Luk 22:39-44

Why was the Lord in such agony? Was it fear of death, being crucified?
These things are frightening, but that is not all that was in the cup which He had to drink. That's not what caused Him His agony.

One day a mother came to the Lord and requested that her two sons be seated next to Him in Heaven. Jesus asked them whether they could drink His cup, for they did not realise what this cup meant.

That cup He had to drink contained much more than the natural death everyone have to die. It was not even His painful death which caused Him so much agony.

What caused Him so much agony that His sweat drops was like blood when He prayed?

The traditional way for the Jews to get married were as follows: When a couple wants to get married the two families would come together and they would have a ceremony, like engagement, where both the man and lady who are to get married would drink from the same cup. That would signify that they are pledging themselves for each other alone. They would keep themselves pure. After the ceremony the bridegroom's father would take his son home and tell him to build a house where they will start their new married life. When the house is finished, the father would then tell the son to wait until he gives the signal that he could go and fetch his bride.

So when the Lord Jesus told His disciples that He was going away to prepare a place for them, they understood the meaning clearly. He is the Heavenly Bridegroom who is preparing a place for us, His bride - all those who belong to Him.

All who belong to Him will be fetched by Him. As they drank from the same cup as a sign of them pledging themselves to one another so He drank from that cup pledging Himself to us.

Jesus is Holy, Holy, Holy. When Isaiah saw the Lord, he fell on his face saying, "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man with unclean lips and I dwell among people with unclean lips". So we are undone before Him.

Even while Jesus walked this earth He was the blameless, spotless Lamb of God.
He had to share this cup with us, who were like an unfaithful girl flirting around, selling her body. You might say that you haven't done such things. But Jesus had said that if you looked at a woman lustfully you have already committed adultery with her in your heart. If you are envious, irritated or angry with your brother or sister you commit sin.
None of us are without sin. There are those who tell lies, but call them white lies. Before God you're a liar and your father is the devil, for he is the father of lies.

So the Lord Jesus saw all this iniquity and evil of mankind in this cup, yet He identified Himself with us and drank the cup. By drinking this cup He became sin for us. As we are cursed because of our iniquity so He was cursed because of us, for it is written, "cursed is every one who hangs on a tree".

This is what He saw and why He trembled so much, yet He prayed to His Father, "not my will but Yours be done". May we understand how terrible sin is! We make light of sin and might even laugh at prostitution.

There's a story of a certain young man who went to a brothel to look for a prostitute to sin with. When he entered the room there was his own sister! He got such a shock and was so disgusted at his sister sinking so low that he shot her saying, "Rather that my sister be dead than sinking into such terrible sin". He was in the pigsty himself and living such a life, yet he could not take it to see his own sister in it. If that sin was so terrible to that young man when he saw his own sister there how much worse is it in the eyes of the three-times holy God.

Now if God sees all this evil and He has to drink all the filth of only your life, not even to mention the rest of the world, could there be a more terrible cup? That made Him to sweat drops of blood in prayer.

When He hang on the cross God forsook Him because of your and my sin, yes even those pet sins of yours, and He cried, "my God, my God why have You forsaken me!"

The story is told of a rich father who had an only son whom he loved very much. His son studied very hard and as his graduation approached his father was very proud of his son's progress in life. The son loved cars and saw a very beautiful red sports car. He dearly wanted it and thought that, because his father was so rich, he could buy him the car as a present upon his graduation. He also dropped the hint.
On the morning of his graduation his father called him to his office and told him how much he loved him and how proud he was of him. He then presented his son with a small gift, neatly wrapped and beautifully decorated. The son felt a bit of disappointment but opened it carefully. Inside was a beautiful leather-bound Bible with his name inscribed in gold letters. The son was terribly disappointed and flew into a rage and shouted at his father, "you're so wealthy and all you can give me is this Bible!" He left his father's office, slammed the door and never returned. Years passed and he never even tried to contact his father. He became a successful businessman himself, built himself a house, got married, and had children. One day he thought back of his father and how old he must be. He decided to visit him, but before he could go he received a telegram from his father's attorney informing him of his father's death and that he inherited everything that belonged to his father.
As he went through his father's belongings he suddenly saw that Bible his father presented to him on his graduation day which he simply left there in his father's study. He opened it and started to page through it. His eye fell upon Matt 7:11, "if you then, being evil, know how to give good things to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him". Tears started to roll down his cheeks as he thought of his father and that he never visited him again. As he continued to page through the Bible something fell out. It was a car key. At the back of the Bible was a document with contact information of a car dealer where he could fetch his exact red sports car - fully paid. The son was devastated, realising what he had done; and now his father had passed away. It was too late to say sorry.

Will you turn to Him before it is too late? If you forsake the Bible you forsake all the true riches.

Turn to Him with all of your heart. Make it personal. God forsook Jesus because of your sin. If you reject such a salvation you deserve hell. In the past you served the devil with all your heart. Will you now serve your Lord and Saviour with all your heart?