Father Let This Cup Pass from Me:
Was Jesus looking for a way out when He prayed this prayer? Was He having second thoughts concerning His going to the cross? If not, then what is the meaning to the words spoken by our Lord?
Matthew 26:39, Jesus said, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
A closer examination of the Greek words, “Possible, Cup and Pass,” will give to us a much better understanding of this verse in question.
The Greek word, “Possible:” It is neuter; meaning able to be done, as in possible. Absolute, or with, “if possible,” or, “if it be possible.”
We know that all things are possible with God. Here in Matt.26, it appears that Jesus prayer goes unanswered. Why?
There are things written in heaven that must proceed forward in order to fulfill that which has been written, this is the Father’s will. The Son came to fulfill that will. Silence followed His prayer. Following are other verses that use the word “possible.”
Mark 13:22, “False Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew sighs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.” These false Christ’s and prophet desire to seduce the elect, but God will not allow it.
Mark 14:35, “He (Jesus) went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.” God could have fast forwarded time, but He did not. This was the evening that the Lord was to be betrayed.
Romans 12:18, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” With God this is possible, with man, doubtful.
Galatians 4:15, “If it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.” This may be possible if a person were insane. The next word is “Cup.”
Cup: Greek is, “poterlon.” A drinking vessel, a cup: As a metaphor. From the Hebrew, it represents a lot, portion, under the emblem of a cup which God presents to be drank, either for good, or for evil.
In the following verses, cup is used as a metaphor for evil.
In the N.T. concerning the verse in discussion, it represents a cup of sorrow, as in the bitter lot, which awaited the Savior in His sufferings and death,
Matthew 26:39-42, “O my Father, if it were possible, let this cup (of sorrow) pass from me. Verse 42, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”
John 18:11, Jesus said to Peter, “Put up thy sword, into the sheath: the cup (this bitter lot) which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”
Matthew 20:22-23, Jesus said, “Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? — Ye shall drink indeed of my cup.”
And the apostles to whom He was speaking, suffered and died horribly for the Gospel and their Lord.
As a metaphor, cup is also spoken of God. In His wrath, He causes the nations to drink, so that they reel and stagger to destruction.
Psalms 11:6, “Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.”
Psalms 75:8, “In the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.”
Ezekiel 23:31-32, “Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cut into thine hand. Thus saith the Lord God; Thou shalt drink of thy sister’s cup.”
Revelation 14:10, “cup of His = (God’s) indignation.”
Revelation 16:19, 18:6. Arabian writers use the same figure, as “cup of death.” “Cup of destruction,”
Isaiah 51:17, “the cup of His fury.”
The Greek word “pass.”
Here, the word pass represents a trope or metaphor. It is spoken of as evils, to pass away from any one, as to be removed, averted, “from,” Common form, genitive, expressing the thing from which something else proceeds.
Of the present; Matthew 26:39, “Let this cup pass from me,” with, verse 42, “except = (unless) I drink it, thy will be done.”
Mark 14:35, “If it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.”
The cults use this verse to show that Jesus is not the Creator, inferior to the Father, not God. They teach that He was looking to be removed from His obligation for which He was sent, which was to suffer and die on the cross.
Question; was Jesus attempting to cut and run? Was He attempting a retreat from the very work He came to do? Was He a coward, looking for a way out?
Could Jesus have opted out if He chose? Glad you asked.
Jesus said, Matthew 26:53-54, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be.”
Did Jesus truly have the power within himself to overcome His enemies?
John 18:4-5-6, Jesus asked His accusers, “Whom seek ye?” they (the band of men) responded, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith to them, I am he, — as soon as he had said unto them I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.” By His words alone, “I am He,” the mob was thrown backwards to the ground. This band consisted of hundreds of men, possibly 600.
The priests and scribes feared the people would rise up against them for Christ’s sake. This explains why they came at night and brought so many men with them to arrest Him.
The priests broke their own law by moving at night, taking Jesus into custody. They then hurried Him off to jail and a quick trial.
Jesus could have denied all His teachings, as Peter did. He could have turned and walked away as did the young man in Mark 14:51-52.
He was a Lamb silent before his accusers. Jesus was not a coward looking for a place to hide.
To the cults, various sects and false teachers, Jesus is a god, not the creator himself.” These antichrists are planting their tares among the wheat?
Their weapons are lies, doubt, confusion, deception, and new words that change the truth into a lie. Foolish dogmas put out by UNHOLY spirits.
Truths can be verified by just reasoning, evidences, and by documented historical facts, all having witnesses. If what false teachers are saying, is true about Jesus, it would be a crime of huge proportions against those who were martyred for the Christian faith.
It could be considered the greatest criminal offence, the greatest deception, the greatest mass voluntary suicide ever committed, and the most blatant lie ever perpetrated on the human race.
Martyrs going to their death willingly for what Jesus preached and did. Martyrs who were boiled alive in oil, burned at the stake, beheaded, fed to wild beasts, had their limbs cut off then killed, eye’s gouged out, all knowing what was about to happen.
Yet they remained faithful, all facing their accusers, and torturers, without retreating. Every man, woman and child that gave their lives, will be rewarded greatly. They being assured and confident in a future resurrection as all true Christians’ are.
Jesus was a man, He was God manifest in the flesh. The Father’s blood ran through His veins. He never had any doubt concerning the reason, the outcome for coming in the flesh.
The cross was His goal, the resurrection would be the end result. He left no unanswered questions, nor loopholes as some would have us believe.
