Greatness In Serving Series

GREATNESS IN SERVING

Text: Mark 10:35-45

Introduction

1. Jesus spent most of his final days leading to his crucifixion taking care of two objectives: 1) to prepare his disciples for his own death and resurrection, and 2) to prepare the disciples for life together without his physical presence.

2. In our text today, we see James and John, the Sons of Zebedee, or as Jesus called them, “the Sons of Thunder,” come to Jesus and ask them for a special place of authority in his Kingdom.

3. As usual, these disciples completely missed Jesus’ point about his Kingdom. In the Kingdom of God greatness is defined and illustrated by Jesus’ words and life, finding its clearest expression in service.

4. Read Mark 10:35-45

Transition: Jesus asks us two questions today. The first is…

I. Are You Prepared to Follow (35-41).

A. Are You Able

1. As our text begins, Mark tells us in vv. 35-36, “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.” 36 “What is your request?” he asked.”

a. Two of Jesus’ disciples, James, and John, who were brothers, along with Peter made up the “inner circle.”

b. During Jesus time on earth his disciples formed three circles.

1) The farthest circle was the 72 disciples.

2) The middle circle encompassed the 12 disciples.

3) The inner circle was Peter, James, and John.

c. So, these two came to Jesus with a request. Now, Tina hates it when I want to ask her to do something for me by asking, “Will you do a favor for me?” First, Tina is a get to the point kind of person. Second, asking for a favor is really buttering someone up for a request you’re afraid of asking.

d. And in my mind, that’s what is going on here. These two were asking something big, and they were a little afraid of asking for it.

e. So, Jesus responded by saying, “What is your request?”

f. I’m thinking Jesus was saying, “oh, get to the point will you!”

g. This kind of reminds me of Archie Bunker, “Get to the point Edith, get to the point!”

2. So, they get to the point in v. 37, “They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

a. Now, these two, like most of the Jews back then, had a wrong conception of the Messiah’s Kingdom as predicted by the OT prophets.

b. They thought Jesus was going to establish his Kingdom on earth, overthrow the Romans, and restore the earthly glory of Kind David.

c. As they got closer to Jerusalem with Jesus, they could sense something big was about to happen; they hoped Jesus would begin his Kingdom on earth.

d. So, these two got bold, and wanted Jesus to give them the place on the right and left of his throne.

e. You see, in ancient royal courts, those chosen to sit on the right and left of the king were the most powerful people in the Kingdom.

f. These two brothers were asking for that kind of authority.

g. In other words, they were looking to be top dogs in the Kingdom.

h. However, what they didn’t understand was that Jesus’s Kingdom was not that type of Kingdom; his Kingdom was not of this world, and was not centered in palaces and thrones, but in the hearts of his disciples.

i. In fact, none of his disciples would understand this until after the resurrection.

3. Now look at vv., 38-40, “But Jesus said 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? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” 39 “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. 40 But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

a. Remember when I told you that Jesus carried around with him a stone tablet with a bull’s eye on it that said, “Bang head here?” Well, this was one of those times he needed that bull’s eye!

b. Jesus replied to James and John’s question by telling them they didn’t know what they were asking.

c. To request positions of highest honor in Jesus’ Kingdom meant to asking for deep suffering, because they couldn’t have one without the other.

d. So, he asked them, “Are you able to drink from the bitter cup that I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”