The Cup that He Is Given
John 18:12-24
Right before this passage is a scene with incredibly high stakes: Judas betraying Jesus, Roman soldiers, and Pharisees surround them in the darkness of the Garden of Gethsemane; there is no escape. It is easy to imagine the panic and hopelessness that Peter was feeling. Everything he had lived for in the last few years was coming to a close with the impending capture of his beloved friend and teacher. In desperation, Peter lashes out violently and chops off the ear of a servant. Jesus responds calmly, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (John 18:1-11).
The attitudes of Peter and Jesus in the face of danger contrast sharply here and in their responses to the coming events. As Jesus is captured, bound, and taken to the high priest for questioning, Peter enters the gates and commits his first of three denials of Jesus. In a moment of stress and despair, Peter denies that he is a follower of Jesus to a servant girl when she asks him (John 18:17). It is a sad story to read, one that Jesus would later redeem by making Peter say that he loves Jesus three times (John 21). In this moment, Peter lets his fear control him, choosing to lie rather than trust the Lord’s plan and what Jesus told him.
Jesus, on the other hand, is interrogated and never panics. When questioned about his ministry, Jesus says that He has spoken openly and has never hidden His intentions and that they should ask those who have heard Him speak, and they would see there are no grounds to have Him arrested. Even when an officer strikes Jesus, He is not aggressive. Instead of righteous anger or desperate pleas, Jesus invites them to ask questions to His followers and listen to what he has said. Ask and listen. Think about why you have done what you have done. If I am not guilty, why do you hit me?
Jesus knows that He must drink the cup the Father has given him, and this is His cup: to be humiliated, arrested, struck, mocked, and ultimately, killed. An innocent sacrifice for us all. And he takes and drinks this cup with complete trust in the Lord, knowing He is in control.
Do you react like Peter or Jesus in times of distress or hardship? Is your tendency to panic or to find comfort in the Lord’s purpose?