Let’s look at the information the Scriptures reveal to us concerning this matter.
Jesus is in the place called Gethsemane. He is with Peter, James and John. These three apostles were witnesses to the events which were about to take place. These revelations are extremely important to this study.
Witnesses are required according to Scripture in order to testify for, or against any person being accused of a crime.
The testimony of two or more witnesses is needed. The history of the Bible is written by the hand of those who witnessed the events and were inspired by the Holy Spirit. If no man is present to witness an event, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit will be that witness.
Concerning the verse in discussion, we had three men (the apostles,) the Father in heaven and the Holy Spirit. Without witnesses nothing can be established.
Matthew 18:16, Jesus said, “in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”
Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, — and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
2 Cor.13:1, Paul wrote, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”
The events that were about to unfold, were witnessed by, Peter, James and John. The question is,
Did Jesus know He was going to die regardless of nothing?
Lets first examine the words of Jesus hours before He prayed to His Father outside the garden. The apostles asked Jesus,
Matthew 26:17-18, “Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover?” Jesus responds, “Go to the city — to such a man, — the Master = (Jesus) saith, MY TIME IS AT HAND.” His time had come.
This verse establishes that Jesus Had knowledge of the time of His trial, and eventual death.
Jesus and the apostles are at the last supper. Jesus said,
Matthew 26:21, “Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.” Jesus knew of Judas’s coming betrayal.
Verse 24, Again concerning Judas. Jesus said, “woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.”
Jesus knew Judas was about to give Him over to Satan’s disciples.
Luke 22:3, “then entered Satan into Judas.”
Matthew 26:27-28, Jesus expected to die. He said, “Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Jesus speaks as if His death had already occurred, and it had, because it was established before the foundation of the world. Rev.13:8, “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
Jesus places great emphases on the administration of the cup; also that which He assures us is represented by it. Following could be considered a literal translation, in which the paraphrases do not exceed the meaning of,
Matthew 26:27-28, “This is that blood of mine which was pointed out by all the sacrifices under the Jewish law, and particularly by the shedding and sprinkling of the blood of the paschal lamb. That blood of the sacrifice slain is to be poured out for the people of the world, as well as for the Jews, this for the taking away of sins: Also for all sin, in all its guilt, and in all its pollution.”
Because Jesus knew and understood the ways and wherefores of His pending suffering, death and resurrection, He said in verse 29,
“I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
He speaks of the future, as new wine, a wine of a different nature from the old. This wine can only come from a resurrected and glorified Jesus Christ. This may clarify the reason for the miracle of water to wine at the wedding feast, new wine is superior to old. I always put a great deal of emphasis on the following verse found in,
John 17:4-5, Jesus said, “I have glorified thee = (the Father) on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” Jesus had not yet gone to the cross, but speaks as if it had already been.
Verse 5, “Now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I HAD with thee before the world was.” Compare this verse with,
Hebrews 2:7, “thou = (the Father) madest Him a little lower than the angels = (a man;) thou crownedst him with glory and honour = (as the overcomer,) and didst set him over the works of thy hands = (as King.) Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet.”
The enemies of God and man lay in ruin:
Jesus came from glory, made Himself a little lower than the angels, and went back to glory. The government is now upon His shoulders. His kingdom is the whole of Creation. He is the Author and finisher of our salvation.
He rules as King, sitting on the throne of David. He is Lord over the coming new heaven, new earth, new covenant, and the new man, all being of a very different nature from the former.
Back to the question, was Jesus attempting a 180 concerning His suffering and death?
Answer, “NO.” Don’t get confused between fear and nervous bodily reactions He suffered. Yes, His perspiration came as blood, but this was just the beginning of the blood He was about to shed. He left a trail of blood.
Ask any man who has fought in the heat of battle, or a man that fights in a ring. Do they sweat? Yes. Has anyone ever sweat blood besides Christ? Yes, a medical fact! As a man, was He nervous? Of course He was. Was He afraid? NO, for he is “the author and finisher of our faith.”
Jesus understood what the ultimate goal was and the victory He would achieve. His real fear was knowing what was going to happen to the people and the nation of Israel after His death. Was it fear for Himself, of course not.
Matthew 24, Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem, the tearing apart of the nation by the Roman armies, Matthew 24.
Over a million people died, and tens of thousands were taken as slaves; followed by the Christian persecution under Nero, Diocletion, etc. The suffering of the apostles, and the future terrors that came against the Jew’s and church from without, and from within the church itself.
Future terror was to come from the hand of the Turks; crusaders, Germans; Russians; and now the Muslim nations. and even Christians’. Individuals like Hitler and Stalin who one desire is, all Jews are to be exterminated. This was Jesus fear because He had prophesied concerning it.
Only through His physical death and resurrection could death and hell be overcome.
1 Corinthians 15:54-55-56, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave = (hell) where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. thanks to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Physical death remains for all men. For Christians, eternity with the Lord is their final destination.
When Jesus prayed, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” He then said in,
Matthew 26:42, “Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”
This prayer was witnessed and recorded for us. When Jesus prayed this prayer, heaven was silent. There was no response from the Father; therefore Jesus was to continue with His work of salvation. Why?
The will of the Father, established in heaven, fulfilled in His beloved Son, this from before the foundation of the earth.
Witnessed by the apostles, recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, John inspired by the Holy Spirit to be recorded and assured to be true by the Father, Son.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com