The courage of the Lord in the narrow way fills us with admiration. What a strong character was His! He had no thought of turning back; He was intent upon accomplishing His Father's will—upon sacrificing Himself in the interest of others. A noble pattern the Apostles saw before them—greatness in humility, victory through service. It is well that we should have clearly before our minds that unless we partake of His cup, we can have no share in His Kingdom of glory. Let us then count all things else as loss and dross to obtain this necessary experience. As it comes to us let us not be fearful, nor think strange of the fiery trials that shall try us, as though some strange thing had happened unto us. On the contrary, even hereunto were we called, that we might now suffer with the Lord and by and by be with Him in the Kingdom.
A cup symbolizes experiences of bliss and woe. Though, generally speaking, our Lord's cup consisted of His experiences from Jordan to Calvary, yet in its extreme sense the cup represents the shame and disgrace heaped upon Him as one excommunicated and outlawed, dying under the sentence of blasphemy and rebellion. If we are His, we are privileged to undergo like experiences. Of ourselves we are not able to do this, but a faithful use of the Spirit, Word and providences of God will give us the necessary faith, hope, love and obedience that will make us willing and thus able to drink the Lord's cup with Him.
John 4:6; 11:33, 34; 12:27; Acts 3:18; 17:3; 2 Cor. 1:5; Phil. 2:7, 8; Heb. 4:15; 5:7; 12:2, 3; Rom. 6:1-11; 8:10, 17; 1 Cor. 15:29-34; 2 Cor. 4:8-10; Phil. 3:10; Col. 1:24; 2 Tim. 2:10-12; Heb. 13:10-13; 1 Pet. 2:21-23; 4:12-14.
