SERMON OUTLINE:
• (1). The Parable (vs 1-16).
• (2). The Announcement (vs 17-19).
• (3). The Mistake (vs 21-25)
• (4). The Example (vs 26-28)
SERMON BODY:
• If there is one word in the English language that is sure to cause a debate when spoken,
• That word is “greatest.”
• In fact, take two people, any people,
• And you can always stir-up trouble by using this simple word.
• i.e. Ask an England fan and a Brazilian fan who is the greatest football team,
• And watch the sparks fly.
• i.e. Ask two mechanics what is the greatest car ever made;
• And they will eagerly debate their opinion.
• i.e. Ask two people who the greatest prime minister or the greatest politician was,
• And they’ll chase that rabbit as long as they have breath to do so.
• i.e. Ask two Christians which is the greatest Bible translation.
• i.e. Or which is the greatest hymn book, or hymn?
• There is something about that word “greatest” that stirs something inside of us.
• Question: Why?
• Answer:
• Because greatness is something we aspire to, greatness is something we care about.
Ill:
• In 1715, Louis 14th of France died. Louis,
• Louis 14th called himself “the Great,” (Louis le Grand).
• His reign of 72 years and 110 days;
• Is the longest of any monarch of a major country in European history.
• He was the monarch who made the infamous statement “I am the State!”
• Meaning he was the absolute ruler;
• And he did not have to share the power to govern France with anybody else
His court was the most magnificent in all of Europe:
• And his funeral was spectacular.
• His body lay in a gold coffin.
• To dramatize the deceased King’s greatness,
• Orders had been given for the cathedral to be dimly lighted,
• With only one special candle set above his coffin.
• Thousands waited in hushed silence.
• Then Bishop Massilon began to speak.
• Slowly reaching down, he snuffed out the candle, saying; “Only God is great.”
• TRANSITION: ‘Only God is great’;
• Yet the irony of Christmas is that the great God humbled himself;
• And entered our world as a weak, feeble, frail, dependent baby!
• And thirty years later when that baby became a man and started a preaching ministry;
• Unlike King Louis who to paraphrase his words said;
• “I do not need anyone, I depend on no-one for I am greatest”
• This preacher who was also a King (King of Kings) could say:
• Matthew chapter 11 verse 29:
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
• Note: This is the only time in the gospels Jesus ever described his inner self;
• His character;
• And he did not choose to say he was great but rather humble!
• And Jesus practised what he preached;
• Because he did not expect people to be rushing around waiting on and serving him;
• The very opposite was true – he was the one doing the serving!
Notice: the context of this amazing saying of Jesus:
“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
(1). The Parable (vs 1-16).
“‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 ‘About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the market-place doing nothing. 4 He told them, “You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” 5 So they went.
‘He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, “Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?”
7 ‘“Because no one has hired us,” they answered.
‘He said to them, “You also go and work in my vineyard.”
8 ‘When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.”
9 ‘The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 “These who were hired last worked only one hour,” they said, “and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.”
13 ‘But he answered one of them, “I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?”
16 ‘So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’”
• This parable is often called ‘the workers in the vineyard’.
• In this story Jesus says that any "worker";
• Who accepts the invitation to the work in the vineyard,
• No matter how late in the day,
• Will receive an equal reward with those who have been faithful the longest
The parable teaches that God’s ways and human ways are often not the same,
• The parable illustrated God’s generosity, not his unfairness.
• Whether you have been a Christian 5 minutes of 50 years;
• The rewards are the same; Sind forgiven, the gift of the Holy Spirit,
• And the promise of everlasting life!
• This parable illustrates for us God’s generosity.
• Note: The parable again ends with a punch-line (verse 16):
• “So the last will be first, and the first will be last”.
• Don’t miss the reasoning here:
• Jesus is teaching that the ways of God’s and the ways of humans are often not the same!
• They are different, often poles-apart!
Quote: Isaiah chapter 55 verse 8:
““For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.”
