Let Him Drink the Cup - Pastor John Workman

Devotional

Day 1: The Cup of Indignation Begun in the Garden

When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they introduced sin’s yeast into humanity’s winepress. What began as a single act of disobedience fermented into a cup overflowing with God’s righteous wrath—a cup meant for rebels, not image-bearers. This cup represents the unavoidable consequence of violating holiness. Every generation since Eden has added to its bitter dregs. Yet God never intended His children to drink it. The garden’s tragedy birthed a divine dilemma: how to satisfy justice without destroying those He loved. [24:42]

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
(Genesis 3:6, KJV)

Reflection: Where have you tasted the “yeast” of compromise in your own life? How does recognizing sin’s cumulative weight deepen your gratitude for Christ’s intervention?

Day 2: The Weight of Holiness and Love at Gethsemane

In Gethsemane, Jesus faced the cup’s full horror—not just physical suffering, but the spiritual reality of becoming sin. Holiness demanded wrath; love demanded substitution. His “if it be possible” plea reveals the agony of bridging that chasm. The cup could not pass, so He drank it to the dregs. Every drop of wrath meant for humanity was swallowed by the One who knew no sin. This moment sealed heaven’s answer to Eden’s rebellion. [06:41]

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 wilt.
(Matthew 26:39, KJV)

Reflection: What “cup” are you tempted to avoid that God asks you to embrace? How does Christ’s surrender in Gethsemane reshape your understanding of obedience?

Day 3: Repentance as the Key to the Gospel’s Door

The gospel door swings open only with repentance—the turning from sin’s yeast that keeps fermenting wrath. Many want mercy without this key, grace without grief over rebellion. Yet Jesus’ first sermon thundered “Repent!” because half-hearted belief leaves the cup undrunk. Repentance isn’t shame; it’s the lifeline pulling us from the vat of indignation into the ark of Christ’s righteousness. [41:01]

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
(Acts 3:19, KJV)

Reflection: What area of your life still resists full repentance? How does clinging to “secret yeast” endanger your witness to Christ’s finished work?

Day 4: The Blessed Hope of the Rapture-Ready Remnant

The saints’ ultimate comfort isn’t escape from hardship, but deliverance from wrath. Just as Lot was removed before Sodom’s fire, the church will be caught up before the final outpouring. This rapture isn’t reward for perfection, but for persistence—the ready remnant who daily say, “Even so, come.” Our blessed hope isn’t a doctrine to debate, but a promise making present trials momentary. [54:28]

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, KJV)

Reflection: How does living “rapture-ready” change your priorities today? What compromise loses its grip when you anticipate Christ’s shout?

Day 5: Let Him Drink the Cup: Our Defense and Delight

To “let Him drink the cup” is both our defense against wrath and our delight in worship. Every attempt to sip self-righteousness or dabble in indignation mocks the cross. Saints don’t avoid the cup—they point to its emptiness, shouting, “He drained it all!” This truth silences condemnation and fuels mission. Our testimony isn’t perfection, but proclamation: “Taste and see—His cup overflows with grace!” [51:30]

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.
(Revelation 14:10, KJV)

Reflection: Where do you still try to “sip” from the cup of works or guilt? How can you boldly declare Christ’s empty cup to someone drowning in shame today?

Sermon Summary

Psalm 75 puts a cup in the hand of the Lord, red wine full of mixture, and the wicked have to wring out the dregs and drink every drop. Matthew 26 brings that same cup into Gethsemane, where Jesus falls on his face and says, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me,” yet bows under the Father’s will. The cup is the indignation of God, the wrath of offended holiness, and holiness will not sweep sin under the rug. God is love, but God is holy, and when holiness is violated, somebody has got to pay.

Genesis shows where that cup began. God gave Adam and Eve free will because love demands free will, free will demands options, and options bring reward or ramifications. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not there because God wanted man to fall, but because love would not create robots. Satan came with the old lie, “Yea, hath God said?” and Eve was deceived, but Adam knew what he was doing. Sin got added to the fruit like yeast, and the wine process began. From that day, humanity started wringing into the cup that was never meant for man, because hell was made for the devil and his angels.

The cross shows how God stayed holy and loving without violating either office. The love of God put on flesh and offered Himself to the holiness of God. God marched up Calvary’s hill and God offered Himself to God, and the resurrection proved that God received the sacrifice. Love drank the cup, not by accident, not spilled blood, but shed blood, on purpose. The holiness of God poured out the full fury of judgment on the love of God, and for a moment the Son cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” so sinners could be eternally reconciled.

The gospel therefore is not half a gospel. Repentance is the key and the gospel is the door. A person does not kick the door in by saying, “I believe in Jesus,” while still loving sin. The good news for the sinner is that the sinner can become a saint. The good news for the saint is the blessed hope, because Christ has already drunk the cup for His people. The coming wrath of the great tribulation is the cup poured out on a Christ rejecting world, but the ready remnant is not appointed to wrath. The call is simple and serious, sinner and saint alike, let Him drink the cup.

