What His agony was we can gather from the touching words, “who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear” (Heb. 5:7). While He deprecated death, He said, “I will die.” Though He deprecated the cup, He said, “I will drink it.” He deprecated the judgment, but said, “I will bear it.” “Not what I will, but what You will,” was His resolve. The will of God must be done. He came to do it. What was the will of the Father? That He should die, “the just for the unjust.” That He should give Himself to death, which had no claim on Him. Blessed be His name, He did die that He might be free to give you and me eternal life.

He looked at the cup, deprecated it, but said, “I will drink it.” Our eternal salvation hung upon His drinking that cup. If He did not bear that wrath and judgment, we must; and if He did not drink that cup, we must drink it. If He did not drink it for you, you must yet drink it. Could you drain it, sinner? You, who do not think much about the subject, if you go into judgment, and drink the cup of God’s wrath, do you think you will drain it? You foolish man! Drain it? You will drink, and drink, and drink it again as the eternal ages roll on, but you will never drain it.

Thank God, my Savior has drained it for me. He has drained it to the very dregs, and has filled another cup—the cup of salvation—to the brim with love, and has put that cup to my lips, and I drink, and receive eternal life.