The Call to Christ Mark 10:28-45

For many years Monterey, a California coast town, was a pelican's paradise. As the fishermen cleaned their fish, they flung the offal to the pelicans. The birds grew fat, lazy, and contented. Eventually, however the offal was utilized, and there were no longer snacks for the pelicans. When the change came the pelicans made no effort to fish for themselves. They waited around and grew gaunt and thin. Many starved to death. They had forgotten how to fish for themselves. The problem was solved by importing new pelicans from the south, birds accustomed to foraging for themselves. They were placed among their starving cousins, and the newcomers immediately started catching fish. Before long, the hungry pelicans followed suit, and the famine was ended.

-The Call to Christ is a Call to Suffering

I. The Call to Christ is Costly vv. 28-31

Over the last few weeks, we have seen a variety of people come to Jesus

Little children come to Jesus and they are accepted, bringing nothing

A rich young ruler comes to Jesus, yet he leaves sad, clinging to his great possessions

Now, the disciples are curious. What does this mean for them?

Peter makes it clear: they have left everything to follow Jesus

Jesus offers us words of hope and words of warning:

There is a reward for following Him: we will receive a hundredfold of the cost of following Jesus in this life and eternal life in the age to come

There is also a cost: it comes with persecutions and suffering

Many, it turns out, who are first will be last; we will have to endure some “lastness” to enjoy the reward of “firstness” in the end

We have to avoid the kind of erroneous thinking that would cause us to believe that the people of God will not endure suffering; if anything, suffering is a certainty!

2 Timothy 2:3–7

[3] Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. [4] No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. [5] An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. [6] It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. [7] Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. (ESV)

II. The Costly Call is Christ’s Call vv. 32-34

Jesus continues the conversation on the road to Jerusalem

The road to Jerusalem here is noteworthy; it is a dangerous place and there are people there who will seek to kill Jesus

This causes the disciples who follow Jesus to be afraid

Jesus takes the opportunity to instruct them

Interestingly, He does not deny what they fear; He embraces it

He will be delivered over to His enemies

He will be mocked, humiliated, and beaten

He will even be killed!

Yet, after 3 days He will rise again

I think a couple of things are important here:

First, Jesus may call us to endure suffering as His follower, but it is a suffering that He has already experienced

Second, Jesus not only endured suffering, but He was ultimately faithful and victorious over suffering, even to the point of death

We are inspired and empowered by that example!

During the Nazi occupation of his country in WWII, King Christian X of Denmark noticed a Nazi flag flying over a Danish public building. He immediately called the German commandant, demanding that the flag be taken down at once. The commandant refused. "Then a soldier will go and take it down." said the king. "He will be shot," threatened the commandant. "I think not," replied the king, "for I shall be the soldier." Within minutes the flag was taken down.

III. The Costly Call is a Shared Call vv. 35-40

James and John continue not to get it; they approach Jesus looking for positions of importance in the Kingdom

Jesus responds with a question: “Can you drink from my cup? Can you share in my baptism?”

They respond affirmatively, ignorantly, possibly arrogantly

And Jesus confirms that they will, indeed, share in His suffering

Their seats are not confirmed, but their suffering is

Suffering is certain because it is how we share in the sufferings of Jesus

I think we must understand that part of things: It is His cup and His baptism, we only get a small piece of what He endured for us!

However, we share in the sufferings in light of a glory to be revealed!

Philippians 3:8–11

[8] Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—[10] that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (ESV)

IV. The Costly Call is a Serving Call vv. 41-45

James and John have made a bold request, one that angers the other disciples

We do not know exactly why they are angry, but it’s possible that they just wish they had thought to ask first

All of these men are like us, they want to come in first!

Jesus takes the opportunity to make an important connection:

The call to suffer is a call to serve

There are many things that we will endure, but sometimes the hardest is not pain or sickness, but serving

We are frequently looking for self-exaltation, but self-sacrifice is the way of Jesus

It is setting aside my own wants, wishes, and desires that we are called to

This is exactly what Jesus did

It was His example to us

It was His gift for us

The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott The Little Servant of an Illustrious Master

Hudson Taylor was being introduced by a Presbyterian moderator in Melbourne. He was the visiting missionary speaker. The introduction was effusive and ended with a reference to “our illustrious guest.”

“Dear friends,” began Hudson Taylor, “I am the little servant of an illustrious Master.”