The Cup
Pastor Jamie Self - 4/3/2026
This Good Friday sermon presents the rhythm of Holy Week as a movement from worship to confession to celebration, centering on the “cup” Jesus received in the garden as the full weight of God’s righteous wrath against sin. The message declares that humanity stands under judgment and that Jesus willingly drank the cup completely, satisfying divine justice through His sacrificial death on the cross. The sermon proclaims God’s steadfast love revealed in Christ’s suffering and anticipates the resurrection as the confirmation of victory over sin, death, and wrath.
Weekly Reflection
“The dam of God’s wrath broke. And instead of being broken on us, it was broken onto his Son. The cup was not removed. It was drunk. It was drunk to the very last drop”
We often make peace with our sin, forgetting that it is a rebellion that a holy God cannot simply ignore. The "cup" Jesus faced in Gethsemane was filled with the righteous, settled opposition of God toward that sin—a weight so heavy it caused the Savior to sweat drops of blood. Jesus didn't negotiate a reduced sentence or ask God to lower His standards; he stepped in to satisfy justice. He absorbed the "river of the Father’s wrath" so that we could receive a steadfast love that endures forever.
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This Week’s Challenge:
In the sermon, the imagery of a spider held over a flame was used to show how precarious our position is without Christ. Where have you "made peace" with sin in your life lately?
Action: Before the celebration of Easter Sunday begins, take a moment of "confession" today. Find a quiet place to read Psalm 118:5-13. These are the words Jesus himself likely sang the night before he died. Thank him that he became the "rejected stone" who took your place.
Scripture:
Psalm 118:5–13