Mark 10_32_45 study notes

Jesus sets forth an example of Kingdom greatness, it is servitude even in the face of persecution. He served mankind by paying their ransom in the form of His life. We are to give our lives in service to one another.

Historical context:

John Mark wrote to Gentile (Roman) Christians who were being persecuted by Nero. Roman culture was no stranger to having servants or being servants. Jesus gives them an example of servitude during persecution.

WHAT DO I NOT UNDERSTAND?

Is there a difference between those who were amazed and those who were afraid or are they the same people? (Vs. 32)

Do the disciples still believe Jesus is headed to Jerusalem to conquer it and that is why John and James asks their question? (vs.35)

What is the difference between the cup and baptism? (vs.39)

Who are those whom it has been prepared for? (vs.40)

Verses, Terms, or Ideas to illustrate.

Right and left - Places of honor 1st Right 2nd left

The drinking of the cup

The baptism

Literary Types

Passion-Prediction Saying (Vs. 32-34) (NT) A passage where Jesus predicts his death.

Discipleship Saying (Vs. 42-44) (NT) A statement of Jesus describing the behavior expected of those who would be his disciples.

Passion Prediction Saying (Vs. 45)

Passage Shifts

From Passion-Prediction to a request that revealed misunderstanding of Jesus' purpose. From question to correction about discipleship back to Passion-Prediction with an example of service being an attribute of greatness.

Boundaries of the text

Only the NASB has Mark 10:32-45 as one pericope

Structure/Propositional outline/Summary

Where were they going? Jerusalem.

Who was in the lead? Jesus.

What was the demeanor of the Disciples? Amazed and Afraid.

What did Jesus do? Took the disciples aside and predicted what would happen in Jerusalem.

What is the prediction? Jesus would be delivered over, condemned to death, mocked, spit on, scourged, killed, and resurrected.

Delivered to who? The religious leaders, then handed over to the Romans.

How did the disciples react to this? John and James asked for a favor.

What is this favor? Grant them honor.

How did Jesus respond? Showing their ignorance by asking a question.

What was Jesus' question? Are you able to suffer/endure what I am about to endure?

Their answer? A rash YES!

How did Jesus respond? They will be made to suffer as-well (Acts 12:2 James put to death by a sword, Rev. 1:9 John exiled to Patmos because of the testimony of Jesus.)

What was Jesus' Answer to the question? He could not grant them honor it is reserved for whom it was prepared for.

How did the other disciples react to this? They were angry

How did Jesus handle this situation? He called them to come close and taught them.

What did He teach? Those who are great and rulers/honored in the world exercise their authority by ruling over others, but this is not the way of the Kingdom of God. To be great in Christ’s Kingdom you will serve/minister to each other. He is saying John and James you are not to rule over the other disciples but instead you all are to serve each other and those others who come into the kingdom.

How did Jesus drive the point home? He explains that even God in the flesh did not come for honor or to be severed by man instead He predicts His passion again. I came to serve all of the world by dying to pay their sin debt.

Biblical Events

3rd Passion Prediction

The question asked by John and James - Their mother was with them and she made the request (Mk 10:35-40, Matt )

Important words

Happen (Verb) Vs. 32 - Prediction

Delivered / hand - original used twice in this verse (Verb) Vs. 33 - handed over, given, betrayed

Condemned (Verb) Vs. 33 pass judgment on

Want (Verb) Thelo Vs. 35 Wish

Grant (Verb) Vs. 37 give

Right and Left (Adjective) places of honor.

Drink (Verb) Vs. 38

Baptized (Verb) Vs. 38

To Servant (Verb) Vs. 45

Places Backgrounds

Jerusalem - Yahweh's chosen center of His divine kingship and of the human kingship of David and his sons, Yahweh’s vice-regents.

Jerusalem -"the city of the great King"(Matt. 5:35) and "the holy city." (Matt. 4:5; 27:53) on the other hand it is the city “who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her” (Luke 13:34 HCSB

While there were those who longed for “the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38), the city and its inhabitants will face awful judgment because they did not recognize the time of divine visitation by Jesus (Luke 19:41–44). Indeed Jesus’ mission ended in His rejection by Jerusalem’s rulers and His death outside the city walls (Mark 8:31; 10:32–34; chaps. 14–15).

Objects

Scourge - Cat-o-nine tail. Roman whip, barbed with lumps of lead and pieces of bone.

So vicious was this torture that victims often did not survive a scourging. Victims lost so much blood that they went into hypovolemic shock. This means that the heart would speed up trying to compensate for the loss of blood; the blood pressure would drop, making the victim faint or collapse; the kidneys would shut down to keep as much blood volume as possible; and because the body needs fluids so badly to replace the lost blood, the victim would become extremely thirsty.

