Renovation Church Sermons
Mark 10:32-46 | Can You Drink This Cup? | Alex Culpepper
Why does a good God allow suffering? And what does following Jesus mean when obedience actually costs us something? In Mark 10:32 –45, James and John approach Jesus dreaming about greatness and glory. But Jesus responds with a surprising question: “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?” Behind that question is a powerful biblical image. Jesus is heading toward the cross, where he will willingly suffer in our place, bear the judgment of sin, and give his life as a ransom for many. And while Jesus drinks a cup for us that we could never drink ourselves, he also warns his disciples that following him will come with a cost. In this message from our Questions Jesus Asked series, we explore: • What Jesus means by “the cup” • Why suffering is part of following Jesus • How the cross changes the way Christians understand suffering • Why Jesus’ Kingdom often looks upside-down to the world • How Jesus’ suffering gives us hope in the middle of our own Jesus never promises that following him will keep us from suffering. Instead, he enters into our suffering, suffers for us, defeats death through his resurrection, and promises that suffering will not have the final word.