(2). The Announcement (vs 17-19).
Ill:
• One of the hardest jobs in the Church is giving the notices/announcements;
• One thing is for sure if you get it wrong folks will sure let you know!
• Here a few funny ones:
(a).
• This morning sermon: Jesus walks on water.
• This evening sermon: Searching for Jesus!
(b).
• The weight watchers will meet in the Church annex.
• Will those attending please use the large double doors!
(c).
• The sermon topic tonight will be, "What is Hell?"
• Come early and listen to the choir practice.
(d).
• Now ladies, don't forget about the rummage sale.
• It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping. Bring your husbands.
(e).
• Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.
• TRANSITION: Well it’s good to smile at those bloopers;
• But in this chapter Jesus gave a solemn announcement
• That would wipe the smile off anyone’s face!
“Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!’”
Note:
• This is the third time in this gospel that Jesus has announced to his disciples:
• That he will be arrested, crucified, and also raised to life.
• (see chapter 16 verse 21 & chapter 17 verse22).
• In the two previous announcements,
• He said he would dies but he did not say how;
• But notice now he clearly mentions the cross, the way he will die!
• And he also clearly mentioned His resurrection,
• But the message did not penetrate the disciples’ hearts, they failed to grasp this;
• They were slow to understand!
• Their problem was not stupidity but shock!
Quote: Luke in his gospel tells us (chapter 18 verses 34):
“The disciples were thoroughly bewildered,
not being able to digest the words spoken by Jesus”.
They ears stopped listening when Jesus mentioned the cross:
• Everything after that was a blur;
• How could their Rabbi, their Teacher, their Master and Lord;
• Die like a common criminal - it did not make sense!
Notice: Jesus describes for them the extent of his sufferings:
• These sufferings would affect every area of his person;
• Look at the simple and yet detailed description that he gives:
(1).
• “He would be betrayed” (verse 18).
• That statement reveals the suffering of a heart broken by the disloyalty of friends.
(2).
• He was to be “condemned to death” (verse 18).
• Here we see the suffering of injustice, which is extremely difficult to bear.
(3).
• He was to be “Mocked” by the Romans (verse 19).
• Here we see the suffering of humiliation and deliberate insult.
(4).
• He was to be “Flogged & crucified” (verse 19).
• Here we see the suffering of physical pain.
In a few days’ time:
• Jesus was going to take upon himself; every possible kind of;
• Physical and emotional and mental suffering that the world could inflict.
• And he would embrace it willingly!
Ill:
• In Llandaff Cathedral (in the north of the capitol city of Cardiff) in Wales,
• They have a unique statue of Jesus Christ.
• Sir Jacob Epstein's aluminium statue of ‘Christ in Majesty’,
• It is a statue of Jesus after he has risen from the dead.
• But what makes this figure unique is that all the marks of crucifixion have been removed.
• The figure may be majestic and beautiful and compassionate,
• But sadly Joseph Epstein has totally missed the point!
• The scars of Jesus are the evidence not of defeat but of victory,
• Without those scars, and suffering and death,
• There is no salvation!
• TRANSITION: Never forget that when Jesus ascended back to heaven;
• He took with him five things that he never had before!
• Holes in his hands, feet and side.
• That is the primary reason he came:
• “…to give his life as a ransom for many.”
• Pause: To ask the questions: “Are you in the many?”
• “Have you put your trust in the death & resurrection of Jesus Christ?”
• “If not, then do it today, do it now!”
Notice:
• In contrast to this announcement of suffering and death made by Jesus;
• We have another request;
• This one is made by James and John and their mother.
• It seems incredible to me that while Jesus spoke about a cross,
• They were preoccupied and only interested in a crown.
• As Jesus talked about pain and humiliation,
• They were dreaming of glory and honour.
Question:
• Had they not just listened to the parable of the workers in the vineyard;
• Where the punch-line in verse 16 clearly said: “The first will be last”?
Answer:
• The answer is yes!
