Mark 10:32-52
Jesus’ Sufferings Foretold
32 They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him,
33 saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles.
34 “They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.”
35 James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.”
36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
37 They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”
38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.
40 “But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
41 Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John.
42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them.
43 “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant;
44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.
45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Bartimaeus Receives His Sight
46 Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road.
47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.”
50 Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.
51 And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!”
52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.
What do you want? It's quite a question, isn't it? It's a question which sets our minds racing. Ask any child that question, and you will get ten or fifteen quick answers in rapid fire.
We all have things we desire. But just how big are your desires? And further, if you get them, will they really satisfy you? George Bernard Shaw said, "There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart's desire. The other is to gain it."
The question is not only what do you want; but is what I desire what is really important? Will it help me or hurt me? Do I really know what I am asking for? Have I really understood the implications of my desire? Are my priorities really in line?
One of the signs of our time is misplaced priorities. The world so effectively preaches its message that we can be affected by it without even noticing. It is so easy for our priorities to get just a little out of kilter. A wall only has to be slightly out of plumb at the beginning in order to become a veritable Leaning Tower of Pisa. Our priorities are easily misplaced in such a secular age.
The disciples, at times, had misplaced priorities. In fact, our text today is an illustration of this fact. James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, had some great ambitions. They wanted to go places. They had some dreams, some desires, some very definite wants. But they often did not understand the implications of what they wanted. And we see that illustrated in our text today.
If our priorities are wrong, what we desire can hurt us. Like the disciples, we can have misplaced priorities. But we need to understand what is important to God. And we need to evaluate what our priorities should be in light of His priorities for us. As believers, it is important for us to now and then assess and re-evaluate our values so that our lives stay right on target. We need to keep clearly before us just what is really important. Let's notice several observations from our text concerning what is really important.
Christ's Penetrating Insight
32 They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him,
33 saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles.
34 “They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.”
(vv. 32-34)
Christ's penetrating insight is revealed in these verses. We pick up the account with Jesus and His disciples on the road to Jerusalem as they were heading for the Cross. It is interesting that our Scripture says Jesus was walking on ahead of them. They were following literally and figuratively. Jesus was ahead of them in many ways, as this account will reveal. His insight into the events which would take place surrounding the Cross was both perceptive and penetrating. Let's look together at that insight.
Let's first look at an exhibition of insight. What we have in verses 33 and 34 is Jesus revealing to His disciples for the third time the details concerning His crucifixion. He shares with them in great detail just what will happen. He knows what He is getting into. And He is resolute in His determination to drink this bitter cup.
I suppose that is why they were so amazed and fearful as they followed Him down the road. Another gospel says that He "set His face like a flint" to go to Jerusalem. He was determined to go. He could not be dissuaded from going. He was resolute, even though He knew to do so would be certain death.
If you examine the revelation He gives of His death, you will notice there is a great deal of detail. He knows that He will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes. He knows He will be condemned to death by them; that He will be delivered to the Gentiles; that they will mock Him and spit upon Him, scourge Him, and then kill Him. And, of course, He knows that He will rise from the dead after three days. Great insight, great understanding.
From an examination of this insight we understand its source. Where did Jesus get this detail? Was it simply a revelation from God? Certainly it was. But we can conclude that it wasn't some special revelation because what Jesus shared was already written in the pages of Holy Scripture. In Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22, as well as other Old Testament Scriptures, all of what Jesus shared can be found. There on the pages of God's Holy Word was written the prophecies concerning the Messiah's death. Jesus, of course, knew these passages well. So did the scribes and other religious leaders. But Jesus not only knew them intellectually, He understood them from a supernatural point of view as well. And from them He interpreted their meaning for the moment with great insight.
The Disciples' Personal Interests
35 James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.”
36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
37 They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”
38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.
40 “But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
41 Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John.
42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them.
43 “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant;
44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.
45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (vv. 35-45)
The disciples, however, had an entirely different agenda. It is amazing to see the disciples' personal interests displayed on the heels of Jesus' ominous revelation. Unfortunately, that is often the case with self-centered mortals. Jesus speaks of His Cross and we think of ourselves. Somehow, the message never seems to sink in. The disciples were blind. Unfortunately, they didn't realize it. They responded foolishly, selfishly. Here, the greatest sacrifice was described to them and they missed the point.
