The Cup of God's Wrath - Pt 1

Hey, this is Mike Zwick from If Not For God Podcast, our show.

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For more information and to connect with Russ Andrews and Finding Purpose, you can visit us online at findingpurpose.net or connect with us on Facebook. Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious. All right, let's go to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, thank you for tonight, and Lord, thank you for the chorus of men that we just got to hear singing in this sanctuary, this beautiful sanctuary that we get to meet in.

I know it brings joy and a smile to your face. Lord, you tell us in the Bible that where two or more are gathered in your name, that you're there in their midst. And so, Lord, we welcome you into this room tonight. I pray, Lord, that you would take the words that you've given me over the last few days. Lord, that have penetrated my heart and my mind. I pray that they'll also penetrate the minds and hearts of every person who's listening tonight. May you be glorified, Lord. May you be lifted high. In your name I pray.

Amen. Tonight is the first of a four-part series entitled The Cup of God's Wrath. We're going to be looking at Mark chapter 14 tonight, verses 27 through 52.

So if you will, take your Bibles and turn there. But first I want to begin in Genesis chapter 22. And in that chapter, we learned that God tested Abraham by asking him to do something that, listen, no father would ever dream of doing. The Lord asked Abraham to take his son, his only son, Isaac, whom he loved and go to Mount Moriah to sacrifice him as a burnt offering to God.

Now here's the question. Why would a loving God ask any father to do this? Well, for two reasons. First, it was a test of Abraham's faith. But secondly, and I think more importantly, to point to a future sacrifice that would take place on that exact same mountain some 2,400 years later. Mount Moriah is profoundly sacred mountain area to Christians, Jews and Muslims. And I had the privilege of standing in the Garden of Gethsemane and looking at Mount Moriah, which today is where the Temple Mount is. It's a 37-acre tract of land where the Jewish Temple once stood.

Several important Islamic holy sites are there now including the Dome of the Rock which is a Muslim shrine built 1,300 years ago and the Al-Asq Mosque. And so, I stood on that very site when I traveled to Israel and I will never forget it. Now, I want us to go back now to Genesis chapter 22. Early the next morning, Abraham got up, saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then catch this.

We will come back to you. Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac. And he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father, Abraham, father. Yes, my son, Abraham replied. The fire in the wood are here, Isaac said, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?

Wouldn't you have had the same question? Abraham answered, God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told them about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He backed the wood on it and he bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. He reached out his hand and he took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven. Abraham, Abraham, here I am, he replied. Do not lay a hand on the boy, he said.

Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son. And Abraham looked up men and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns and he went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the place the Lord will provide. And to this day it is still called on the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.

And that brings us to Mark chapter 14. Now last week we read about the Lord's supper that took place in the upper room in Jerusalem. And after that meal we read in verse 26 that the disciples in Jesus basically walked out singing a hymn and they walked out and arrived on the Mount of Olives. And back in 2018 when I was in Jerusalem our group as I said went to the Mount of Olives which is on the eastern side of the Temple Mount and just really a few hundred yards across the Kidron Valley. It's just a hill that comes down like this. It's really not a mountain, it's like a hill.

And then you've got the Kidron Valley. And then right here you've got the Temple Mount. So literally I felt like I could throw a rock from where we were standing in the Mount of Olives and hit it. And you've seen pictures of that incredible place. And we looked over and what we saw was the golden dome.

You've seen that golden dome on the Temple Mount and it was just gleaming in the sun. Well, archeologists believe this is the very spot where Abraham was tested in just a stone's throw from where Jesus was crucified. And as I think back to that day when I stood looking at the Temple Mount I'm reminded of the very words that the Lord Jesus spoke to Abraham. By the way Jesus is the angel of the Lord in case you didn't know that.

He's always existed. And so when it says the angel of the Lord he's talking about the manifestation of God through the second person of the Trinity. And that happens a number of times in the Old Testament.

Jesus is always existed. And Jesus spoke to Abraham nearly 4,500 years ago from tonight, 4,500 years ago. And He said, on the mountain of the Lord it will be provided. So let's pick up with verse 27, Mark chapter 14 verse 27. Jesus said to them, the disciples, you will all fall away for it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. But after I have risen I will go ahead of you into Galilee. And Peter declared, even if all fall away I will not. I tell you the truth Jesus answered, today, yes tonight, before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.

But Peter insisted emphatically, even after I die with you I will never disown you. And all the others chimed in and said the same thing. As you will see tonight the suffering of Jesus begins with His betrayal. And then it moves to the agony in the garden which is followed by His arrest and abandonment. And finally as you all know the suffering servant will find himself hanging on a cross absorbing the full wrath of God the Father. But what I want you to really grasp tonight men, is that this was every detail was all part of God's plan before He created the world, before He created the world, before time began. And Jesus knew this all along.

