#44 Okay, Let’s Roll
Series: Mark
Chuck Sligh
April 25, 2021
2 self-serving disciples tried to talk Jesus into giving them the greatest seats of honor and power. In this text, Jesus teaches His disciples that the way to be first is to be a servant and a slave, a concept that upends the world’s and the apostles’ values.
NOTE: PowerPoint presentation is available for this sermon by request at chucksligh@hotmail.com. Please mention the title of the sermon and the Bible text to help me find the sermon in my archives
SRIPTURE READING: Philippians 2:3-11
TEXT: Please turn in your Bibles to Mark 10:3
INTRODUCTION
Illus. – Perhaps the most famous of all the unexpected heroes of 9-11 was a 32-year-old Oracle salesman named Todd Beamer, the determined Christian on Flight 93 who called up a GTE operator to find out what was going on. When the operator got him in touch with a CIA officer, he briefed Beamer about what had happened, and what was likely happening now on his plane. He and others hatched a plan, and then Beamer prayed the Lord’s Prayer over the phone, added, “Jesus, help me,” after which he said, “Okay, let’s roll!”
With those words, he led 6 other men to the pilot’s cabin to stop the hijackers from harming our the U.S. capitol by downing their plane in a Pennsylvania cornfield. These brave men went heroically to their deaths following Todd Beamer’s lead.
Beamer sounds amazingly like Jesus in our text, but Jesus’ followers weren’t at all heroic! We’ll see how Jesus tells them even more details about what lay ahead for Him—and them—and then He heads straight into the jaws of death in Jerusalem. It wasn’t as much that His disciples were unheroic as that they were just clueless. As usual, they misconstrued everything Jesus told them, saw the kingdom in a skewed way, and required Jesus to give them another “teaching moment.”
Let’s look and see what I’m talking about and what God wants us to learn from this story:
I. FIRST, IN VERSES 32-34, JESUS LEADS THE DISCIPLES TOWARD JERUSALEM AND WARNS THEM A THIRD TIME WHAT WOULD HAPPEN THERE.
Verse 32 says, “And they were on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went before them, and they were amazed. And as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve and began to tell them what things that would happen unto him.”
We come to a crucial place in the Gospel of Mark… a turning point in the life and ministry of Jesus. Jesus knows what’s ahead, but He says in essence, “Okay, let’s roll.” He starts His fateful trip to Jerusalem, and leads the way—a fact that should remind us that to know Jesus is to follow Him…even on the road to suffering.
That Jesus’ face was set like flint on the road to Jerusalem astonished His disciples. They knew that this marked a dangerous and dreaded path, for Mark tells us in this verse that “they were afraid.” Everything from this point on in Mark happens on the way to Jerusalem, or IN Jerusalem and the sufferings, the cross, and the resurrection that road led to.
For the third time, Jesus told his disciples what was ahead in verses 33-34 – “saying, ‘Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: 34 And they shall mock him, and scourge him, and spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.’”
Notice the steady beat of polysýndeton: the repetition of “and, and, and,” (9 times) which has the effect of emphasizing each individual event all the way to His death and without skipping a beat, to His resurrection! All the evil characters in the story that would unfold would do their worst, but then God would have the final say through Christ’s glorious resurrection!
This is the longest and most explicit prophecy by Jesus of what lay ahead.
CHART (NOTE: This chart is available upon request at chucksligh@hotmail.com): This chart shows certain things Jesus mentioned in the Mark 8:31 and 9:31 predictions, but note that today’s text contains them all, plus more:
• He would be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes (He’s more specific than He had been in chapter 9 where he simply referred to them as “men.”)
• Rather than chapter 8’s more general “rejected” by the elders, Jesus emphasizes that they would actually condemn Him to death.
• Facts not mentioned in the prior 2 chapters are that Jesus would be delivered to the Romans (3.), and that they would mock, spit on and scourge Jesus (4.).
• ALL THREE passages mention that He would be executed and resurrected.
II. IN VERSES 35-40, TWO DISCIPLES GET TOO BIG FOR THEIR BRITCHES!
Verses 35-37 say, “And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came unto him, saying, ‘Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. 36 And he said unto them, ‘What would ye that I should do for you?’ 37 They said unto him, ‘Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.’”
