Mark 14 Devotional

The Cup He Did Not Refuse

““Abba, Father,” He said, “all things are possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.””Mark 14:36 (BSB)

At the table, Jesus hands his disciples bread and a cup and tells them these are his body and his blood of the covenant, given for many (14:22-24). He already knows that one of them will betray him and that all of them will fall away (14:18, 14:27). Then he goes to Gethsemane to pray.

Mark does not hide how heavy this hour is. Jesus is deeply troubled and tells his friends that the sorrow is crushing him nearly to death (14:33-34). He falls to the ground and asks his Father to take the cup from him, then yields to his Father's will over his own (14:35-36). Three times he comes back and finds his disciples asleep (14:37-41). When the crowd arrives with swords and clubs, every one of them runs (14:50). Jesus is left alone, choosing the cup they could not even stay awake for. The blood of that covenant was given for people who failed him that very night. Your failures do not put you outside that grace. They are the reason it was needed.

To think about: What failure of yours do you most need to see covered by the cup Jesus did not refuse?