Faith & Insight: Follow Christ from cup to crown

Follow Christ from Gethsemane to glory via the cup, the cross and the crown.

The Cup. Jesus once asked, "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"

This was not a shared communion cup. He had to drink this cup alone. It was all of Babylon's golden cup of abominable things, filth and sin. It was the cup of agony and suffering. Jesus prayed,

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will but Your will be done." Then He lifted the cup and drank it to its bitter dregs. "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."

The Cross. In the cross, God's justice was satisfied and the love of God was demonstrated.

The wages of sin were paid in full and God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Peter wrote, "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree."

The Crown. This is not the crown of thorns. This is the crown of glory. The author of Hebrews writes, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone."

He is risen! The grave could not hold Him! After His suffering, He gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. As He ascended toward heaven, the angels may have borrowed a few words from the Psalmist:

"Lift up your heads, O you gates;

lift them up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is He, this King of glory?

The Lord Almighty-

He is the King of glory."

Follow Jesus into the garden. Pray and submit your will to His. Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him to Calvary. Unite with Him in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:1-7) and live ... really live ... forever!

• Ken Haskins is the pastor of First Christian Church of Carson City and a member of the Carson City Ministerial Association.