Let This Cup Pass from Me
Dr. John Niemelä Message of Life Ministries www.MoL316.com December 29, 2013
Introduction
Jesus repeatedly predicted His crucifixion and resurrection:
1. John 2:19
2. Matt 12:39-40
3. First synoptic passion prediction: Matt 16:21 // Mark 8:31 // Luke 9:221
4. Second synoptic passion prediction: Matt 17:22–23a // Mark 9:20–31 // Luke 9:43b–44
5. Third synoptic passion prediction: Matt 20:17–19 // Mark 10:32–34 // Luke 18:31–34
6. John 12:27ff
7. Matt 20:22-23 // Mark 10:38-39 use drinking a cup to refer to Jesus’ death. Cf. Gethsemane.
In light of this, one would not expect Him in the Garden of Gethsemane to request escaping the
cross. Yet, that is exactly how most interpreters approach the Gethsemane prayers. In Gethsemane Jesus
prayed three times that the Father would remove the cup from Him. Italicized references say that
He prayed the same thing as before without recording His words.
First prayer: Matt 26:39 // Mark 14:36 // Luke 22:42
Second prayer: Matt 26:42 // Mark 14:39 // Luke 22:44
Third prayer: Matt 26:44
Let us consider the Jesus’ first prayer as recorded in all three Synoptics:
Matt 26:39 O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless,
not as I will, but as You will.
Mark 14:36 Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away
from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.
Luke 22:42 Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not
My will, but Yours, be done.
The wording in Matthew and Luke involves conditional statements (if it is possible; if it is Your
will), but both are first class conditions. Thus, in Matt 26:39, it is assumed as possible for the cup
to pass from Christ. Luke 22:42 assumes that it is the Father’s will to take the cup from Him.
Mark 14:36 explicitly says that all things (including taking away the cup) are possible for the
Father. Indeed, Jesus’ first prayer asserts the expectation that it is not only possible to take away
the cup, but that it is the Father’s will to take it away.
1
Placing // between two passages designates them as parallels.
Unfortunately, our finitude causes us at times to prematurely reject the right solution,
because we imagine a difficulty that is really not there. Our imagined difficulty is as follows:
If it were possible to take the cup from Jesus, would not the cross become optional?
No, that is an imaginary conundrum.
All we need is a little patience to consider Jesus’ second petition, that clarifies how and when the
cup would be taken away.
Matt 26:42 O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your
will be done.
Matthew 26:42 clarifies that Jesus expects the cup to be taken away after He drinks of it, not
beforehand. While Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, it was as if He were holding the cup, without
yet drinking of it. When He went to the cross, He drank of it, as Matt 20:22-23 // Mark 10:38-39 use the
imagery of drinking the cup for His crucifixion. Yes, it was the Father’s will to take away the cup, after
He went to the cross. In essence, we can understand the prayers in Gethsemane to say:
Father, please expedite the cross, so that cup can be quickly taken from Me, but do all things on
Your timetable, not mine.
This interpretation lines up nicely with John 12:27-28a. Less than a week before His crucifixion
(cf. John 12:1) Jesus indicates that He would not ask to be spared from the hour.
Now My soul is distressed, and what shall I say—“Father, save Me from this hour”? But
for this reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name!
The common understanding of Jesus’ Gethsemane prayers disagrees with what He says in
John 12:27-28a. We should, instead, understand Jesus to request that He be allowed to drink the
cup as soon as possible. The sooner He would face the cross the sooner it would be over. As
Hebrews 12:2 says: for the joy that was set before Him [He] endured the cross, despising the
shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
CONCLUSION