Following this was Jesus’ crucifixion, miscellaneous beatings aside. In crucifixion the victim was laid down with his arms perpendicular to the torso. Nails five to nine inches long would then be driven through both wrists, crushing the median nerve (the largest nerve going to the hand) and creating extraordinary pain. Nails would also be driven through the ankles with the legs in a bent position. When the victim was raised to a vertical position, his shoulders (and sometimes elbows and wrists) would become dislocated from the weight, making them useless to alleviate the pressure on his chest. At this point the nailing of the wrists kept the position of the body so that the pressure on the chest was relentless and kept the victim from flopping forward. With the pressure on the chest, the victim could not exhale. In order to lessen the pressure, the victim had to straighten his legs, using the nail through his ankles as leverage. Having exhaled, the victim then sunk back down to his original position. The wood from which the cross was made was rough, making the sliding of the victim’s back, whose flesh was exposed from scourging, very painful. As the victim’s strength was slowly worn down, breathing would become less frequent, increasing the acidity in the blood. This acidity would cause an irregular heartbeat that was already rapid because of the hypovolemic shock. This would have caused fluid to build up in the membranes surrounding the heart and lungs. Death would ultimately come in the form of asphyxiation or heart failure. Depending on a victim’s condition upon being put on the cross, death could sometimes take days. If the executioner wanted to speed up the process, he would break the legs of the crucified man with a club; death would come within minutes.

Cross References

1st Passion Prediction - Mark 8:31

2nd Passion Prediction - Mark 9:31

3rd Passion Prediction - Mark 10:33

Luke 12:50 Gives evidence to what the Baptism is

Mark 14:36 Gives evidence to what the cup is

Matthew 19:28 Gives the rewards the disciples would receive

Matthew 20:21 Gives evidence that Joh and James was asking for a promotion

Luke 12:50 - But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! (Mark 10:38 my baptism)

Mark 14:36 - And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”

Matt. 19:28 - And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Matthew 20:20-28 - 20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to [a]Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. 21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She *said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” 22 But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.” 23 He *said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” 24 And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His [b]life a ransom for many.”

JOHN AND JAMES MOTHER WAS ASKING FOR A PREFERMENT (OR A PROMOTION, ADVANCEMENT, ELEVATION.

Parallels

Matthew 20:17-28

Luke 18:31-34

Luke 18:34But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said..

Commentaries

The 3rd prediction is more detailed - Handed over Jews who condemned Jesus then the Jews handed Jesus over to the Gentiles to execute Jesus.

The suffering of many things is specified here - Scourging, mocking, spitting on Him

The authority of the Word of God can be seen in the prediction of suffering many things.

Is. 50:6 I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.

Jerusalem is a symbol of opposition to Jesus in this Gospel

Vs. 32 Jesus is leading the way (Ft. Benning "Follow Me" "Lead the Way."

Perhaps two groups

With Mathew and Luke's account perhaps John, James, and their mother asked Jesus for honor and elevation about the other 10 in Jesus' Kingdom.

Right hand is the place of greatest prominence and the left hand is the place of second greatest prominence. They misunderstood the nature of the kingdom Jesus came to establish. He came to establish the Spiritual kingdom by redemptive work.

The disciples misunderstood the implications of discipleship and needed to be corrected.

In Jesus' kingdom the way to glory is sacrifice, service, and suffering. In the Kingdom of God exaltation involves lowliness.

Cup -O.T. symbol of the Wrath of God

Is 51:17. Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk from the Lord’s hand the cup of His anger; The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs.

Jeremiah 25:16-18 Cup of wrath refereed to as a sword in the hand of God.

Baptized - not Christian baptism but metaphor for being immersed in calamity

Cup and Baptism signifies Jesus' coming death. As for the disciples suffering for their faith. James was martyred (decapitated by Herod Agrippa Acts 12:2) (John boiled alive in hot oil then exiled to the Island of Patmos.

Jesus is merely asking if they were willing to suffer and die as He would.

Vs. 39 The unhesitating answer "we are able" is evidence that they did not understand what Jesus was saying.

Even though Jesus is God in the flesh it was not His to give by The Father's. Jesus says in Mathew 19 the disciples reward would be 12 thrones residing over the 12 tribes of Israel.

Vs. 41 The other 10 are angry possibly becasue they wanted the position for themselves

Vs. 42 Jesus teaches the necessity of humilty and service for the christian leader.

Vs. 43-44 The disciples were in danger of becoming like Gentile rulers but they must not become like that. They are to be servants (like those who wait on tables) and like a slave (who was totally owned by another, possessing no rights except those given by their master). Jesus Himself is the best example of this!

THE GREATEST IS THE SERVANT!!!! Death as a ransom is simply the greatest example of service. those who accept His ransom out to readily accept His example of Service! Jesus is the example to follow - this often forgotten by His followers.