Greatness Comes Through Serving Series

GOSPEL OF MARK: GOD'S SERVANT IN ACTION

GREATNESS COMES FROM SERVING

A. Mark 10:43b-45- “…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,

and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

ILLUSTRATION:

As a mother was preparing PANCAKES for her two young sons, Kevin and Ryan, they began to ARGUE over who would get the FIRST one. Not wanting to miss a TEACHABLE MOMENT, the

mom said: “Boys, what would Jesus do? Let’s pretend for a moment that one of you is Jesus.”

The brothers then started ARGUING over which one of them was going to be Jesus: “I’m Jesus!” “No, no, I’m Jesus.” In exasperation, trying to calm the boys down, the mother said, “All right! All

right! …If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake.’”

Upon listening to what his mother had to say, Kevin turned to his little brother and said, “OK, Ryan . . . You be Jesus!”

B. Being LIKE Jesus is not EASY.

1. The problem is, our DEFAULT setting is SELFISHNESS not SELFLESSNESS—being other-centered.

a. We have a tendency to look out for number ONE—and, sadly, that’s US.

b. We are not the only ones who have a problem with SELFISHNESS.

2. The twelve chosen APOSTLES of Christ also had a PROBLEM with putting themselves FIRST.

a. Weeks earlier at the end of their MINISTRY in Galilee, “the Disciples were ARGUING among themselves as to which one was the GREATEST, and Jesus had to sit them down and teach that

the LAST shall be FIRST and the GREATEST among them is the SERVANT”- Mark 9:33-35

b. Now, in our text, on their way to Jerusalem the DISCIPLES, once again, are wanting to be FIRST, and Jesus has to TEACH them all over again that “the last shall be first, and the greatest is the

servant.”

c. And, believe it or not, this won’t be LAST TIME they have this ARGUMENT. “Right after eating the LAST SUPPER with Jesus, the disciples will, once again, ARGUE over who is the greatest”-

Luke 22:24-27.

C. In our lesson today, we will see a clear CONTRAST between Jesus, who is indeed the GREATEST, and

the DISCIPLES who want to be GREATEST!

MESSAGE:

I. JESUS TELLS OF HIS IMPENDING SACRIFICE- Mark 10:32-34 (READ)

A. Jesus is not allowing anything to DETER Him from His destination to Jerusalem to be God’s sacrifice

for the SINS of the WORLD.

1. The disciples sense an URGENCY in Jesus that has produced some ANXIETY within them.

a. Mark said that the disciples were “ASTONISHED” or BEWILDERED, while the other

FOLLOWERS were “AFRAID.”

b. Each new announcement of His DEATH only added to their CONCERN and CONFUSION.

COMMENT:

Their view of the Messiah is that He will CONQUER the Roman Empire and REIN as the SOVEREIGN King of Israel. Yet, what they are HEARING from Jesus just doesn’t make SENSE.

2. This is the THIRD time that Jesus told His DISCIPLES that He was going to SUFFER and DIE.

a. The first time: “Peter rebuked Him”- Mark 8:31-32.

b. The second time: “The disciples were too afraid to ask for clarification”- Mark 9:30-32.

c. And now here, for the third time, Jesus speaks PLAINLY to them about what is waiting for Him

in Jerusalem.

COMMENT:

Actually, this is the fourth time that “Peter, James, and John heard Jesus speak of His death and resurrection, having made reference to it as they were coming down the mountain after His

transfiguration”- Mark 9:9-10.

B. This time they LEARN more about the impending SACRIFICE and SUFFERING of Jesus.

1. “Jesus tells them that it will happen in Jerusalem.”

a. That’s where they are HEADED now.

b. Don’t you think one of the disciples might be wondering, “Ugh, Jesus? If this is going to

happen in Jerusalem . . . shouldn’t we just TURN AROUND and GO somewhere else!”

ILLUSTRATION:

If we were headed to WALMART in Beech Grove and heard on the RADIO that there was a BOMB THREAT at that store, I don’t think that we would still GO there to BUY a bag of Doritos

and a carton of Rocky Road Ice Cream. I’d be heading to Kroger’s.

c. Although knowing that He is going to SUFFER and DIE, Jesus resolutely heads to Jerusalem right into the HANDS of those who are going to have Him CRUCIFIED, just so people like YOU and ME can go to HEAVEN.

2. “Jesus is going to be BETRAYED.”

COMMENT:

Betrayal occurs only by someone you KNOW, and usually TRUST. A complete STRANGER cannot BETRAY you, but a FRIEND can. Don’t you think the DISCIPLES are asking themselves,