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Title: Drinking the Cup
Scripture: Matthew 20:22

Jesus had just told the disciples again that He was going to Jerusalem to die. James and John respond by asking for the top seats in His kingdom. They still don't get it. They think Jesus is heading for a throne, not a cross. So Jesus asks them, "Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?"

The cup is not what they think. In Scripture, the cup is God's wrath against sin. Jesus is asking if they're willing to suffer and die with Him. He's asking if they want the cross, not the crown. The disciples say yes, but they have no idea what they're agreeing to. They still think following Jesus means power and glory.

We make the same mistake. We want the blessings of Christ without the cost. We want forgiveness without repentance, heaven without holiness, comfort without sacrifice. But Jesus won't give us a sanitized version of discipleship. He calls us to take up our cross and follow Him. That means dying to our plans, our pride, our right to run our own lives.

Drinking Christ's cup means sharing in His sufferings. It might mean being mocked for your faith, losing friends who reject the gospel, or sacrificing your time and money for the church. It definitely means daily putting to death your sinful desires. The Christian life is not comfortable, but it is good. God uses our suffering to make us like Christ.

The good news is that Christ drank the cup first. He took God's wrath that we deserved so we could share in His resurrection life. We don't earn salvation by our suffering. Christ earned it for us. Our suffering simply joins us to Him. When trials come, remember they're making you more like your Savior. That's worth any cost.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for wanting Your blessings without Your cross. Teach us to count the cost and follow You anyway. Help us drink the cup You've given us, trusting that You walked this path first and will walk it with us now. Amen.