A Fitting Substitution for my sin

God’s Cup of Wrath – Christ’s Substitution on our Behalf – WHO IS GOD? - Jesus is our Substitute

Jesus Knowingly stepped in and took on the wrath of God on our behalf
It was May 21, 1946. The place - Los Alamos. A young and daring scientist was carrying out a necessary experiment in preparation for the atomic test to be conducted in the waters of the South Pacific at Bikini.
He had successfully performed such an experiment many times before. In his effort to determine the amount of U-235 necessary for a chain reaction--scientists call it the critical mass--he would push two hemispheres of uranium together. Then, just as the mass became critical, he would push them apart with his screwdriver, thus instantly stopping the chain reaction. But that day, just as the material became critical, the screwdriver slipped! The hemispheres of uranium came too close together. Instantly the room was filled with a dazzling bluish haze. Young Louis Slotin, instead of ducking and thereby possibly saving himself, tore the two hemispheres apart with his hands and thus interrupted the chain reaction.
"By this instant, self-forgetful daring, he saved the lives of the seven other persons in the room. . . (A)s he waited. . for the car that was to take him to the hospital, he said quietly to his companion, 'You'll come through all right. But I haven't the faintest chance myself' It was only too true. Nine days later he died in agony.
We read this story and we are moved by this man’s willingness to step in and give his life for others.
We also know that as Christians we have sinned the book of Romans tells us that all men have sinned.
Paul speaks of a day of wrath that is coming for those that do not believe in Christ and have not obeyed the gospel.
Romans 2: 5
5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
God’s wrath stands against this world because of Sin. There is a day that is coming and that day will be terrible for those that don’t know Christ.
Today I want to talk to you about the wrath of God and a lesson we can learn from the OT that illustrates how Israel escaped God’s wrath and what we can learn from this.
The time that we are talking about is the Exodus – a new pharaoh has come to power that does not know Joseph and he enslaves Israel.
The Israelites cry out to God and God sends a deliverer named Moses to rescue His people.
God’s wrath is against Egypt and He is going to show Egypt His power by bringing about 10 plagues.
There is much detail to this story but today I just want to focus on the 10th plague that God brings against Israel.
This 10th plague is the most horrifying one of all and that is the death of the firstborn son.
God gives Israel specific instructions about this plague.
“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgement on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord” (Exodus 12:12).
They were to put the blood of the Lamb on the doorposts of their house that night of Passover.
The first Passover was a deliverance from the wrath of God.
If you had the blood on the door posts of the house you would be passed over by the death angel. Imagine the suspense but there is more to the story.
All of the 1st 9 plagues Israel had been an innocent bystander but the 10th plague would require Israel to be part of this plague.
God tells Israel to go get a lamb or ram and tie it up outside their house for 4 days and then on the 5th day they would sacrifice the lamb and roast it so that everyone in Egypt could smell the roasting Lamb.
There is one problem with this. Killing a lamb in Egypt was illegal.
They saw the Lamb as a protector of Pharaoh. Engravings in Ancient Egypt show Pharaoh under a lamb and the lamb acting as a protector.
Aman-RA, the chief god of Egypt, was symbolized by a lamb.
To kill a lamb, to tie one up in front of your house, to roast it so the entire city would smell it would require some guts and faith.
It break it down and make it simple God is saying this to Israel:
MY WRATH IS COMING – GET READY – PUT YOUR FAITH IN ME, FAITH THAT IS SO ALIVE THAT IT WILL RISK EVERYTHING AND YOU WILL BE SAVED.
ISRAEL IS REQUIRED TO DO THIS ACT OF FAITH TO BE SAVED.
WOULD THEY HAVE FAITH THAT TRUSTS TOTALLY IN GOD OR WILL THEY COWER IN FEAR OF THE EGYPTIANS?
We know this story – the Death Angel comes and passes over the houses of the Israelites with the blood on the doorposts.
God shows his gracious love to Israel but shows Justice to Egypt.
Israel knows God as a Redeemer but Egypt knows God as a God that takes retribution on those that do not do His will.
But this story goes further. It goes to the very ritual of Passover.
The Jews would celebrate this feast for many years to come.
Every year the Israelites would celebrate their deliverance from Egypt and would do so by sacrificing a Lamb, eating bitter herbs, unleavened bread, and cups of wine.