• But like us these disciples are only human.
• And like us I guess they picked and chose the bits they liked and felt appropriate,
• And conveniently forgot or filed away the difficult bits.
• Now before we criticize what they did,
• Let’s notice some commendable features in this event.
(3). The Mistake (vs 21-25)
(A). THEY HAD GREAT FAITH IN JESUS (VS 21).
20”Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21“What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
• If you wondering where this question comes from;
• It seems to appear out-of-the-blue;
• Then it probably refers back to the teaching of Jesus in chapter 19 verse 28,
• Where Jesus had said to his disciples,
“I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
• It must have taken faith on their part to believe Jesus would establish these thrones,
• Because Jesus had just told them that He was going to die.
• This question came at a moment when the air was heavy;
• With the atmosphere of tragedy and the sense of foreboding.
• Humanly speaking circumstances were daily moving in a negative direction.
• Yet in spite of that this mother and her two sons are thinking of a Kingdom.
(2). THEY WERE IGNORANT (VS 22).
“You (plural) don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them.
“Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
• The Zebedee’s may have had great faith:
• But sadly that faith was born in ignorance.
• Jesus replied to their question with the words: “You don’t know what you are asking,”
Ill:
• The word ‘cup’ in the Bible is often used as a metaphor:
• A symbol, a picture for this or that experience.
• It may be a favourable experience;
• e.g. Psalm 23 “My cup runs over”.
• It may be unfavourable
• e.g. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (“May this cup be taken from me”).
• So this expression ‘cup’ was used as a metaphor,
• A symbol, a picture which on this occasion is linked to the death of Jesus.
Not fully understanding what Jesus was saying:
• James and John reply to Jesus by saying;
• “We can pay the price, we can drink the cup, So we should reap the reward”.
• On the positive side:
• They had a belief, a determination to be loyal to their master.
• On the negative side:
• They were full of self-confidence and that self-confidence would fail them badly!
Verse 23:
3Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
Jesus said; you will indeed taste suffering because of me,
•
• History recalls that James was the first of the disciples to be martyred;
• (Acts chapter 12 verse 2).
• And John in contrast had to endure hard days on the Isle of Patmos;
• (Revelation 1 verse 9)
• One experienced the suffering of death by execution,
• One experienced the daily struggle of exile.
Ill:
A Roman coin was once found with the picture of an ox on it;
• The ox was facing two things - an altar and a plough;
• And the inscription read: “Ready for either.”
• The ox had to be ready either for the supreme moment of sacrifice on the altar,
• Or the long labour of the plough on the farm.
Quote:
“There is no one cup for the Christian to drink.
His cup may be drunk in one great moment, or over a long period of time.
To drink the cup simply means to follow Christ wherever he may lead, and to be like him in any situation life may bring.”
(3). THEY WERE CARNAL THINKERS (VS 25).
“Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them”.
• Another problem with the Zebedee’s was their lack of heavenly direction.
• They may have had their heads in the clouds,
• But they were thinking like the world:
• James and John wanted to “lord it over” the other disciples;
• The way the unsaved Gentile rulers lorded it over their subjects.
• Their request was carnal (it came from their sinful natures not from God),
• Proof of that is they were selfishly asking for glory for themselves,
• And not looking to glorify their Lord.
Their carnality is revealed in this request:
• They had to get too Jesus with this request:
• Before Peter and the other disciples did!
• All the disciples were operating on the same human lines of reason;
• They all wanted to be number one, they all wanted positions of power.
• This probably explains their reaction in verse 24:
• “They were indignant”, they were resentful and angry and jealous at the Zebedee’s.
(4). The Example (vs 26-28)
Ill:
• G. Campbell Morgan. (9 December 1863 – 16 May 1945);
• Was a British evangelist, preacher and a leading Bible scholar.
• He was also twice the pastor of Westminster Chapel in London.
• If you read his books, even today they are acknowledged as quality works;
• They will if you take time to read them - bless ‘your socks off’.