Notice first the disciples' personal interests revealed. Jesus had already had to deal with their discussion of who was the greatest. Now, James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came to Him with a request. Jesus said, in verse 36, "What do you want me to do for you?" That is an important question. Remember it. You will hear it again. They come to Him wanting something. Jesus says, "What do you want?"
Verse 37 reveals their desire. You could say they wanted basically three things. Prominence, proximity and power. They asked that they might be given a place of honor on thrones positioned on either side of Jesus, one on the right hand and one on the left. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus promises the disciples that when He comes in His glory, they would sit upon twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Now, these two disciples decide where they want their thrones placed. In doing so, they declare their desire for prominence. They want the best thrones. They want to be elevated above their brothers in their position in the Kingdom. They want to be a son of honor. They also want proximity to Jesus. The want to be near to Jesus. Now, that's not wrong. All of us should want to be nearer to Jesus. So they take it into their own hands and make the request. Finally, they want power: to sit at Jesus' right hand and left. To be next to Him means that you are in a great position of power. That was their desire.
Now, Jesus did not rebuke them for making this request. And we can understand why. There is really nothing wrong with desiring to be close to Jesus, with desiring to be in His presence. After all, If they had been promised to sit on twelve thrones, why not go for the best seats in the house? The problem with their request was that it was totally beside the point. Jesus had just shared with His disciples the truth concerning His sacrifice for the world. He was trying to communicate truth to them concerning the salvation of others, but they were too preoccupied with self.
Further, they didn't even understand the implications of their own desires. In verse 38, Jesus says, "You do not know what you are asking for. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" Jesus would have to go through the fire. His position would cause Him to have to pay a great price. They wanted a position, but did they want to pay the price? Had they thought through the implications of their request in terms of the personal cost, which would be exacted? They replied, "We are able." This is a foolish statement. It is obvious that they did not know what they were talking about. They did not have a clue as to the extent of suffering to which Jesus was referring.
The cup to which Jesus referred was a common symbol of what life hands you. You are handed a cup to drink. You have no choice as to what is in the cup and you must drink it. Jesus, of course, is referring to the Cross. It is a cup given to Him by His father, which He must drink. You recall, in the Garden of Gethsemene He would pray, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not My will but Thine be done." Now, the disciples had no way of understanding the significance of this cup. It would not be an easy cup to drink.
When Jesus speaks of baptism, He is speaking of being placed into something. The word "baptize" in the original language means "to dip" or "place into." The Scripture speaks of the Israelites being "baptized unto Moses in the Red Sea." They were overwhelmed by the water which surrounded them totally. The Lord was referring to the events surrounding the Cross which would totally overwhelm Him. He would be immersed in those events completely, and they would affect everything about Him. The disciples thought they were ready for it.
Be careful what you ask God for. He might just give it to you. That's what Jesus did to His disciples. In verse 39, He says to them essentially, "OK. It's yours. You'll drink the cup and be baptized with the baptism." And it certainly did happen to them. Even though the disciples did not know what they were asking for, God would grant their request. Had they realized the implications of their request, I'm sure they would have never made it. Dr. A. B. Bruce, in his book, The Training Of The Twelve, wrote: "If crosses would leave us alone, we would leave them alone too." But unfortunately, crosses do not leave us alone. Like Christ's Cross, they are handed to us. Cups are given to us. And the disciples could not escape their destiny. Most of them would die a martyr's death.
Jesus goes on to add that the place of honor on His right and left was not His to give. Those places have been prepared for those whom His Father would choose to honor.
Now, the ten other disciples were listening to this conversation. And verse 41 reveals that when they heard James' and John's request, they were indignant. Perhaps they were jealous or envious. Maybe they were upset they hadn't gotten to Jesus first. Perhaps they remembered the discussion concerning who was the greatest and felt that James and John had concluded they were. I'm sure they didn't like the power politics James and John were attempting to play. So there was about to be a little trouble in the camp.
So Jesus steps in to take charge of the situation. What we see next is the disciples' personal interests redirected by Jesus.