He knew that His destiny was the cross. This was the very purpose for His life. He came into this world to die that we might live. As Dr. Danny Aiken said and I said this last week, God killed His Son so that He would not have to kill us.

Peter the very disciple who would deny Jesus three times is found later in Acts preaching to a crowd of Jews. And here's what he said, men of Israel listen to this, Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs which God did among you through Him as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge and you with the help of wicked men put him to death by nailing him to the cross. It was God's plan.

It was His will. Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen to Him for two reasons. First Jesus was and is omniscient. He's God in the flesh and He knows all things. This is why He knew beforehand that Peter would deny Him not once but how many times?

Three times. But there's another reason that Jesus knew what was going to happen to Him. He knew the Scriptures. This is why He often said but the Scriptures must be fulfilled. And this is why He quoted the prophet Zechariah. As I said last week Zechariah was a prophet who lived during the 6th century BC. He not only predicted that the Messiah would be sold for 30 pieces of silver but He also predicted that the Messiah would be struck by God the Father and that all of His followers would be what?

Scattered. Zechariah 13 says, awake O sword against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me declares the Lord almighty. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered and I will turn my hand against the little ones. I wonder if Zechariah knew what he was writing. I think he did because we learned that Abraham, that God explained the gospel to him in advance. And I think the the same way God works to teach us the mysteries of Scripture. He worked in the minds of these great prophets in the Old Testament and taught them the gospel beforehand. Not sure about Zechariah, what he knew, but I'll ask him when I get to heaven. Did you know, hey Zechariah, did you know when you wrote that what you were talking about? And he would probably say, no I really didn't Russ, but I knew God did. As we shall see, just as Abraham raised up his hand with a knife to strike his one and only son on Mount Moriah. So God raised up his hand to strike his one and only son on the same mountain, in the exact same spot.

You don't find that amazing? It's just easy to miss this point, but I want you to notice that Jesus said, after I've risen, I'll go ahead of you into Galilee. Apparently, Peter was not a very good listener because all he was thinking about was who?

Himself. And like a rooster strutting around and crowing, Peter basically called Jesus a liar when he said, even if they all fall away, Jesus, I'm not going to. You know what Jesus did?

It's what He always does. He gently reprimanded Him with these words, I'll tell you the truth Peter, tonight before the rooster crows, you yourself will disown me three times. And once again stubborn old Peter said, no way, and all the disciples chimed in. Little did they realize how foolish their words would seem just a few hours later, when they all scattered.

Let me ask you a question. Have you ever denied Jesus? And before you answer, do you realize how easy it is to deny Jesus? Many churchgoers claim to believe in God, but when it comes to Jesus, they never even mention His name, unless it's in the form of a curse word.

I will never forget the first time I heard a man use the name of Jesus Christ as a curse word. His name was Tex. I'm not going to tell his last name, even though I'm pretty sure he's dead. He was a few years older than me, and I know this may be hard particularly for Westman to believe, but he was the greatest basketball player to ever come out of Bethel.

In fact, I tried to find this, but I'm pretty sure he was all American in high school. At the state 1A championship, which was held right here in Raleigh in Broughton High School, Tex scored 44 points with two guys guarding him. He had a jump shot kind of like Bob Verger, and so they put a guy in front of him and a guy behind him.

He still scored 44 points. So one day Tex was in my driveway, and he was at least three or four years older than me, and we had some other guys, and we were playing pickup basketball. Everybody looked up at Tex. He was good looking. He wore the latest clothes in fashion. Whatever was hot in New York, he made sure it was hot in Bethel. And listen, he drove a brand new Corvette, but he took the name of the Lord right in front of me that day, Jesus Christ. I'll never forget it came out of his mouth. And I think I grabbed my basketball. I didn't see anything, but I was like dumbfounded. I'd never heard that before. I'd never heard that before.

And that's how much of an impression it made on me that I still remember it like it was yesterday. Another way to deny Christ, man, is to never share the gospel with others. If you have never shared your faith in Jesus with another person, that is a denial of Him. Also, if you have refused, and this is a simple thing, you don't have to always do this, but if you've never bowed your head in public restaurant to say a simple blessing with a friend beside you because you feared what they would think, that's a denial of Christ.

And then, listen, I could go on and on. There's so many ways that we deny Him without even thinking about it. But listen to the words of Jesus found in Matthew chapter 10 verses 32 and 33. Jesus says this, whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him for my Father in heaven.

