The Answer

Gentle Readers,

I want us to briefly consider the unsettling wording of a prayer of the Son of God, Jesus. Notice the confidence that Jesus had in His Father to answer all of His prayers.

Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always; but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent me [John 11:41-42].

The Father always heard and answered the prayers of His Son, Jesus. So, if we come to a prayer that Jesus uttered to His Father and have questions about it being answered, we must always believe that the Father answered every prayer of His Son, Jesus. This must be settled once and for all.

The words that are so unsettling are about the cup that He was to drink. Jesus spoke of His death as drinking of a cup. This cup was the cup of suffering and death. What an imposing cup to drink of. It is the cup of God’s will concerning dying. This death is a choice, like the choice to drink a cup of anything. If the Will of God is for Jesus to drink, then the choice is settled once and for all. Jesus will drink of this cup.

But Jesus answered and said, "Ye (disciples) know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup (of suffering and death) that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" [Matthew 20:22].

Jesus speaks of the cup of suffering and death to His disciples. The way it is discussed, it seems to be a choice for them also. One can choose to drink of it or not. Later on Jesus tells Peter that He has chosen the Father’s will, to drink of the suffering of death.

Then said Jesus unto Peter, "Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup, which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?" [John 18:11].

In the garden, where Jesus had gone to pray many times, he now prays several times and feels that His body is under too much pressure to survive. Knowing that He "must be lifted up" in order to draw all men unto Him, He knows that He cannot die in the garden. He must be lifted upon a cross to die. Notice that He prays for God to make the cup of suffering and death (in the garden) to pass from Him.

Then saith He unto them, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me." And He went a little farther, and fell on His face and prayed saying, "O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou will." [Matthew 26:38-39

As we have already taught that God always heard His prayers, we know that the cup did pass from Him that night before His arrest, trial and crucifixion. However, upon the cross, the next day, He says, "I thirst." The time to drink the cup had come and Jesus is ready and willing. In knowing the Father’s will, He had set His face like a flint to go to the cross and die for the sins of the world. The writer of Hebrews gives us the fact that the Father heard the prayers of His Son, Jesus. So, the cup passed from Him that night.

Who in the days of His flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that he feared; though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered [Hebrews 5:7-8].

The prayer of "Why hast thou forsaken me?" has also been answered. After Jesus prayed for "Why?" God inspired men to write the New Testament, giving the answer of "why" Christ, the Son of God was forsaken by God. The Author of Scripture answered the request of the Author of Salvation.