In Biblical history, the cupbearer was a position of danger, privilege and power. Nehemiah was a cupbearer. He ate everything the king ate. That included the finest delicacies prepared by the best chefs and using gold flatware crystal goblets and porcelain plates.
The Persian king ruled during the years 426 BC. He was kind to Nehemiah, but that didn’t make being a food taster less dangerous.
It was a luxury with great risks. Nehemiah’s responsibility was to taste any food or drink King Artaxexes was given. He had no option to refuse.
If the food was poisonous, or rotten, he would advise the king, that is if he didn’t become dangerously ill or drop dead himself.
There were always enemies who wanted to kill the king. Nehemiah was a line of defense against certain death. Nehemiah never knew if the next swallow from a cup or moist morsel was deadly.
Jesus served as our line of defense. However, the Christ knew the cup was poisoned. There was no one to sample, taste test or advise. The contents were known to Jesus.
The poisoned cup was full of sin. Murder, sexual perversions, adultery, unforgiveness, jealousy, wrath and anger were just a few of the ingredients in this very bitter cup. The recipe for this cup was only disstasteful items chosen by the enemy of our bodies and souls.
Jesus knew he had a choice. He could either drink the poison or defy His Father. If He drank the poison, all of the defilement and evil of mankind would belong to Him. If He refused, all of mankind would be eternally separated from the Creator.
It wasn’t just the ignominious painful torture and death. It wasn’t only the insults and ridicule. These did indeed did break the Savior’s heart but not His will.
However despite the cruelty of the soldiers and the betrayal of religious leaders His resolve was to drink the cup of poison. Jesus knew it pleased His Father to obey, no matter what. He drank from the bitter cup of vinegar offered while hanging in agony from the cross. But our salvation was assured by His drinking the cup of poison that He asked the Father to remove. He knew the eternal agony of all mankind if He allowed cup to pass, but instead chose to do The Father’s will.
We will live now and in eternity with our Creator only as we acknowledge the Messiah’s birth, death, burial and resurection.
Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Luke 22:42 KJV