Take those words to heart. Be careful not to deny the one who did not deny you when he drank the cup of his Father's wrath. Now listen, I want us to enter now into a holy place, and I mean this with all my heart, in a very holy moment. We're going to enter to the Garden of Gethsemane with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and I want us to try to understand what He went through. You see, it was in the Garden of Gethsemane where the cup of God's wrath began to tilt towards our Savior, God's Son. Look at verse 32. They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to His disciples, sit here while I pray. He took Peter, James, and John along with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled. My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, He said to them, stay here and keep watch. And then going a little further, He fell to the ground, I picture Him collapsing, and He prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him.

Abba, it's like saying, Daddy, Father, everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me, yet not what I will, but what You will. Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. Somebody said to Peter, are you asleep?

Could you not keep watch for an hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. Do you feel that way sometimes? Your spirit's willing, but that flesh is so strong.

It pulls you into some sin that you know you shouldn't do, and you grieve the Holy Spirit. Once more He went away and prayed the same thing. When He came back, He again found them sleeping because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to Him. And then returning a third time, He said to them, are you still sleeping and resting?

Enough. The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hand of sinners. Rise, let us go. Here comes my betrayer. Three times, Jesus pleaded with His Father to take this cup away from Him.

This is how much He dreaded what was about to happen. Three times, Jesus cried out, Abba, Father, Daddy, if possible, please take this cup from Me. And there's so much mystery about what transpired between God the Father and God the Son in both Gethsemane on the cross. Man, this truly is holy ground. And we can only go as far as Scripture carries us.

But I want to try to explain to you what I believe transpired. We need to remember that Jesus is the God-man. He is 100% God while at the same time He's 100% man. And so as the Son of God, He knew exactly what was going to happen to Him because He was omniscient.

However, as the Son of Man, He felt the same emotions that you and I feel, anxiety, fear, stress, sorrow. Jesus knew that He was about to drink the cup of God's wrath. In the Old Testament, this word cup is usually associated, if not always, with God's judgment and wrath. Psalm 51 verse 17 says, Awake, awake, rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of His wrath.

You have drained to its dregs. That's just the bottom stuff left in a drink. The goblet that makes men stagger. In Matthew chapter 20 verse 22, Jesus asked James and John, Can you drink the cup I'm going to drink? You know what the answer to that is?

Absolutely not. No one could drink that cup because Jesus was the only one capable of drinking it. And it was God's will to strike the shepherd.

This was His plan in eternity past. Remember, Abraham told his two servants to stay here while I go over there to worship. Jesus told His disciples to stay here while I go over there and pray. Abraham asked Isaac, God Himself will provide the Lamb to be sacrificed instead of you. And He named Mount Moriah, the Lord will provide. And God did provide.

God provided the Lamb that died instead of you and me. But what a price He had to pay, both Father and Son. Jesus began to taste the cup of God's wrath as He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane. And listen, man, I try to think of words that can describe what He went through.

And you just can't do it justice as to the intensity of the sorrow that consumed His soul. The Greek words that are used here convey the idea of a man who is deeply distressed troubled in spirit, in the grip of a shuddering horror of what lies ahead, an agony of the soul that causes one to profusely sweat literally droplets of blood. It's interesting that Luke, the Gentile physician, shares this truth in Luke chapter 22 verse 44. And being in agony, Jesus prayed more earnestly and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground. Only Luke referred to Jesus as sweat. And that's natural because He was a medical doctor and He was more interested in what happened to Jesus physiologically.

Thus, only Luke referred to Jesus as sweating. A sweat is consisting of great drops of blood. The Greek words are thromboi hematos. It's a medical condition that actually Aristotle alluded to. Bible scholar Richard Linsky commented on the use of this term.

As klutz, thromboi means that the blood mingled with the sweat and thickened the globules so that they fell to the ground in little clots and did not really stain the skin. This is what he went through. So what was the source of Jesus's great anguish? Well, clearly, He was in the spiritual battle of His life. As I've already said, being the Son of God, He knew in detail exactly what was about to happen to Him physically. He knew what He would experience, the physical torture and the suffering, the likes of which no man has ever experienced. Crucifixion was the most painful means of torture and execution that wicked men could come up with.

The Persians invented it and the Romans perfected it. As a human being, He would feel every pain just as intensely as you or I. But listen, I don't believe this is what He dreaded the most, as horrible as that was going to be for Him. Keep in mind that from the very beginning, He was holy and He enjoyed intimate fellowship with His Heavenly Father. He had never known anything otherwise. So the really great weight that bore down upon His soul was the knowledge that He would soon bear the guilt and shame and condemnation for all of our sins, the vileness of our sins, your sins and my sins.