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Key Takeaways

1. Holiness will not ignore sin God’s love never cancels God’s holiness, and God’s holiness never becomes corrupt by pretending sin does not matter. The offense must be answered, from the smallest sin to the greatest, because a holy God cannot sweep rebellion under the rug. Grace becomes precious only when the fear of God has made the danger plain. [08:48]
2. The cup began in Eden The fall was not a small mistake in a harmless garden, but the beginning of the cup of indignation being filled. Sin entered like yeast into fruit, and the whole thing started fermenting into judgment. Adam’s choice turned human history toward a cup that God never meant mankind to drink. [24:42]
3. Repentance is the gospel’s key The gospel is good news, but it is not permission to keep loving darkness. Repentance is the key that opens the door, and the door is Christ Himself. Belief that refuses repentance is not the faith that bows, it is the kind of claim that still wants sin and heaven at the same time. [40:03]
4. Let Christ drink the cup Jesus did not merely taste wrath, He drank the cup all the way down. In one afternoon, God in flesh bore what eternity would have demanded from sinners. Rejecting that sacrifice leaves a soul with only one terrible option, to drink the cup personally and forever. [45:13]
5. The blessed hope steadies saints The hope of the saint is not God’s wrath, but Christ’s appearing for His people. The rapture is presented as comfort because Christ has already borne the judgment appointed to His own. The church is called to be ready, not careless, because the King is coming.

## [54:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:44] - Called to Evangelize
[03:44] - The Cup Object Lesson
[04:41] - Psalm 75 and Wrath’s Cup
[06:16] - Gethsemane and Christ’s Cup
[09:25] - Eden, Free Will, and the Tree
[19:19] - Satan’s Lies and the Mind
[24:42] - Sin Ferments the Cup
[31:56] - Love Satisfies Holiness at Calvary
[40:03] - Repentance Unlocks the Gospel
[43:04] - Revelation and the Final Cup
[46:24] - The Blessed Hope for Saints
[51:15] - Delivered from Coming Wrath
[58:28] - Invitation to Let Him Drink

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Psalm 75:8 (ESV)
For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.

Matthew 26:39 (ESV)
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Observation Questions

What imagery does Psalm 75 use to describe God’s judgment, and what does it mean for the wicked to “drain it down to the dregs”?
How does Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39) connect to the “cup” described in Psalm 75?
According to the sermon, why was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil placed in Eden if God did not want humanity to fall? [10:29]
What two attributes of God (holiness and love) are emphasized as inseparable in addressing sin? [08:48]

Interpretation Questions

Why did Jesus’ sacrifice require Him to fully “drink the cup” of wrath instead of merely tasting it? How does this reflect both God’s holiness and love? [45:13]
The sermon states, “Repentance is the key and the gospel is the door.” How does repentance differ from mere intellectual belief in Jesus? [40:03]
How does Adam’s choice in Eden relate to humanity’s responsibility for the “cup of indignation” mentioned in Psalm 75? [24:42]
Why is the resurrection of Jesus critical to validating His sacrifice as sufficient to satisfy God’s holiness? [32:29]

Application Questions

In what areas of your life might you be tempted to “love sin” while claiming belief in Jesus? How can repentance actively reshape those areas? [40:03]
The sermon warns against a “half gospel” that ignores holiness. How can you intentionally share both God’s love and His call to repentance when talking about faith with others?
The “blessed hope” of Christ’s return is meant to steady believers. How does this hope influence your daily choices, especially in moments of fear or uncertainty? [54:28]
Reflect on a time when you struggled to trust that Jesus’ sacrifice fully covers your sin. What practical steps can you take to rest in the truth that He “drank the cup” completely?
The sermon says, “If you don’t understand the fear of God, you’ll never appreciate the love of God.” How can cultivating reverence for God’s holiness deepen your gratitude for His grace?
How might you adjust your priorities or habits to live as part of the “ready remnant” anticipating Christ’s return? [58:28]
Are there ways you’ve minimized the seriousness of sin in your life? What would it look like to take God’s holiness more seriously this week?

Sermon Clips

56s

“``I'll tell you something right now. When Jesus went to the cross, he didn't spill his blood. I get so irritated when people preach, He spilled his blood. No. He didn't spill his blood. Spill is a term used for accidental. He shed his blood. It was on purpose. He shed his blood. He said, I come to do my father's will. He shed his blood. He said, I have power to lay my life. No man takes my life from me. I have power to lay it down. I have power to take it up again. This commandment have I received of my father. Love went to that cross and holiness poured everything he had out on love. Three days later, love rose from the dead because death and hell could not hold him and because he was sinless.”

37s

“So the holiness of God judges and trust me, there was no punches pulled. I want you to think about the power of this. I know I'm going into some deep stuff. Jesus Christ, God in flesh, who is before time, in time, and beyond time at the same time. So he hang on the cross, the love of God takes the full fury of the holiness of God. And there was no punches held back. It was the full fury of God's holiness was poured out on God's love. God judged God.”

58s

“So he comes up with his plan before the world ever began because he declares the end from the beginning. So he puts on human flesh and comes down and offers himself to himself. That the love of God put on human flesh and offered himself up to the holiness of God. So God trans up Calvary's Hill and God offers himself to God. And guess what? God received the sacrifice of God. How do you know that Jesus never sinned? Because he rose from the dead. Had he sinned, he would arose from the dead because he would have been defiled and the sacrifice would not been accepted. A lot of people don't even understand why the resurrection is what it is. Number one, because death wasn't able to hold him. Number two, it was a witness to the entire world that God had received the sacrifice. Now anybody that wants to come could come through Jesus and through Jesus only.”

45s

“Repentance is the key. Repentance has to go in the lock, and the lock opens the door. You will not kick the door in. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open up, I will come in him and sup with him and he with me. You got to use the key, and the key for the gospel is repentance. So the good news for the gospel, that's what gospel means is good news. Good news for the sinner, you can be a saint. The good news for a sinner is you can be a saint. That was my message, preaching the gospel, repenting, preach the gospel to the sinner. The sinner's hope of the gospel is to become a saint.”

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Let Him Drink the Cup - Pastor John Workman - 06.28.26