• G. Campbell Morgan, had four sons who all became pastors,
• One day a reporter asked his youngest son Howard a question;
• “Since you have five Pastors in your family who is the greatest preacher?”
• Howard surprised the reporter by saying, “My Mother!”
• She never preached a sermon with her lips but she sure preached a sermon in her living.
• She was an example of godly-living!
• TRANSITION: Jesus is the perfect example of godliness;
• This story shows us four things regarding Jesus.
(1). WE SEE HIS KINDNESS.
• In spite of all he had said to these disciples;
• The amazing thing about Jesus is that he never lost patience and became irritated.
• And while these men and their mother;
• Are still chattering about positions in an earthly government and kingdom.
• Jesus does not explode at their obtuseness, or blaze at their blindness,
• Or despair at their un-teachable-ness.
• In gentleness, in sympathy, and in love, with never an impatient word,
• He seeks to lead them to the truth.
• ill: Shepherd caring for his sheep.
(B). WE SEE HIS HONESTY (VS 22).
• Jesus was quite clear and upfront with his disciples,
• He told them straight that there was a bitter cup to be drunk.
• None of the disciples could ever turn around to Jesus and say;
• That he began to follow Jesus under false pretences.
Ill:
• Double-glazing sales men,
• Read the small print.
• Jesus made it very clear; that even if life ultimately ends in crown-wearing,
• It continues in the present by cross-bearing.
(3). WE SEE HIS TRUST IN PEOPLE.
• Jesus never doubted that James and John would maintain their loyalty.
• They had their mistaken ambitions; they had their blindness; they had their wrong ideas;
• But Jesus never thought of writing them off as bad debts.
• And going and choosing someone else!
• He believed that they could and would drink the cup,
• And that in the end they would still be found at his side.
One of the great fundamental facts to which we must hold on to as followers of Christ is this:
• Even when we fail, or we hate and loathe and despise ourselves,
• Jesus the Master believes in us.
• Jesus the Master is still willing to disciple us!
(4). We see his example (verse 28).
“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
This misunderstanding gave Jesus the opportunity to teach a practical lesson on leadership.
• In His kingdom - We must not follow the examples of the world.
• Our example is always Jesus Christ,
• Not some important politician, or some high flying businessman or wealthy celebrity.
• Jesus came into our world as a servant;
• Therefore, in following him, we should likewise serve one another.
• He came to give His life;
• Therefore, we should give our lives in service to Him and others.
Note:
• The Greek word used in verse 26 is translated as “a servant.”
• We get our English word “deacon” from it.
• But the Greek word used in verse 27 is different and means “a slave.”
• Point is this:
• Not every servant was a slave, but every slave was a servant.
• The only way to up, Jesus teaches, is by going down!
• Let me give you that again:
• Not every servant was a slave, but every slave was a servant.
• The only way to up, Jesus teaches, is by going down!
The key to greatness is not found in position or power, but in character.
• The world may assess a person’s greatness by;
• The number of people whom he/she controls and who are at his/her beck and call;
• Or by a person’s intellectual standing and their academic eminence;
• Or by the number of committees of which he/she is a member;
• Or by the size of their bank balance;
• And the material possessions which he/she has amassed;
• But in the assessment of Jesus Christ these things are irrelevant.
• His assessment is quite simply - how many people has he helped?
In conclusion:
Verse 28 illustrates for us the perfect servant and the ultimate act of service:
• The perfect servant was the Son of Man’;
• The ultimate act of service was “To give his life as a ransom for many.”
• The best translation according to the commentator Hendrickson should be;
• “In exchange for” or “In place of”.
• This supreme act of humility;
• Was rewarded with the highest act of enthronement!
Ill:
The best commentary on this is Philippians chapter 2 verses 1-11.
”Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 6Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form.”
Quote: Christmas Carol Hark the herald angels sing:
“Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel”
Quote: Philippians chapter 2 verses 8-11 continued:
“And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. 9Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Sermon audio link:
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