February 5

LET THIS CUP PASS

-Matthew 26:39 states, … and Jesus fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as You will … As we take into consideration that Jesus was God manifested in the flesh, we are then in position to understand this statement that He makes. He was a representation of God and man. He was referred to as the Son of man AND the Son of God. As the Son of man, Jesus was identifying with man ( mankind ) when He prayed, saying, LET THIS CUP PASS FROM ME. This “cup” that He spoke of was referring to His death on the cross. This statement seems to be out of character for Jesus. WHY THIS STATEMENT?

-As Jesus suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, and did sweat great drops of blood, He made this statement to identify with man in the agony of the death of the self-life. The cup represents the death of self. It is the death of our ways and the life of His ways. This is the cup that Jesus drank for us as a man, and this is the cup that we must also drink of. It is a bitter cup with a bitter taste, but it has a sweet aftertaste, for it results in resurrection life. It initially speaks of death, but after it has done its work it will yield the fruit of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Man is ever trying to get out of drinking the cup of the death of self. When we do not drink of the cup we miss the opportunity to partake of resurrection life, for life can only come out of death. THE DEATH OF SELF IS THE KEY TO THE RESURRECTION LIFE AND POWER OF GOD!

-As the Son of God, Jesus identified with God when He also said, YOUR WILL BE DONE! Jesus typified man and God, FOR HIS LIFE WAS A REPRESENTATION OF BOTH. He was the MEDIATOR between man and God. As the Son of man He identified with man ( let this cup pass ), and as the Son of God He identified with God ( Your will be done ). JESUS DRANK THE CUP! We are now able, through Jesus, to drink the cup that represents the death of self, and to enter into His resurrection life. THANK YOU LORD FOR DRINKING THE CUP!

-YOUR WILL BE DONE!-