Unbreakable Joy: Bitter Cups and Purpose

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Bitter Cups and Purpose

John 18:11
So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?"

What an interesting statement, "shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?" What was Jesus doing here? What was it that He was relaying by using such words?

Certainly Jesus, more so than all mankind, knew intimately that the Father is good and as such does not give bad things. Jesus clearly sees the coming suffering as something given to Him by the Father.

The phrase cup is unique and effective in relaying this powerful truth. What father would give his child a poisonous cup? Setting an example by such powerful submissive language, Jesus displays His willingness to receive the cup given to Him by His Father, bitter though the cup may be. On this side of history it is clear to see that though the cup was indeed bitter, it has orchestrated the greatest good that has ever, or will ever come to mankind. (1Peter 3:18a) For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.

Such are the ways of the Father whose ways are as high above our ways as the heavens are above the earth.

Jesus knew full well that His Father is good. Jesus was able to see through the bitterness to the joy. (Hebrews 12:2b) who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Philippians 1:29
For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

Would we as children of this same Father receive such a cup from Him in like manner?

4 comments:

cgl said...: hmmm...I'm afraid I sharply disagree. We will have to converse about it sometime.; June 1, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Unbreakable Joy said...: CGL,

I'm not sure which part (if not the whole thing) that you disagree with. We can talk whenever you like.

I was thinking of another text that shows the same theme:

Gen 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.; June 1, 2008 at 9:16 PM
cgl said...: I should have been more specific. Primarily, I am unsure of the meaning of joy in the verse "who for the joy set before him..." I was unable to come to a solid conclusion. I found it confusing but that is a possibility. I understand that the end result of Christs work was good but was it good to under the wrath of God? I suppose that depends on how you are using the word good.; June 1, 2008 at 10:45 PM
John said...: "...this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men." (Acts 2:23); June 2, 2008 at 5:20 AM

Noteworthy Quotes

Christianity preaches the infinite worth of that which is seemingly so worthless and the infinite worthlessness of that which is seemingly so valued.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord.
- George Mueller

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.
- C.S. Lewis

A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, a spiritual man is hard on himself and easy on others.
- A. W. Tozer

Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee.
- Augustine

All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.
- Blaise Pascal

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
- Jim Elliot

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
- C. S. Lewis

He loves Thee too little, who loves anything together with Thee, which he loves not for Thy sake.
- Augustine

The men of this world are children. Offer a child an apple or a bank note, and he will doubtless choose the apple.
- John Newton

In the end the heart longs not for any of God's good gifts, but for God Himself. To see Him and know Him and be in His presence is the soul's final feast. Beyond this there is no quest. Words fail. We call it pleasure, joy, delight. But these are weak pointers to the unspeakable experience.
- John Piper

God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Him, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
- C.S. Lewis

It is well that we accept the hard truth now: The man who would know God must give time to Him. He must count no time wasted which is spent in the cultivation of His acquaintance. He must give himself to meditation and prayer hours on end. So did the saints of old, the glorious company of the apostles, the Godly fellowship of the prophets and the believing members of the holy church in all generations. And so must we if we would follow in their train.
- A.W. Tozer

If God contains the fullness of all good things in Himself like an inexhaustible fountain, nothing beyond him is to be sought by those who strike after the highest good and all the elements of happiness.
- John Calvin

God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him.
- John Piper

God glorifies Himself toward the creature in two ways; by appearing to their understanding, and in communicating Himself to thief hearts and their rejoicing in and delighting in Him, and enjoying manifestations He makes of Himself. God is Glorified not only by His glories being seen, but by it’s being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart. God made the world that he might communicate and the creature receive His glory, and that it might be received both by the mind and the heart. He that testifies His idea of God’s glory doesn’t glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation of it and his delight in it.
- Jonathan Edwards