God serves up a cup of wine that few care to sample. "For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams; It is well mixed, and He pours out of this; Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs." (Psalm 75:8) It sounds like a cup of bitter wine.
Last-day non-believers who choose antichrist over God's Christ are given a similar warning: "Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.'" (Revelation 14:9-10) Again, this sounds like a cup of bitter wine.
Our innocent Savior drank a cup of God's bitter wine so that we don't have to. As He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, prior to His suffering, He earnestly prayed, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." (Luke 22:42). The bitter cup of suffering and the cross was a drink Jesus preferred to avoid, but He ultimately submitted, giving special meaning to another cup He invites His followers to drink from. "And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.'" (Matthew 26:27-28)
Because Jesus drank from the bitter cup of God's wrath, we are able to drink from the sweet cup of grace. No wine is more mellow, or satisfying. We drink in life and vigor when we drink from this precious cup. And we drink in optimistic hope for the future: "I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:29). We expect to raise a glass together, along with our Savior, as we drink a toast to the ultimate fulfillment of faith and hope.
Believers regularly share a drink together in an observance known as the Lord's Supper. It's a powerful reminder of who we are and Whose we are. And it's a reminder of the cup we are able to freely drink from every day. I choose to drink from that refreshing cup through Bible study, prayer, and fellowship with His family.
May we each drink deeply today, and find the refreshment that only this cup offers.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2011
Last-day non-believers who choose antichrist over God's Christ are given a similar warning: "Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.'" (Revelation 14:9-10) Again, this sounds like a cup of bitter wine.
Our innocent Savior drank a cup of God's bitter wine so that we don't have to. As He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, prior to His suffering, He earnestly prayed, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." (Luke 22:42). The bitter cup of suffering and the cross was a drink Jesus preferred to avoid, but He ultimately submitted, giving special meaning to another cup He invites His followers to drink from. "And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.'" (Matthew 26:27-28)
Because Jesus drank from the bitter cup of God's wrath, we are able to drink from the sweet cup of grace. No wine is more mellow, or satisfying. We drink in life and vigor when we drink from this precious cup. And we drink in optimistic hope for the future: "I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:29). We expect to raise a glass together, along with our Savior, as we drink a toast to the ultimate fulfillment of faith and hope.
Believers regularly share a drink together in an observance known as the Lord's Supper. It's a powerful reminder of who we are and Whose we are. And it's a reminder of the cup we are able to freely drink from every day. I choose to drink from that refreshing cup through Bible study, prayer, and fellowship with His family.
May we each drink deeply today, and find the refreshment that only this cup offers.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2011
posted by steve @ 8:32 AM
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