The steadfast determination of Jesus to go to Jerusalem, and His explicit predictions about what that path would lead to should have made clear to the disciples that suffering—not glory—was ahead for Jesus and for them. Jesus’ disciples, like us, had this incredible capacity to block out what they didn’t want to hear and to think only in pre-conceived notions about the Messiah.
Peter, James and John made up what is called “the inner circle” of the disciples. These 3 were often with Jesus alone, away from the other disciples. James and John pulled Jesus aside, this time without Peter, and had the audacity to basically ask Jesus to write them a blank check.
They said, “…we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” Imagine the brazenness and impertinence of such a request! But Jesus wouldn’t fall so easily for such a ploy.
Illus. – Have your kids ever asked an open-ended request such as, “Mom, will you do something for me?” You have enough sense to ask what they want you to do before agreeing. So it was with Jesus; He asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
Their request was to sit on the right and the left hands of Jesus in His glorification. These were the places of highest honor and authority under a sovereign. James and John were the cousins of Jesus, so they probably figured they were shoo-ins for the best seats and the most power.
Obviously, everything Jesus had just told them about suffering, and humiliation and death had gone through one ear and out the other! They only saw Messiah through the lens of a conqueror and king. They simply tuned out Jesus’ warnings of agony and execution, and even His glorious resurrection, and defaulted straight to His glorious earthly kingdom…and they were trying to make sure they got the best positions!
If you as a parent get a request that shows that your kids simply aren’t paying attention, or that they’re getting too big for their britches, you’re likely to reprove them…but not Jesus. – Look with me at verses 38-40 – “But Jesus said unto them, ‘Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ 39 They said unto him, ‘We can.’ And Jesus said unto them, ‘Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized with, ye shall be baptized. 40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared”
No stern rebuke here, although it certainly would have been appropriate. Lovingly, knowing full well what was ahead for them, Jesus was effectively saying, “You have no idea what you’re asking for,” and then He uses two metaphors commonly used in Jewish thought and culture:
• In the Old Testament, the term “the cup” was commonly used as a metaphor for something allotted to a person or a group of people by God. The cup allotted by God COULD refer to blessings, but more often than not, it referred to God’s judgment for sin. In this context Jesus’ words imply that His approaching suffering and death had been ordained and willed by God for the judgment of sin.
• The word “baptized” literally means to be immersed or overwhelmed under water, and as a metaphor, refers to being overcome by calamity.
So when Jesus refers to the “cup” and the “baptism,” He was talking about God’s judgment that would be meted out on Jesus for our sin, and all the travail and shame and degradation leading up to that awful, yet wonderful, event.
Then He asks them if they’re up to drinking that cup of suffering and being overwhelmed by the same calamity He would endure. Boldly, almost flippantly, they said they were, probably thinking of a glorious battle to conquer the Romans and then set up the Messiah’s kingdom. But their deficient theology did not prepare them for humiliation and apparent defeat resulting in death, nor for a long period of centuries between His ascension and His coming in the clouds to establish His kingdom.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “‘You will indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and you will be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with.”
They were STILL clueless about what was ahead of them. But they would soon go through the harrowing events of the torture and crucifixion of their beloved Messiah, and the bitter disappointment of it all—until their sorrow would be turned to rejoicing at Jesus’ resurrection.
Later, when the Church was established, James and John would indeed drink of the cup and baptism of suffering.
• JAMES would be beheaded by Herod early in the book of Acts.
• JOHN would go through life mistreated, oppressed and eventually exiled to the isle of Patmos until released, dying at an old age in 98 AD blind and broken, yet he was the only one of the Twelve apostles who did not die a martyr.
But for now, James and John really did NOT know what they were asking. At this moment, for them, following Jesus was all stars and unicorns!
Regarding the two apostle’s request to sit on Jesus’ right or left hand in His kingdom Jesus said it wasn’t for Him to decide, for those positions are reserved for those for whom it is prepared. Mark doesn’t tell us who decides who will sit at the right and left places of honor, but in Matthew’s version of the story, Jesus said that it was in the God the Father’s realm of decision. (Matthew 20:23). God exists as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, who are One in the Trinity, yet each has independent roles to play. Jesus was always careful never to infringe on the jurisdiction of God the Father or God the Holy Spirit.
III. IN VERSES 41-45, JESUS EXPLAINS THE ATTITUDE OF DISCIPLESHIP FOR THOSE WHO WOULD FOLLOW JESUS.
Verse 40 – “And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly much displeased with James and John.”
