What was the cup that Jesus prayed for?

This question came to me as I was reading the following quote from Paul West.

The Son of Man had his own will which was subject to emotion, marvel, hunger, sadness, frustration, etc. He was clearly distressed when He asked His Father to take the cup from Him! For the first time since the inception of eternity the Son of God was about to be separated from His Father (and some believe descend into hell), carrying the burdens of all the sins of the world.

So this Cup was something that was going to separate Lord Jesus from his heavenly father based on Paul West's quote above. Nothing separates man from God than sin. So the Cup should be the sin of the world. I agree with the same.

Matthew 20:22- But Jesus answered by saying to them, "You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”

"Oh yes,” they replied, "we are able!”

Jesus told them, "YOU WILL DRINK FROM MY BITTER CUP. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

If Jesus referred the sins of the world as cup then why did he say that his disciples will take that cup which he took as well? Don't we all believe that Jesus was the only Lamb who took over our sins?

So the cup here means Physical sufferings then did Jesus get disturbed by the fear of Physical sufferings, while the martyrs of New covenant went to death singing?

So which ever way you answer you will be hit, so please think well to give a logical answer. This is a genuine question.

I agree that the question that I have asked here is not as interesting as strange fire kind of discussion. But I would like to hear from those who have light in this area. Especially brother Paul west.

Never encountered this one before! Great observation brother.

Obviously, the cup in Matthew 20 could not be the cup of the sins of the world and separation from the Father, yet, as you rightly point out, this cup is also the Lord's. So this leads me to regard the cup in Gethsamane as the "Cup"; the all-comprehensive Cup containing the weight of the sins of the world and the separation from God that goes along with it. John and James couldn't possible drink this! No Archangel or created being could. Only the Sinless Eternal Son of God could. Amen forever.

So the cup in Mathhew 20 is a component of the "Cup", a portion. It still qualifies as the Lord's cup, because Jesus drank and suffered of it to, as this cup was inside the big "Cup", like a page in a Book. This cup was rejection, indignity, torment, death for the sake of the Gospel. All the things redeemed man can undergo, in the footsteps of his Forerunner, minus the bearing of the actual sins of the world and separation from God. This small cup was but an internal component of the Big Cup, and thus Jesus could say both were His.

My take on it. A great thing to ponder in any case! What do you think dear brother?

Greetings

I believe it was the cup of the Father's wrath.

The ESV has 5 references to the the cup/wine of His wrath ~ or anger:
Isa 51:17
Isa 51:22
Jer 25:15
Rev 14:10
Rev 16:19

Oh, what a price He paid for my sin!
REJOICE! =)
Mary

This you have answered wisely! I agree with you brother, the cup referred here in Matt 20 should be persecution for the name of Jesus. Which is also the part of the main cup that Jesus took for us. No one can drink the cup but the content poured in it. The content poured in the cup of Jesus was the sins of the world, the result of drinking it was separation from father and crucifixion by people calling him sinner. The content poured into the cup of James and John was not the sins of the world but only the punishment, rejection or persecution for drinking from the same cup though the conent is not the same. Anyone who holds the testimony of Jesus also drinks from the same cup, we all face rejection somewhere. For me from my parents and relatives.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

edit add : And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.