In verse 42, Jesus calls His disciples together and reminds them of the way the world operates. He says, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them." This is the situation in the world. This is how power politics is played: if you've got it, flaunt it. If you're in charge, let everybody know you're in charge. Crack the whip. Issue executive orders. Make them say, "Sir." He goes on in verse 43, "But it is not this way among you." Jesus says that the pattern of the world should not be the pattern among Christians. Simply because the world does it one way does not make it right. The wisdom of the world is not the wisdom of God. The church should not be run like a corporation. "But whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all." The path to greatness is service. That is the point Jesus is trying to make. And His disciples needed to hear that because that is what is really important. Verse 45 reads, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
This is the point Jesus was trying to make. This is what is really important. It is so important that Jesus' entire life and ministry was devoted to it. And this should have been important to His disciples, and it should be important to us. God calls us to give our lives in order to help others. This is what ministry is all about. We are not here to be served; we are here to serve. Church is not primarily for us, but it is for others. We must redirect our thinking and our lives by the principle of service and sacrifice.
The disciples were selfish, always thinking of themselves. And so often we do the same. We think everything is for us, for our benefit, to make us happy, to make us comfortable, to keep us satisfied. So many churches structure their programs only for the faithful few instead of for the masses of lost humanity making their way to hell. And then we wonder why so few come to Christ. What Jesus is saying here is that our lives, our ministries, our churches need to built with others in mind. Instead of looking at what we want, we should be asking what God wants. Instead of looking at what we need, we need to be asking ourselves what others need. That is the point. That is what is really important.
Mark's Pertinent Illustration
Bartimaeus Receives His Sight
46 Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road.
47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.”
50 Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.
51 And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!”
52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road. (vv. 46-52)
What comes next in this section of Scripture is the story of blind Bartimaeus. Now, you may be asking yourself, "What in the world does this have to do with what we are talking about?" It appears like a separate event on their journey to Jerusalem, and indeed it is. But it is also Mark's pertinent illustration of the disciples' distorted desires.
Notice that Mark skips over a number of events. We know from the other accounts that several things happened in Jericho. Mark skips over the story of Zaccheus and all the other events in connection with Jesus' encounter with this short man. Mark goes immediately to the time when Jesus left the city. He does this in order to tie it with what had gone before.
Notice also some interesting ties with what has gone before. There is the underscoring of Bartimaeus' name. Verse 46 says, "Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus." Bartimaeus, literally means "son of Timaeus." So, why the repetition? It is redundant to say Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, unless, of course, you are trying to make a point. That is precisely what Mark is doing. The Greek meaning of Timaeus is "honor." Bartimaeus means "son of honor." James and John were asking for positions of honor. They wanted to be sons of honor.
What we have in the account of Bartimaeus is a son of honor who was sitting beside the road. James and John wanted to be sons of honor sitting at the right and left hand of God's glory.
And finally, you want to notice the question Jesus asks Bartimaeus in verse 51: "What do you want Me to do for you?" This is precisely the same question Jesus asked James and John in verse 36. They are exactly the same words. Mark puts this account of Bartimaeus immediately after Jesus' discussion with the disciples to give a pertinent illustration.
What we see in Bartimaeus is a suggestive aspiration. Bartimaeus was blind, but he had a desire to see. Jesus and His disciples came walking down the road on their way out of Jericho. Bartimaeus caught wind of it and began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" This, he cried over and over. People attempted to quiet him, but he would not be silent. The Scripture teaches that he cried out all the more. "Son of David, Have mercy on me!" Then Jesus calls him to Himself and asks him the same question He asked His disciples, "What do you want Me to do for you?" When Bartimaeus answered, it was far different than the disciples. He said, "Rabboni, I want to regain my sight." Here was a man who wanted to see. Bartimaeus, son of honor, wanted to see.
There is a symbolic application for this illustration. Bartimaeus, the son of honor, was blind and he knew it. The disciples, who wanted to be sons of honor, were blind as well, but they didn't know it. They thought they could see but could not. Bartimaeus knew he could not see. Of course, Jesus saw clearly. He saw through. He had true insight as well as foresight.
Perhaps what Mark is communicating is that we need to ask God to open our eyes, that we may see the implications of our desires. We need to have our eyes opened, that we may see what is important, really important to God. Because what is important to God ought to be important to us. Bartimaeus' blindness is symbolic of the blindness of all of the sons of honor, God's children. With our eyes upon self, we cannot see. Our prayer needs to be, "Lord, I want to regain my sight. I want to see through Your eyes. I want to understand what's really important to you. Lord, help me to see."
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