and takes a sip. The knight affirms Jones’ selection but warns him not to let the Grail go “past the Great Seal” in the temple entrance, as it is the boundary of immortality. Jones takes the Grail with the holy water and heals his mortally-wounded father. This action frightens the Hatay soldiers and Sallah is able to disarm them and the remaining Nazis. Schneider picks up the unattended Grail and tries to leave with it, crossing the Great Seal. The temple begins to quake, and the ground opens up. The Grail falls into a crevasse and Schneider dives after it. Jones grabs her and tries to pull her up, but as she tries to reach for the grail, she falls into the abyss. After another large tremor, Jones falls into the crack, within reach of the Grail, unaware he is about to fall in, but his father, now holding onto him, simply says “Indiana, Indiana…let it go”. Realising that his father does care more about him than the Grail, Jones turns and lets his father pull him to safety and the four archaeologists escape from the crumbling temple, leaving behind the Grail knight. The adventure ends with Henry revealing that “Indiana” was the family dog’s name; Indy, his father, Sallah, and Marcus ride out of the canyon and off into the sunset. (Wiki)

That was an exciting movie, but the biblical account of the true cup is even more exciting and blessed.

THE MEANING OF “THE CUP” IN SCRIPTURE

“The Cup” is used in scripture in a figurative sense. It could represent blessings or prosperity for a righteous person as in Psalm 16:5; “Lord, you have assigned my portion and my cup, you have made my lot secure.” In Psalm 23:5, the same idea is expressed; “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil my cup overflows.” In Psalm 116:13 the psalmist said, “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.”

“The Cup” is also used as an expression of judgment in Psalm 75:8; “In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.” Isaiah 51:17,22; “Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath…See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again.” Revelation 14:9,10; “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives the mark on the forehead or the hand, he too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.”

THE CUP NOBODY WANTS

Jesus used the term “cup” to refer to his suffering and death on the cross. He asked James and John, “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” Matthew 20:22. This is one of those occasions that showed that the disciples did not understand the cross at this point in their lives. Sometimes, we can misunderstand the deep truths of God.

Jesus had just told them for the third time that he was going to Jerusalem and that “The Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” (Matthew 20:18-19)

Soon thereafter, the mother of James and John comes and bows at the feet of Jesus to ask that her sons be seated on the right and left of him when he establishes his kingship. This is a kind of ambition that is not allowed his Kingdom. Recently, I was watching a worship service from a church in Atlanta and the pastor was proclaimed to be a King. They lifted him up and carried him across the front of the church in a chair. This was the same minister that last year was in the news on charges of immorality. This desire for high positions in the Kingdom of our Lord is contrary to his example to us as a servant. This must have been as obnoxious to Jesus as the request of James and John to be exalted above the other disciples to a position of honor. Jesus attempts to show them that they do not really want what they are asking for – but they can’t see it. “We can drink of the same cup of which you will drink,” they said. “You will indeed drink of my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” True greatness in the Kingdom lies not in dominance of place or power, but in service. Jesus indicated that they both would suffer for him, but nothing could compare with the type of suffering he would endure.

But the question comes to us, “Can you drink of my cup of rejection and suffering?” Some of us are ready to quit when the going gets rough, but none of us in Christ will ever suffer the full wrath of God for our sin.

THE CUP THAT JESUS PRAYED ABOUT

In Gethsemane on the night before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed, “My Father, If it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:38)

This is the cup that was so hard for him. Was it the rejection by the nation of Israel and being called a charlatan by the religious leaders? Was it the false charges brought against him and the shame they heaped on him? Was it the humility of being beaten and flogged almost to death? Was it the fear of the pain of the nails going into his hands and his feet? Was it the agony of hanging on the cross for hours waiting for his body to shut down? Was it death that he wanted to avoid?

No! It was the trauma of being separated from the Father which had never happened before. That is why he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

We are not told all of the interactions between him and the Father, but I can imagine one that went something like this: “Yes, I can remove this cup from you, but no one will be forgiven and saved from their sin. There will be no Cornerstone church or any other kind of church. All of their redemption depends on you.” And then Jesus would have replied, “Not my will, but yours be done.” And he got up from his knees and walked into the jaws of death. When Peter tried to defend him from arrest he said, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11)

THE CUP THAT JESUS REFUSED TO DRINK

“They came to a place called Golgotha, which means the place of the skull. There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall, but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.” (Matthew 27:33)

This was a mixture similar to our anesthetics today. When a person is executed in Georgia today, the first part of the chemical mixture is to put him to sleep like as in surgery. Then his heart is stopped.

After hours of agony on the cross he cried, “I’m thirsty” and he was offered some of the wine that the soldiers drank. “The soldiers came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, if you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.”

What they offered Jesus was designed to deaden the pain, but he would not accept it. But nothing could deaden the pain of soul with the filthy sins of the world heaped on his pure being. His thirst there would quench the thirst of all the thirsty souls who would turn to him for living water.

THE CUP WE DRINK

We drink of his cup in communion. Paul said, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” And then Paul added, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

We drink the cup of salvation and like our Lord we must pray the same prayer he prayed before the Father, “Not my will but yours be done.” This puts us in position to receive his cup of blessing. The commitment of our lives to him opens the windows of heaven and the cup of blessings are poured out.

The story is told of a certain minister who was disturbed to see a shabby old man go into his church at noon every day and come out again after a few minutes. What could he be doing? He informed the caretaker and bade him question the old man. After all, the place contained valuable furnishings.

`I go to pray,’ the old man said in reply to the caretaker’s questioning.

`Come, come now,’ said the other, ‘you are never long enough in the church to pray.’
`Well, you see,’ the shabby old man went on, `I cannot pray a long prayer, but every day at twelve o’clock I just comes and says, “Jesus, it’s Jim” and waits a minute and then comes away. It’s just a little prayer, but I guess He hears me.’

When Jim was injured some time later and taken to hospital, he had a wonderful influence in the ward. Grumbling patients became cheerful and often the ward would ring with laughter.

`Well, Jim,’ said the sister to him one day, `the men say you are responsible for this change in the ward. They say you are always happy.’

`Aye, sister, that I am. I can’t help being happy. You see, it’s my Visitor. Every day He makes me happy.’ `Your visitor?’ The sister was puzzled. She always noticed that Jim’s chair was empty on visiting days, for he was a lonely old man, with no relations. ‘Your visitor? But when does he come?’

`Every day,’ Jim replied, the light in his eyes growing brighter. ‘Yes, every day at twelve o’clock He comes and stands at the foot of my bed. I see Him and He smiles and says, “Jim, it’s Jesus”.

Praise Be To His Name!