Why did the ten “get their muumuu all in a bunch?”—Well, because they, like James and John, also had selfish ambitions for high positions in Christ’s kingdom! They were just upset that James and John beat them to it!
Now let’s read verses 42-43a – “But Jesus called them to him, and said unto them, ‘Ye know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles exercise authority over them; and their great one’s exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be among you…”
This gave Jesus another opportunity to explain to them something He had referred to twice before in recent days.
• In Mark 9:35 He had said, “‘If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.’”
• Then in we saw last week, in Mark 10:31, Jesus again said, “But many who are first will be last; and the last first.”
These selfish, vain, self-aggrandizing disciples totally miss what following Jesus is about, so He feels He needs to drill this important principle home once again. Mark says He “called them to him” a phrase in Mark’s gospel to describe a special pow-wow with the disciples to give especially significant teaching. He begins by describing the way it is in the world: Their “great ones” (in man’s eyes) lord it over their subjects. The Greek phrase, “exercise authority” means “to gain mastery or power over others,” “to subdue,” “to function as a despot.” Their way is to dominate, oppress and exploit those under them.
But that’s not the way for the disciple in God’s kingdom. “…it shall not be among you…,” Jesus said—more as a command than a statement of fact.
He continues in the second part of verse 43 – “…but whosoever desires to be great among you, shall be your minister.”
In verse 43, Jesus says that whoever desires to be great shall be your d???????, the word generally used of those who waited on tables, like common house servants. We get our word “deacon” from this word, which actually means “servant.” This in itself would have been a jaw-dropping concept to these self-serving disciples.
But Jesus goes further in verse 44 and says: “whosoever of you desires to be the chiefest shall be slave of all.” Now, instead of d???????, Jesus says that the anyone who would be “first” will be the d????? of all. A d????? was the lowest of the lowest rung in society, a slave who had almost no rights and was called upon to do the most menial tasks that needed to be done.
What Jesus taught upended the entire value system of the world, and even in the Old Testament and Jewish literature there is no precedence for this idea. Jesus was calling His disciples—and us too—to a radical redefinition of what it means to be “great” and how to achieve greatness.
Then in verse 45, Jesus Himself modeled greatness for us – “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.’”
He said He did not come to be served, but to serve. Is that not simply amazing!...Jesus, who could have called all the hosts of heaven to do the bidding of His every whim, who could have destroyed this world in an instant…came to serve like a common slave!
Jesus is our pattern, our model, our example to follow. All of us, even pastors and leaders…ESPECIALLY pastors and leaders… are to follow Jesus in humble servitude.
“The life to which the gospel calls believers,” James R. Edwards says, “is not an ethical system but ‘the way of the Lord,’…of which Jesus is the pattern and incarnation….This model of ministry cannot come from the secular order, but only from the unique way of Jesus, which defies the logic of this world and its fascination with dominance, control, yields,…and outcomes.”
But Jesus also said He came to give His life as a ransom for many. The word “ransom” referred to a payment in exchange for slaves or captives. Giving Himself as a ransom implies the idea of substitution.
The Bible teaches that those without Christ are captives to sin and death. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the wages of our sin—death—in our place. He bore our sin on the cross and when He shouted that woeful cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me,” it was because the Father meted out all His judgment for our sin on Jesus in our place.
Only then would He shout that triumphant cry, “It is finished!” That was a phrase used in business transactions when a loan or a financial penalty had been paid off. It literally means, “Paid in full,” and there are scores of bills of sale from ancient times with this phrase written on paid bills. Exhausted, broken, spent, having borne all of God’s wrath against sin, Jesus shouted, “PAID IN FULL!” and only then would He say, “Father into your hands I commit my spirit,” and then He breathed his last breath and died—the final curse of sin. He had paid the penalty for sin; the wages for sin had been paid in full; His work of redemption, ordained in eternity past, was finally and fully accomplished.
We cannot follow Jesus’ example by paying for the sins of others in their place, because we aren’t sinless as Jesus was, but we can follow Jesus in giving of ourselves in service. – If I can quote James R. Edwards one more time, who has a way of saying things so memorably: “The reason why a servant is the most preeminent position in the kingdom of God is that the sole function of a servant is to give, and giving is the essence of God.”
