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The Request of James and
John
Mark 10.35-45
Good News Translation (GNT)
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35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
came to Jesus. "Teacher," they said, "there is
something we want you to do for us."
36 "What is it?" Jesus asked them.
37 They answered, "When you sit on your throne
in your glorious Kingdom, we want you to let
us sit with you, one at your right and one at
your left."
38 Jesus said to them, "You don't know what
you are asking for. Can you drink the cup of
suffering that I must drink? Can you be
baptized in the way I must be baptized?"
39 "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them,
"You will indeed drink the cup I must drink and
be baptized in the way I must be baptized.
40 But I do not have the right to choose who will
sit at my right and my left. It is God who will
give these places to those for whom he has
prepared them."
41 When the other ten disciples heard about it,
they became angry with James and John.
42 So Jesus called them all together to him and
said, "You know that those who are
considered rulers of the heathen have power
over them, and the leaders have complete
authority.
43 This, however, is not the way it is among you.
If one of you wants to be great, you must be
the servant of the rest;
44 and if one of you wants to be first, you must
be the slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be
served; he came to serve and to give his life
to redeem many people.
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Commentary taken from
'The Applied New Testament Commentary'
(Kingsway)
The Request of James and John
Mark 10:35-45
After Jesus had finished talking about His death and resurrection,
James and John asked Jesus to give them the highest places in His kingdom.
They were probably thinking of Jesus' earthly kingdom,
even after Jesus had taught them that they must never seek to be first.
"To drink the cup" was a Jewish saying which meant "to suffer."
Here baptism means "death".
Jesus was called not only to suffer but also to die.
Were James and John ready to suffer and die with Christ?
James and John didn't realise what they were saying,
but Jesus knew that later on both of them would indeed suffer for Him.
They weren't ready to suffer then, but later they would be filled
with the Holy Spirit and receive the strength to suffer all things for his sake.
God Himself will give each person his proper place
in the kingdom of heaven, and He will show no favouritism.
God will give us a place in heaven, according to his grace.
The other ten disciples were not happy to be last.
How quickly we become indignant at the sin of others,
not because it is sin, but because our own selfish interests are affected!
Among Christians, to be a true leader means to be a servant of others.
It is not wrong to desire to be a leader in the church.
But it is wrong to desire to be a leader in order to benefit oneself
or to lord it over others.
We must desire to be leaders only in order to serve others.
Verse 45 is one of the most important verses in Mark's Gospel,
because here for the first time Jesus explains to His disciples
why He has come to earth.
Jesus did not come only to serve; He came to give His life for us.
Service is good, but it is not enough.
We need salvation from the penalty of sin.
Therefore, Jesus came to take upon Himself the punishment for our sin.
We were once slaves of sin and Satan;
and Jesus bought us - He bought our freedom.
The prophet Isaiah, in the great fifty-third chapter of his book
of prophecy, fully described the life and work of the coming Saviour,
Jesus.
He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed ...
the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all ...
my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities ...
he poured out his life unto death
(Isaiah 53:5-6,11-12).
The two most important things that anyone can know in this world
are that Jesus is the Son of God,
and that He came to give his life as a ransom for many.
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