The Prince's Poison Cup

Coming up today on Renewing Your Mind didn't seem fair that the king would let them drink from the fountain so they decided terrible thing happened when the people drink the water. Their hearts turned to stone. A well told story has the power to engage and influence. Sieve always stories to pass morals along to their children. Dr. Darcy's rules on storytelling as an opportunity to do even more to explain deep theological truths in a way a child can understand. So it's our pleasure today to hear he read his book which powerfully illustrates the atoning work of Christ is titled the princes poison cup there's arson Robin writing children's stories for a few years now. For this reason, first of all, everybody loves a story Jesus communicated the truth of the gospel with parables and nobody gets too old to enjoy stories and I love the children's books because the parents read them to the children and what I'm thinking is that while there reading the simple stories to their kids there, getting new insights.

I hope to the truth that were trying to communicate when we talk in this story of the poison cup that is given to the Prince were going back to that event where our Lord was forced to sweat drops of blood over a cup, that the father had set before him, and in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus from the depths of his soul cried out to the father and begged him to let this cup pass from the dreadful cup and deadly cup, but he had to drink from that cup to save our very lives. So that's the biblical basis. Background and foundation for this children's story. I hope that this story will help your understanding become deeper of what it cost Jesus to save you and your children princes poison cup one morning. Not so long ago in a snug house in a small town a little girl was feeling sick.

Her name was Ella Ruth and her family simply call her, bad timing. Since the doctrine of medicine. Ella's father poured some of the medicine onto spoon. But as soon as Ella saw the medicine she frowned and she said daddy this medicine looks like really have to take father smiled and said yes dear, you have to take your medicine if you want to get well so Ella worked up her courage than finish the medicine just as her father told her and she asked daddy why does medicine taste so bad if it's going to make us father said that the question you should ask grandpa. He always can answer your hard questions is coming to visit this afternoon so get some rest and you'll be feeling better. When he gets so woke up when grandpa hugged and asked her how she was feeling. She told him that she was feeling much better than him and said grandpa ask you a question. Grandpa Martin said course, my dear, why is my medicine so you if it's going to make grandpa look thoughtful, it's a very good question.

Ella said some things that look, taste or smell wonderful arm off but sometimes things that seem terrible are actually very good. I even remember story in which both of these strange things were true, would you like to hear all yes Ella said she loved the stories. Grandpa told to explain things so grandpa sat down and Ella snuggled up close beside him. Grandpa began by saying Once upon a time there was a great King.

He was called the King of life because he had the power to make anything even living things like plants and animals and people, the king made a beautiful park filled with trees green lakes and meta-and every day the king came to the park and visited with his subjects. They were very happy as they walked together in the beauty of the park in the center of the park. The king placed a fountain from the fountain bubble. Beautiful water sweet. The king told his people. You may drink from all the screens but you may not drink from the water in this fountain.

I first became subjects enjoyed spending time with him so much that they didn't even go close to the farm.

They love and wanted to please get curious and wondered why he didn't want them to drink the water of the fountain which looks so pure and refreshing. One day a stranger in a long black cloak appeared in the park.

People didn't know it but the stranger was the Kings arch enemy. He told the people that the water in the fountain wasn't bad at all. He said that if they would try the water would do wonderful things for them. It would make them as great as the king himself by now. The people were very curious about the didn't seem fair that the king would let them drink from the fountain so they decided to try the stranger fill the cup with water from and gave it to the people and they tracked terrible thing happened when the people drink the water. Their hearts turned out that they no longer felt any love for their king. They didn't even want to be with him and stop coming to the park to spend time with them and instead they move toward desert far away from the park and they built themselves a city they called it the city of the king of life was angry that the people had disobeyed because of the people terrible violation of his command would be justified in destroying their city. But the king still love to speak and felt sorry for them and their pain. King was very known that the people drink from the fountain. Had he already had a plan to help them. He went to his son who was the Prince of the king said to him I felt evil that point in the story.

