Song
He Raised the Cup
John puts the clock on the wall before he shows us the table. Jesus knew His hour had come. He knew the arrest was near, the trial was coming, and the cross was not a surprise. Yet the knowledge that His own suffering was close did not turn Him inward. The song says, 'still He knelt and served them so,' and John 13 shows us exactly that: the Lord took the posture of a household servant and washed the feet of men who would soon fail Him. This is love with its eyes open. We sometimes call love genuine only when it feels easy or spontaneous. But Jesus loved with full knowledge. He knew Peter would deny Him. He knew Judas had already set betrayal in motion. He knew the others would scatter. Still, He moved toward them with basin, towel, bread, and cup. 'Having loved his own... he loved them to the end.' That phrase does not mean Jesus loved merely until the final minute. It means He loved completely, to the full extent. The upper room is the doorway to the cross, and the cross is the measure of His love. There is no part of your weakness that He had not already considered when He set His love on you. He did not choose you because He was unaware of the cost. He knew. That changes how we receive His service. We often try to make ourselves less needy before we come to Him. We tidy our failure, rehearse better intentions, and then approach carefully. But the Christ of this song serves tired faces who have nothing to offer Him that night. Come honestly. The One who knew the hour also knew you, and He still came close. Let this be the end of self-protection today: He sees you fully, and His known, costly love is still the place where your soul can rest.
"Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done."
A song for the road you're on.
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He Raised the Cup Dirt Road Gospel Music DirtRoadGospelMusic.com [Intro] Twelve men gathered, so long... In an upper room, so long... The lamps burned low, so long, so long... [Verse 1] He knew the hour was comin' soon (comin' soon, Lord, comin' soon) But still He knelt and served them so (served them so, oh, served them so) He looked around at each tired face (tired face, Lord, tired face) He knew just what that love would cost (what it cost, oh, what it cost) [Verse 2] In that quiet, holy space (holy space, Lord, holy space) He gave them all He had to give (all He had, oh, all He had) Gave 'em all He had to give (all He had, Lord, all He had) [Chorus 1] He gave the bread (This is My body) He raised the cup (This is My blood) One for the breakin' (One for the pourin') Both were given (Out of love) He gave the bread, He raised the cup for you [Verse 3] One at the table would not stay true (would not stay, Lord, would not stay) Judas slipped out into the night (into the night, oh, into the night) Still Jesus loved him, all the way through (all the way, Lord, all the way) Still He passed the bread and light (bread and light, oh, bread and light) [Chorus 2] He gave the bread (Take now and eat it) He raised the cup (Do this for Me) A body broken (A promise spoken) Both to set (The captive free) He gave the bread, He raised the cup for you [Bridge 1] Long ago in Egypt's shadow (Egypt's shadow, oh Lord) Blood was marked on every door (every door, every door) Death passed by where the lamb had suffered (the lamb had suffered, oh) Now the Lamb walks in once more (once more, Lord, once more) No more doorpost, no more hidin' (no more hidin', no) He Himself would be the sign (be the sign, oh, be the sign) Once for all, the true Lamb given (true Lamb given, Lord) Blood not on wood, but wine (not on wood, but wine) [Bridge 2] So we take (We remember) We drink (We remember too) Every table (Every altar) Still declares (What love can do) [Final Chorus] He gave the bread! (This is My body!) He raised the cup! (This is My blood!) A covenant sealed (Forever revealed) In the bread and cup (Of love!) He gave the bread, He raised the cup for you! He gave the bread, He raised the cup for you! [Outro] For you... (for you, so long...) For you... (so long, so long...) For you... (mm, so long...)