Good Friday – April 15, 2022
Good Friday – April 15, 2022
Immense reverberations sound within this verse. It draws upon Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane. It exemplifies God’s way of dealing with evil. It anticipates God’s answer to Paul’s prayer. It fleshes out the conformity to Christ of those who would be his brothers and sisters in the family to which he is the firstborn (Ro. 8:28).
Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane has him asking his Father to let this cup pass from him (Mt. 26:39). He referred to his passion—that of being delivered into the hands of evil men. But, nonetheless, the Father’s will reign supreme. This cup… the cup of suffering and death… was the cup the Father had given him.
God deals with sin not by might… not by a conquering heavenly host that puts the devil to the sword as Peter took up the sword against the band of soldiers and officers of the chief priests… not by using force or coercion… no, God deals with sin and the devil through his Son, Jesus Christ. He bears the sin of the world to the cross and carries it into his tomb. In the resurrection, he leaves the entire world’s sin in the tomb, swallows up death forever, and emerges as the firstborn of the New Creation.
In drinking of the cup the Father has given him, Jesus anticipates God’s answer to Paul’s prayer for relief from the thorn in his side that beset him. God answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…” (2 Cor. 12:9).
The Apostle Paul assures us in his letter to the Romans that God, our heavenly Father, has predestined us “to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Ro. 8:29). In drinking of the cup the Father has given him, Jesus mirrors an image of how God is conforming us. He is conforming us to the image of his Son who drinks of the cup the Father gives to us. Like Christ, our only glory in this passing-away world is to be lifted up on our own particular crosses. We bear our cross and follow after Jesus to our own peculiar Golgotha. That is our cup… that is our passion… that is the death of Jesus into which we are baptized… And it is also the hope of the resurrection to glory there in your baptism.
Table Talk: Discuss the various “cups” you have had to drink.
Pray: Heavenly Father, do not take the cup from my lips but let me drink ever more deeply that I may hope even more deeply. Amen
John 18:1-19:42
(15printed here)
When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, Whom do you seek? 5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them, I am he. Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, Whom do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. 8 Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go. 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.
10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?