CONCLUSION
This passage teaches us some of the most important, yet mind-bending, counterintuitive and countercultural principles in the Word of God. How shall we take these principles of Jesus and apply them to our lives personally?
1. Naturally, if you’re a believer and a follower of Christ today, this passage teaches you this: Seek to be a servant rather than self-seeking.
Don’t look for power and position and self-glory. In the kingdom of God, the greatest glory is to be a servant and a slave of others.
Who are the greatest in our church?—The pastor?—Nope. It’s the ones who clean the toilets and do the dirty yard and garden work. It’s the nursery workers who wipe those dirty behinds. It’s the ones who do the nitty-gritty of getting down with the kids in K.I.D.S. Church and teaching them of God, and His love and Jesus and His kingdom.
Who are the greatest in our homes and families?— The men who selflessly serve their wives and kids and give of themselves to them day in and day out. The wives who lovingly serve their husbands and children long into the night. The kiddos who willingly and cheerfully serve their siblings and their parents. The adult children who honor and serve their parents in their old age.
Who are the greatest in our community?—The ones who help our older German women who humbly serve other soldiers; who help out spouses when the soldiers are TDY or deployed; who give of their free time to coach kids and be Girl Scout leaders.
Who are the greatest in the Church at large?—The big shot preachers who get all the invitations to conferences? the great authors of impressive theological tomes?—No… I think the really great ones are ones you will never hear about on this earth…unless you’re fortunate enough to be in one of their churches.
Illus. Have any of you ever heard of Phil Hurlburt, Bob Elzey, Bob Cook, Greg Allison or Bob Franseen? – You’ve never heard of them, but I have because they were the humble pastors I’ve had over the years of my life who had a great impact on my life!
Illus. – How many of you have heard of John Spurgeon—not Charles Spurgeon, the great 19th century preacher who many describe as the greatest preacher who ever lived—but JOHN Spurgeon? (ASK FOR SHOW OF HANDS). John Spurgeon was the father of his famous son, Charles. Maybe you HAVE heard of the dad, but only because of who his son was. Had you not read a biography of Charles Spurgeon, John Spurgeon would have served God faithfully and gone to his grave and we would never have heard of him.
Thousands upon thousands of pastors have served God and their people for almost two thousand years without notice from the world; with little recognition beyond their own congregations; often unappreciated; serving humbly and faithfully; not seeking applause or even gratitude; who have lived to serve and minister to and edify and feed their little flocks.
I think we’ll be surprised at who’ll be first and who will be last in heaven. If any of you feel called into the ministry, may I counsel you not to make “the greats” in Christendom necessarily your models for ministry? Look for the faithful pastor of a small to mid-sized church. Watch him and seek to emulate him.
Here’s an even better example to emulate: The Son of God who came not to be served, but to serve others; the One whose whole life was given to sacrifice and serving and helping others; the One in the Upper Room who did the dirtiest job reserved for the lowest slave when Jesus washed the stinky feet of the disciples. Be like Jesus and SERVE!
2. And if you’re not in the family of God yet, I invite you to avail yourself of the gift of eternal life offered to you by Jesus Christ because of His sacrifice on Calvary in your place.
Remember my quote of James Edwards that “giving is the essence of God”?
• We see this in the most well-known scripture in the Bible, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he GAVE His only begotten son…”
• And here in Mark Jesus says He came “to GIVE his life as a ransom for many.’”
Not only was Jesus GIVEN for us by God and Jesus GAVE His own life for us, but the giving goes on and on.
• He offers to give you ETERNAL LIFE, for Romans 6:23 says that “… the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
• When you humbly come to Christ to be saved, you’ll receive THE HOLY SPIRIT to empower you to live the Christian life and to help you understand spiritual truths. – 2 Corinthians 9:15 describes the Holy Spirit as God’s “indescribable GIFT.”
• And many New Testament scriptures say that the Holy Spirit Himself gives each believer a spiritual GIFT to use for God’s glory.
I will not lie to you: to follow Jesus will include sacrifice, selflessness, and perhaps even persecution, but they are NOTHING compared to the wonderful GIFTS that come to those who turn from their sin and self-centeredness to serve the living and true God.
Todd Beamer and the others on Flight 93 had a choice to make: Sit by and watch what happens…or take action. You too have a choice to make: Will it be self and sin, or the Savior?—Will it be being your own boss, or letting Jesus take over and guide your life?—It’s up to you.