The ceremony at one point in Israel’s history was very concise. It had four cups of wine that would be celebrated.
4 CUPS OF WINE IN THE PASSOVER
The night of Passover as it gets toward evening and sunset the Jews would have the 1st cup of wine.
This cup is called the cup of Sanctification – it was to consecrate and the make the night holy unto God.
The prayer prayed over this cup read:
“Blessed are you O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine”
2nd Cup was the cup of Proclamation
This was the Cup in which the story of the Exodus would be told to the family and children
3rd Cup – The Cup of the Meal
The third Cup would be drank with the Lamb and unleavened bread
The prayer prayed at this time went something like: “Blessed are you, Lord God, who brings forth bread from the earth.”
This is when the Lamb was consumed completely and the Lamb became simply THE BODY
4th Cup – The Cup of Thanksgiving
At this time songs of thanksgiving would have been sung and celebrated.
The Psalms of the bible that were sung at this time were called the Hallal Psalms.
Now take this idea of the four cups to the New Testament.
Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples when He instituted the Lord’s Supper-
It was during the Cup of Thanksgiving that Jesus instituted our Lord’s Supper
He didn’t have a lamb to eat because He would be the Lamb.
He said take eat this is my body. – remember the Lamb had come to be called the Body.
So now the body of sacrifice would be tied to the unleavened bread and the blood of the covenant tied to the cup of thanksgiving.
As a matter of fact the early Church started to call the Lord’s Supper The EUCHARIST - this comes from the Greek word for Thanksgiving.
But what were the early Christians thankful for?
Of course Jesus died for our sins on the cross and we are thankful for that but what does that really mean.
To answer this we need to introduce you to the 5th and final cup of the Passover feast.
There came to be a fifth cup that Israel would celebrate in this ceremony. This fifth cup would be set off on a Table to the side but would not be drunk from.
This cup would be called the cup of Elijah. The 5th cup of Passover or the cup of Elijah was the cup of God’s vengeance on the world. Just as God poured out His wrath on the Egyptians, the Jews believed that God would one day pour out His wrath on all the nations.
Malachi the Prophet foretells of this time when Elijah would return before the Day of the Lord.
Malachi 4:5
"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.
The great Prophet Elijah would return right before this event. The cup of wrath would come when Elijah came back.
If you remember Jesus tells us that in the ministry of John the Baptist Elijah the prophet had returned to Israel. The Messiah would be coming soon and God’s wrath would come against the nations.
This cup of wrath would be identified with Messianic times.
Jeremiah the prophet speaks of this wrath to come against the nations that have rejected God.
Jeremiah’s prophecy was against Judah, the surrounding nations, and also Babylon.
Except for a couple of points of interest, this passage reads like a typical judgment chapter in the Old Testament prophets, so it is tempting to pass on its significance.
First of all, it goes to great lengths to describe not only God’s heavy judgment, but the depth of sin as well. We learn, through the weight of the judgment how weighty sin is: the punishment fits the crime, so to speak.
It is a lesson throughout the book of Jeremiah that judgment is neither arbitrary nor pleasant for God. It is always the just response to rebellion after God has pleaded with His people over and over to repent. Secondly, Jeremiah uses the image of a cup of wrath.
A fairly common image for the Old Testament prophets, it is designed to give us an image of a goblet filled to the brim and overflowing with wine.
Jeremiah is vivid in his description of this cup.
Jeremiah 25: 13-16
13 'I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. 14 '(For many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, even them; and I will recompense them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.)' " 15 For thus the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me, "Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. 16 "They will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them."
27 "You shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among you."' 28 "And it will be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you will say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts : "You shall surely drink !
These are images, not of someone who has had “one too many,” but of something akin to alcohol poisoning.
The rebellious decisions made by these people have destroyed them.
This, however, is not all there is to be said about this cup or wrath.
Isaiah 51:17-23 also describes this time in history for Judah with the same image. But near the end something drastic and unexpected is recorded.

Isaiah 51: 22
22 Thus says you Lord, the Lord, your God who pleads the cause of his people: “Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering; the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more…”
How is it the cup is simply taken away from sinful and rebellious people?
The answer lies in a prayer spoken by Jesus moments before his trial and crucifixion.
Remember that Jesus accomplishes His Atonement at Passover.
