Key Verses: Matthew 26: 36-39

Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciple, “Ssit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.”  And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.  Then saith he unto them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”  And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will but as thou wilt.”

The Bible says Jesus agonized as great drops of sweat dropped to the ground because He knew when He asked for the cup to pass from Him, that He must do the Father's will.  Scripture says He was quite aware of why He came--He came to do the Father's will.  He was not caught off guard; He knew all along He came to die.  So why did He agonize in the Garden?  Some people say it was because He looked into the cup and saw sin.  I'm not going to dispute that, but I believe God showed me how I should preach this message to you today.   The cup would be Jesus' decision to go to the Cross.  Without the cup there would be no Cross; without the Cross there would be no crown; without the crown the Father's will would be left undone.  The cup represented man's sin, and the cup represented Jesus' choice to continue with the Father's will.  Jesus could have called down angels from Heaven to rescue Him from the Cross, but He chose not to.

The cup represented three things:

• First:  Painful punishment -- Jesus knew He would have to suffer physical pain.  You know why I love Jesus?  Because He was willing to take my punishment so I would not have to take it one day. To think He loved me so much that He paid the awful debt that I owed, not Him. That cup represented the pain Jesus suffered on the cross.
• Second: The separation of God -- As He hung upon that Cross, He cried out in  voice of pain, “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me.”  Because of the sin He bore upon His shoulders, God could not look upon the precious face of His Son Jesus.  That cup represented the separation from the Father, because sin will separate you from God.  Until we come to Him for repentance He cannot hear us.
• Third:  The Cross represents Death -- Jesus didn't come to live---He came to die.  Jesus said, “I'll go to the cross for them. I'll drink that cup, I'll suffer for them-- Not my will Father, but thy will be done.”  I love the Cross.  That Old Rugged cross has an attraction for me.  It was there Jesus paid for my sins and your sins.  None of us was so righteous and holy that He didn't have to die for us. He took of the cup; He went to the Cross and laid down His life.  Being made perfect,  He became the author of Eternal Salvation, to all them that obey Him.

 If there had been no cup, there would have been no Cross; if there had been no Cross, there would have been no sacrifice for sin; if there had been no sacrifice for sin, there would be no salvation; if there had been no salvation there would be no Heaven.

Folks, this is a very loving image of Jesus, willing to suffer for us.  Why did He agonize?   She agonized because the devil probably tried to fill His head full of lies and fears.  I don't like to think of Jesus on the Cross, but He did go.  I don't like to think of Jesus suffering, but He did suffer.  I don't like to think of Jesus dying for me, but He did die.  The image burns in my heart of the suffering Savior.  Friend, He died for you. The very least you could do for Him is to live for Him.  He agonized for all creation.  He agonized for people that would reject His death on the Cross.

He died for every man's sins.  That's why the penalty was so great.  I don't understand why Jesus was willing to leave Heaven and become a sacrifice for me, but He was willing.  He did it for you, too.  Are you going to let His death and suffering be in vain?  Or will you say, “Thank You Lord, for going to the Cross for me.”  All He really wants is for you to give yourself unconditionally to Him. 

Bro. Jr Fields........April 9, 2006.

Sermon edited by Mary King

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