Three Cups, Three Crosses and Three Crowns

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Three Cups
The first cup is the cup is at the garden of Gethsemane where He pleaded with His Father to remove this cup from Him. It was the cup that He embraced in full obedience to His Father’s will. And He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, where He knelt down and prayed, "Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done." (Luke 22:42). In the Garden of Gathsemane Jesus asks Peter (John 18:4) “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” It was the cup of the punishment of God against sins of the world.

The second cup was a cup that Jesus refused to drink and finally drank and died. Fermented wine used to be given as a narcotic or anesthetic to one who was about to be crucified so that they will not feel the severity of the pain. Matthew 27:33 - 34 refers to this drink as wine mixed with gall, while Mark calls it wine and myrrh (Mark 15:23) and he refused to drink it. "Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth."(John 19:29-30). This was the cup he drank for the fulfillment of prophecy we read in Psalm 69:21 by David saying "They put gall in my food; and gave me vinegar for my thirst" (Psalm 69:21). John understood that Jesus was conscious of fulfilling scripture. After this, His last words from the cross were "It is finished." He drank that cup to fulfill the mission he was given to take up the sin away from the world. The One who created the waters of the sea and under the earth, the One who opened the eyes of Hagar to see a well of water in the desert (Genesis 21:15), The One who opened the rock in the desert and made the waters gush out to quench the thirst of the people was thirsty at His death. He was given a drink of sour wine on a hyssop rod to quench his thirst so that you and I can drink the living water and will never thirst again.

യോഹന്നാൻ 4:14 ഞാൻ കൊടുക്കുന്ന വെള്ളം കുടിക്കുന്നവന്നോ ഒരുനാളും ദാഹിക്കയില്ല; ഞാൻ കൊടുക്കുന്ന വെള്ളം അവനിൽ നിത്യജീവങ്കലേക്കു പൊങ്ങിവരുന്ന നീരുറവായിത്തീരും” എന്നു ഉത്തരം പറഞ്ഞു.

The third cup of which Jesus spoke - a cup that He is yet to drink. He looks forward to drinking that cup with us in glory. We read in Luke 22:20, "Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." Then He said, "But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until the day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." The words of Jesus also represent to us the absolute certainty of our salvation. It also represents the absolute certainty that He is going to come again and will have supper with us, when he will be drinking that cup with us.

Three Crosses
Luke 23:35-43 tells the story behind the three crosses on Calvary. The one on the right and the one on the left of Jesus have messages for us. One was the cross of rejection on which the thief who insulted and rejected the savior. The other was the cross of repentance on which the thief who repented and prayed to Jesus. In the center was the cross of restoration where the Son of Man and Son of God was dying. This was also a fulfilment of the prophecy by Prophet (Isaiah 53:12) 700 years before it happened that Jesus would be "numbered with the transgressors". On the cross of rejection we see a man dying in sin. On the cross of repentance we see a man dying to sin. And on the cross of Christ, we see the son of man dying for sin. When all is said and done, ultimately there will be only two groups of people - those who accept Christ and those who reject Christ.

Three Crowns

On Palm Sunday, we celebrate Jesus' entry into Jerusalem as king riding on a donkey. They crowned Him as the King who is to sit on the throne of David (John 12:13) They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” This was also a fulfillment of the scripture as it is written: “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”(Zach 9:9) .

The second crown was made of thorn that he wore on the day of his suffering and crucifixion. (Matthew 27:28,29) They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!”.

The third crown is the one He will be wearing as the King of Glory. "Angels before the throne of God praise Christ’s sacrificial love, Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing" (Revelation 5:12). In Heb 2:9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Paul says that well in Philippians Chapter 2 "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

6 അവൻ ദൈവരൂപത്തിൽ ഇരിക്കെ ദൈവത്തോടുള്ള സമത്വം മുറുകെ പിടിച്ചു കൊള്ളേണം എന്നു 7 വിചാരിക്കാതെ ദാസരൂപം എടുത്തു 8 മനുഷ്യസാദൃശ്യത്തിലായി തന്നെത്താൻ ഒഴിച്ചു വേഷത്തിൽ മനുഷ്യനായി വിളങ്ങി തന്നെത്താൻ താഴ്ത്തി മരണത്തോളം ക്രൂശിലെ മരണത്തോളം തന്നേ, അനുസരണമുള്ളവനായിത്തീർന്നു. 9 അതുകൊണ്ടു ദൈവവും അവനെ ഏറ്റവും ഉയർത്തി സകലനാമത്തിന്നും മേലായ നാമം നല്കി;10 അങ്ങനെ യേശുവിന്റെ നാമത്തിങ്കൽ സ്വർല്ലോകരുടെയും ഭൂലോകരുടെയും അധോലോകരുടെയും മുഴങ്കാൽ ഒക്കെയും മടങ്ങുകയും 1 എല്ലാ നാവും “യേശുക്രിസ്തു കർത്താവു”എന്നു പിതാവായ ദൈവത്തിന്റെ മഹത്വത്തിന്നായി ഏറ്റുപറകയും ചെയ്യേണ്ടി വരും.

Blessings