Here, the cup refers to what Christ will ultimately drink: Father if thou wilt, let this cup pass before me, but not my will, but thine be done also. The cup is one of suffering. Christ is willing to put himself through the suffering of taking the sins of all mankind

upon his shoulders and carry those sin’s to the Cross and give himself up as the sacrifice needed to fulfill the atonement necessary to bring about the immortality and eternal life of mankind.It is also interesting that Christ here asks if they (the two sons, and even the multitude present with Christ, as well as us who claim to follow Jesus Christ), are willing to be baptized with the baptism that he was baptized with. This references when Christ came to John the Baptist and was baptized by John in order to fulfill all righteousness. The baptism of John the Baptist represented the cleansing of one’s soul: “Bring therefore fruits meet for repentance”(Matthew 3:8″. It is the same admonition Peter gave those who were pricked in their hearts: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38)

Christ answers the question that those who will follow him will partake of the cup that he himself will drink from, and they will be baptized in the baptism that Christ was baptized. As for the question of the two son’s sitting on the right and left of Christ in His Kingdom, Christ responds that it is not His authority to give them this, but it is the authority of the Father to give to those whom the way has already been prepared:

This statement of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew parallel’s the very same statement that he makes in Revelation 3:21:

Baptism and taking upon the name of Jesus Christ, which includes humility and becoming a suffering servant is the very narrow gateway that leads to not only eternal life, but also to that which is prepared for us from the beginning – Exaltation for it is through the Baptism of Christ and the suffering we endure in the name of Christ that we will be granted authority to sit with Christ in His Kingdom – which is the doctrine of Exaltation. We shall become heirs and joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).