Ella stopped grandpa and asked what that the king the Prince to do so. It was an awful task. Grandpa is the king gave the Prince golden cup and told him to go to the city of man there in the central plaza of the city. The Prince would find another phone. This fountain was not filled with water. It was filled with terrible poison. The poison was made up of the king's anger over the people's disobedience one drop of the poison would kill a strongman king told the Prince to use the golden cup to drink a whole cup full of the poison from the Prince would do that his subjects would be healed and could come back to the park of the Prince loved his father and his and even though his mission sounded very hard. He was determined to fulfill it. So he started on a journey to the city of man, and several of his friends went with him on the way to the city. The Prince and his friends stopped by upon the Prince stared in the water which was beautiful. Call and that if he continued to gaze something strange happened. In his mind, he saw a large cup filled with dark murky liquid and he knew that it was the poison that his father had commanded him to join the Prince closed his eyes and shook his head to get the picture of the awful cup out of his mind for a moment she thought about turning back to go because he knew that that was where the police when the Prince and his friends arrived in the city. They saw that it was a terrible place.

The streets were dark and filled with mud and trash. Many of the homes were broken down and the people were on only in suspicious somebody recognize the Prince is the son of the king of life because they no longer love the king.

People began to treat the Prince quite badly. They shot curses at him makes batted him in the auditing. Some even tossed stones at him or slapped in the past. Prince trembled in fear and began to sweat. He loved his father, but he couldn't help wondering if there's some other way for the people to be. He wondered if he really had the drink of choice thought about the golden company was enduring wish to have to drink from this, is the Prince he remembered the words of his father must the only way to heal more than anything else. The Prince went right then and there he decided that he would not turn back, but he would drink the poison just as his father had asked no matter what pain-and-suffering it might cost Prince's friends also became very frightened the people so that one by one they ran away and soon the Prince was left all alone in the midst of the angry people but still he kept looking for the was full of police. Finally, he entered a great plaza and in the center of the class. It was the fountain standing by the fountain was the man in the dark.

It was arch enemy, the one who would convince the people to drink from the fountain in the park.

Prince approached the fountain and without saying a word. He took out the golden compass father and given him and held it out to the main with a cruel smile. The man filled the princes cup with the water from the fountain and gave it to the Prince, the angry people of the city all gathered around the fountain to see what would happen. The principal down at the poison that filled his. It was dark, murky smelling, he was horrified and disgusted by new kill, but as he looked around the faces of the angry people he remembered that their stony hearts would be healed if he kept he put his lips to the edge of the began to drink the poison taste better promises father, he would drink the poison burned his throat. He finished it off right down last.

The Prince bowed his head, closed his eyes and he died. He fell to the pavement beside the fountain and as soon as he fell. The man in the dark leave because he thought he had killed the king's son at all the people did a great job trying. Just then someone else this person workload right okay the approach the fountain and as he came. The man in the dark cloak stop laughing in effect in dismay. He tried to shield his eyes from the brightness of the newcomers club began to run away and as he ran he screamed, the king of life has come, run for your lives.

All the people fled hiding themselves in the alleys and doorways around beside the body of the Prince kneeling down he touched and when he touched the Prince opened his eyes he was alive again, the king of life had brought Prince from that very moment the liquid bubbling up out of the fountain. No longer was dark, murky poison.

Now dutiful clear sleep poison quickly drained away in the water filled the phone water glittered in the sunlight and tinkled merrily as it fell into the fountain and its fresh smell drifted across the closet itself seemed Prince stood up and found the golden cup going to the fountain.

He held it under the falling water and filled it to the brim.

Then he turned to the people and held the cup off of them. If anyone thirsts, he said, let him come to me and drink, plaza among the people watching amazing hearts of the people began growing soft and warm. Once some people's hearts remained hardened coal all around the Plaza the hearts of men and women, boys and girls all people young children. Rich merchants and poor workers transform those whose hearts would change began to approach the fountain that always been upholstered by the horrible poison, but the Prince and the water. He offered some glorious they could not find one way approached the Prince timidly took the cup, took a small sip from the rest of the people watched anxiously that nothing terrible happened. Instead, we simply looked up at the king in the Prince.

He had been taught anything now saying that nothing bad happened to the boy after he drank from the cup. Many other people quickly followed his example. They no longer wanted to run and hide from the king came to drink from. And all of those who drink, praise the king in the Prince for healing.