That's why we need to be washed in the blood. See, it was in that moment that when He took upon Himself the sins of the world, He would feel the full impact of the wrath of God and be separated from His Father's fellowship. Notice I said separated from His Father's fellowship. I do not believe that He was ever separated relationally from God the Father.

At least that's what I was taught in seminary. But He lost fellowship with His Father momentarily when that dark cloud came over the cross and His Father and He said, my God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? You see, He could look ahead and see that moment. He just dreaded the moment when fellowship with His Heavenly Father would be interrupted and He could not bear to think about it. Thus He cried out to His Heavenly Father, Abba Father, everything is possible for You.

Take this cup from Me, yet not what I will, but what You will. After pleading with His Father three times, He arose and went back to His sleeping disciples and said, enough, the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Arise, let us go.

The idea of the word enough is this, it is settled. You see, in Gethsemane, it was settled in the heart of Jesus and now like no other time in His 33 years, He knew fully that it was God's will for Him to drink the cup of His wrath. The hour had arrived. You remember all throughout the Gospels, Jesus would say something like to His brothers, my hour, my time has not yet come, my hour has not yet arrived for you, any time is okay to go to Jerusalem, but I am on a time schedule. He was on God's time schedule and He had an appointment with the cross and nothing and no one would thwart His Father's plan. So Jesus arose with His disciples and He went out to meet His betrayer Judas. You see, Judas had been with Jesus for three years. He was really part of the inner circle, the one entrusted to be the treasurer. However, his heart was far from God.

Here is a final warning tonight. You can have all the outward appearance of a Christian and still be far from God. Many who go to church and outwardly appear good have not truly been born again. They are religious and lost just like nearly every one of the Pharisees and grant He's the pastor of this church.

We were talking this afternoon. This is the condition of the church in America in general. Obviously not every church and not every church member, but we are a nation where church goers more often than not are religious and lost. In Isaiah chapter 29 verse 13 the Lord says, these people come near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is made up only of rules taught by men. Does that not describe a lot of worship services that take place every Sunday?

Is it a bunch of rules taught by men? They worship Me with their lips but their hearts are on the golf course or somewhere else. Nothing wrong with a golf course. I know some of you guys play a lot of golf. Nothing wrong with that. Probably playing golf in heaven.

That's when I finally get a decent handicap. In John chapter 5 verses 39 and 40 Jesus said to the religious leaders, and again these are the religious leaders. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me. Yet you refuse to come to Me to have life. That's the problem with so many religious leaders in America.

They are familiar with this book but they don't know the one who wrote it. Listen, I know this may sound harsh but it's the truth. You can come to this Bible study for years and study God's Word and give all the right answers but the real question is this, and this is what I want you to listen to. Have you ever truly come to Jesus?

Have you? Have you truly repented of your sins? You don't hear much about repentance in the church anymore. Why not?

Because nobody wants to hear about it. You don't want to go to church and have somebody tell you you're a sinner and yet you want to go to a doctor and have him tell you the truth. The truth is what sets men free and I can tell you something when you come here on Tuesday night, you're going to hear the truth.

Have you truly repented of your sins and placed your trust in Jesus' finished work on the cross for your salvation? And listen, you can't fool God. The Lord did not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at what? The heart. What does He see when He looks at your heart?

Genuine faith or only an outward appearance of faith? As we come to the end tonight, Jesus is just beginning to taste the cup of God's wrath. He's been betrayed. He's been arrested. He's been abandoned by His followers. And now He is all alone. As He begins to drink the cup of His Father's wrath, the hour prophesied by Zechariah has arrived.

Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. But listen, men, God had a wonderful although painful plan for mankind. For on the mountain of the Lord, guess what?

It was provided. Next week, we will continue our journey with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as He continues to drink this cup that is full of His Father's wrath. Don't miss it.

You're gonna be back next Tuesday? Good. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for the truth contained therein. Lord, we need Your truth so much.

Our nation needs to hear the truth. Lord, I pray that You'll raise up men like my brother Grant who's 35 years old and has the heart of Jesus in him. I pray that You'll anoint him and all the godly pastors in our country who are true to Your Word and preach it without being ashamed.

And they preach all of it. Lord, we need You and we love You. Come, Lord Jesus. In Your name we pray.

Amen. Being a Christian is not about being religious, but about having a dynamic, alive relationship with Jesus Christ. You've been listening to Finding Purpose with Pastor Russ Andrews, a local triangle ministry glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living. You can discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources at findingpurpose.net or connect to Finding Purpose on Facebook. Pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him and over 300 other local triangle men to study God's Word together every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in downtown Raleigh. Find out more at findingpurpose.net.