It was at Passover that the mystery of the 5th cup of Wrath was celebrated. They wanted to know about this Cup.
There was a mystery to the Cup, how would it be given to the nations but not to Israel? In the prophets the wrath of God’s judgment was promised to all that were disobedient.
Then answer is found in Matthew’s Gospel.
In Matthew 26:39 He prays, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
You see, Jesus saw this cup of wrath, being poured out on Him, and shook.
At this part of the Passover ceremony, the door is opened, and the head of household says, “Pour out your wrath on the world!”
In the traditional ceremony, this cup is filled but not drunk — not until the coming of Elijah. But Jesus drank the cup.
Jesus has not only taken away this cup of wrath, He has provided a cup of a new relationship, the one provided by his blood shed on the cross.
Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath against the nations
What we see in the passion of Jesus is the wrath of God that was reserved for the nations poured out on Jesus. Jesus willfully accepted the separation from God the Father by taking on that wrath that we deserve.
Jesus became sin on our behalf.
2 Corinthians 5: 21
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
The imagery from the story of the Exodus comes to its fruition in Jesus. Jesus takes on the wrath of God.
Scripture promises that there are two ways we are going to know God. We can KNOW GOD’s Wrath or we can know GOD’s Deliverance.
In Jesus we see the true LOVE of God. God is perfect and Just and out of His love He has provided a way to escape the wrath of our sin.
Jesus allowed that wrath to come crashing down on HIM.
Boarding the SS Dorchester on a dreary winter day in 1943 were 903 troops and four chaplains, including Moody alumnus Lt. George Fox.
World War II was in full swing, and the ship was headed across the icy North Atlantic where German U-boats lurked. At 12:00 on the morning of February 3, a German torpedo ripped into the ship. "She's going down!" the men cried, scrambling for lifeboats.
A young GI crept up to one of the chaplains.
"I've lost my life jacket," he said. "Take this," the chaplain said, handing the soldier his jacket.
Before the ship sank, each chaplain gave his life jacket to another man. The heroic chaplains then linked arms and lifted their voices in prayer as the Dorchester went down. Lt. Fox and his fellow pastors were awarded posthumously the Distinguished Service Cross.
We hear this story and we are stirred by the great courage of these chaplains that gave up their life jackets.
WE applaud them as we should but we are forgetting something – Jesus the most innocent person that ever lived, the perfect lamb of God, willfully died for us.
I believe it was so much the pain of the nails on the cross and the gasping of air and the severe beating that was the worse for Christ.
It was literally experiencing Hell while He was on the cross. Jesus took on the sins of all of the world.
From the sins of Herod the Great to the sins of Hitler, to the Sins of Me and you, they all were put on Him.
He was crushed for our iniquities. The cup of wrath that was stored up for us and the sin of the world was poured out on Him.
Romans 5: 7-9
7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man ; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him
There are two type of people here today -
Sinners that are forgiven and have accepted Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Sinners that are not forgiven and are on a collision course with God.
Scripture makes it clear that it is a terrifying prospect to die without Christ Jesus.
Paul tells us in Hebrews 10:
Hebrews 10: 29-31
29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace ? 30 For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
This is a sobering passage and one that is so neglected.
Paul paints a terrifying picture of those that have rejected Christ’s sacrifice and he speaks of terror of falling into the hands of the living God.
This is the same God that struck Nadab and Abihu down for offering strange fire.
The Same God that would kill the high priest on the day of atonement if he entered the Holy of Holies without making atonement for his own sin.
We forget that salvation is an act of Love but if we reject the gift of the Gospel our punishment is just and deserving.
If anyone falls into the hands of God without Christ it is a terrifying prospect.
The Bible tells us that we are to put our trust in Jesus
Galatians paints a beautiful picture of what it is like when you are baptized. It says that we are clothed with Christ.
Now when we are clothed with Christ and His righteousness, meaning His perfection and grace that He has offered to us, this is put over us like a blanket.
When God the Father looks upon us He no longer sees sin but sees the work of Jesus draped over us.
Just like the Passover, the death angel passed over the house where the blood was on the doorpost, the person that has the blood of the Lamb of God – Jesus Christ will be admitted into Heaven and God’s wrath will not fall on that person.
We beg you to respond today to the Gospel – If you are not a Christian do not leave here today in a lost condition.
Just as the Hebrew writer tells us It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.