They saw that the terrible poison the Prince a drunk was wonderful medicine for the taste of the Prince and it caused him after that the people joyfully begin the visit the park once more with a great ride and walking with the king of life in the Prince would restore them at this point. Grandpa leaned over to Ellen send her that we get sick because of sin. That's why the medicine that makes our bodies will usually looks and tastes bad, but the Prince had to drink something far more terrible so that his people might be healed from the results of their disobedience. Each time you have to take bitter medicine. I want you to remember the story princes poison all I will grandpa Ella promised and you know what I know another Prince who died for his pain. Do you grandpa the twinkling that's RC Sproul reading his children's book the princes poison cup. Thanks for listening to Renewing Your Mind on this Monday. Five. The web the story of redemption comes through loud and clear this book, both for the parent to read it and the children listening. I think your family will enjoy this beautifully illustrated hardbound book it would be a great gift for the upcoming holidays we be happy to send you a copy along with the audio reading.

We just heard and simply contact us with your donation of any amount to leader ministries and we will send them to you can give your gift securely online that Renewing Your Mind.org or you can simply call us at 800-435-4343. This book provides a wonderful opportunity for you to introduce some important ideas to your children. There's also a helpful for parents section in the back that helps clarify the biblical terms and ideas of the story and provides questions to consider so I can request the book and the audiobook for your donation of any about her number again is 800-435-4343 and our web address is Renewing Your Mind.org joining me now is look in your teaching fellow and the president of Reformation Bible College, Dr. Steven Nichols said that Steve is as we just listen to RC read the princes poison cup as we consider all of his children's books there really a reflection of his overall ministry are things they actually are, not only in terms of the drama of the storytelling, but also the theme of the stories that are in this book. So this princes poison company misses this is the story is that this is the story of our fall in the story of our redemption in Christ and that that proclamation of the gospel and in a winsome and compelling way that was very much at the heart of what RC was about week. Think of what was his 100th book, which was also a children's book the Knights map is all about the authority of Scripture and the sufficiency of Scripture that goes back to the 70s and RC's role in the Chicago statement on inerrancy and helping the church find its way back to this pivotally central central doctrine of the authority of the inerrancy, the infallibility of Scripture and at this hundredth book and a children's book. So you're exactly right.

It's not only the drama that's reflective both in RC's teaching and in his children's books but also the content and the things that he's talking about is also reflective resident that were never too young and never too old to learn. Yeah, I remember listening to vested saying this at one point about RC slump to learn and he loved to learn things from people. That's why she thought that he loved being around people so much and there was a wonder to him. He ends of this great story with a twinkle in his diet, as you say you can see the twinkle in his eye, but there was a wonder to them. There was a sense of wonder. There was a sense of always wanting to learn and especially always wanting to help people learn of all ages and not just learn learn those truths that are matter of not simply life and death but a matter of eternal life and eternal death. Yet I wonder to how many parents in reading this to their children and seeing the parents section at the end of the book gained insights that that they did not have before on the atonement absolutely and you think of this in terms of the cup of God's wrath is probably not a biblical phrase that is full of more drama than that phrase, and when we think of Christ's death for us. We must realize that Christ endured the cup of God's wrath and all that says about us and our sinfulness and all that says about the necessity of Christ the it's just wonderful story and anything that you love about the book is at the end, it has this series of questions related to the plot as it unfolded in the book and each question is simply answered with Scripture. And it's another hallmark of why RC's teaching was so compelling it's almost like watching a brilliant doctor at work.

They can analyze the disease and they know exactly what to prescribe. He knew what our theological disease was and he knew not only that the cure was Scripture. He knew chapter and verse where we needed to go to get the proper cure and that's in the back of the book, you're an author yourself and I'm curious. Did you ever talk to RC about to how we went about writing books, of course, many times, and the ideas were always percolating and when he sat down to write. He already had it worked out in his head where he was going to go. He had already spent the time in the sources and so once he had sort of spent all that time he could sit down and it could flow onto onto paper but don't let that deceive you. A lot of work went into those words flowing onto paper, no doubt, no doubt about that. Thank you Steve for being with us today and that you are listers if you enjoyed this story.

I hope you make plans to be with us again tomorrow we will hear RC read another of his children's books, this one entitled the like as to say here on Renewing Your Mind