Drinking Jesus’ Cup

Following Jesus wherever he leads

Mark 10:32–45 NIV

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “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 and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 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.” When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

To appropriately take care of this section of scripture we need to keep Jesus prophetic words at the forefront. A we sift through it and pull out the main points and the applications for our lives — the suffering of Jesus has to stay close to us. Be near to our understanding of this passage.

-Son of Man (Jesus) will be delivered over to the chief priests and teachers of the law

-Condemn him to death

-Hand him over to the Gentiles (the Romans)

-Mock him

-Spit on him

-Flog him

-Kill him

Hold all that in your heart and your brain as we digest this meal served up in Mark chapter 10.

1- Jesus Leads the Way into the Unknown

Mark 10:32 “They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.”

Notice the intentional language here. As they were on their way to Jerusalem — JESUS IS LEADING THE WAY.

Now, this is actually important. Most often while they were going from place to place, Jesus may have set the direction but he often wasn’t the one leading. He was often stopped by crowds, distracted by people that needed to be healed, hanging in the back chatting with people. That’s the imagery.

But now that they are headed to Jerusalem, there’s intention, there’s purpose, there’s FOLLOW MY LEAD.

This is the KEY to the whole passage and OUR WHOLE LIVES.

The disciples are astonished by this. Why? Jesus has been hanging on the outside of Jerusalem for his whole ministry. He’s been in and out but Jerusalem was slowly known as the place that the teachers of the law would come against Jesus.

He was at risk in Jerusalem.

The other followers of Jesus were afraid. Oh man.

So we have this scene. Jesus is set, determined, ready to get things going. The disciples can’t believe the time as come for him to march into the holy city and take his throne. The people following Jesus are afraid for they know a trap is waiting for Jesus.

But here’s the point — Jesus leads the way. Into what? In this moment? Fears. Into the unknown. Listen… you don’t know what’s next in your life. You don’t have any certainty about how the rest of this day will go. This week, this month, this year. Yet- I can promise you - that if you let JESUS LEAD THE WAY into the unknown, he won’t leave you.

What does this mean for you? What is the unknown in your life? What’s the risk that Jesus is confidently leading you into?

What fears are in the way? Are you willing to follow him into the unknown?

This story goes beyond that. For the next verses show it’s more than just the unknown it’s also into suffering.

2- Jesus Leads the Way into Suffering

Mark 10:33–34 ““We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “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 and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.””

Jesus leads us into suffering is quite the marketing statement. Who wants to follow Jesus? He will lead you into suffering! Wooo

In the western world suffering is akin to being cursed. It’s the worst thing that can ever happen, and we work hard to avoid at all costs. That there should be zero suffering in life. And yet, that’s actually not the way of Jesus.

Henri Nouwen once said that the task of a minister is to prevent people from suffering for the wrong reasons but instead for the right reasons.

He’s on to something. Outside of Christ we suffer with NO HOPE. And often participate in suffering that leads to death and destruction.

Inside the Kingdom of God, while we still suffer, our suffering is not in vain. We can have HOPE and we can know that our suffering leads to LIFE.

“It is good to learn early enough that suffering and God are not a contradiction but rather a unity, for the idea that God himself is suffering is one that has always been one of the most convincing teachings of Christianity. I think God is nearer to suffering than to happiness, and to find God in this way gives peace and rest and a strong and courageous heart.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer

So Jesus is teaching us something here - about leading into suffering not avoiding it. For what is on the other side of Jesus’ suffering —- VICTORY.

He actually doesn’t just tell them the bad parts of the story, but we get hung up on the suffering part. He says to them, “They will condemn me to death, hand me over to the Romans to crucify me, they will mock and spit on me, flog me, and eventually kill me.”

—And we all go — OH NO! That’s terrible.

He says, “And three days days later I’ll rise from the dead”

Buried the lede there Jesus.

Jesus says that HOPE is on the other side of any suffering. And suffering as James loves to put it produces some marvelous things.

James 1:1–6 “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

This is the same idea of what Jesus is teaching here

-Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials —-> for it tests your faith——>which produces perseverance ——-> perseverance brings about maturity and even contentment——> ultimately leading to wisdom.

What’s on the other side of the suffering? Contentment, wisdom, maturity, perseverance.

For Jesus’ it’s victory over death — the ultimate trump card.

Hebrews 12:1–2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus is leading the way up to Jerusalem and walking out Psalm 23 -even though I walk through the valley of death, I’ll fear no evil… the valley isn’t forever. Jesus leads me, protects me, guides me, gives me hope and endurance.

3- Jesus Leads the Way into a new Kingdom

Mark 10:35–40 “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 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.””

Now after all this, something crazy happens, James and John catch up to Jesus at the front, and were like, “listen, we were thinking…”

Why is this happening?

Once again, we listen to what we want to hear.

In many of the disciples minds, probably not even just these two, they are thinking about the interpretations of the prophecies where the Messiah brings forth a new kingdom and it starts in ZION (Jerusalem). Jesus is finally going to take his kingdom, he said some weird stuff about mocking, death, Gentiles, but he says confusing stuff at lot, he’s about to take this CITY and we want to RULE IN POWER WITH HIM.

This isn’t uncommon still today.

We often Jesus comes in the same sort of man-made kingdoms.

Jesus comes through political parties or campaigns or whatever. Those can be a tool, but they aren’t the KINGDOM OF GOD.

We still see people trying to use Jesus as a source of mystical power. A place where we can use his authority to give ourselves some. Inside and outside the church.

Jesus flips this though, he’s probably frustrated that they still don’t get it. He says to them, “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

Once again, they are confused. And it is a little confusing because if they think he’s talking about Power and not Suffering, they won’t get it.

Can you drink the drink that Jesus is going to have to drink?

-Jesus loves the metaphor of suffering as a drink.

-Prayer in Gethsemane — “take this cup from me, but not my will by yours be done”

-Last supper and now communion - Luke 22:20–22 “In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!””

He got this imagery from the prophets and the Psalms who would use the cup imagery in both good and negative ways but always referring to the portion that God gives you.

So James and John can you drink the same cup? Baptized with the same baptism? (go to death in the grave)

They are quick - YES we can! We want the power!

-It’s almost as if in this moment Jesus looks into their future and sees, oh yes, they will drink the same cup. They will die a terrible death.

Acts 12:1–3 “It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.”

John’s death is a bit more debated as it wasn’t recorded in scripture.

But that’s not super relevant to the larger point — the point is that Jesus is leading us toward a new kingdom. That isn’t caught up the way the world works. It’s often referred to as an upside down kingdom. You don’t get to sit on the right or the left because you are great in the world’s eyes.

The last shall be first - this has be said by Jesus so many times at this point, it’s almost wild. And yet James and John still ask this bold request. For they still don’t quite fully understand Jesus even after following him for years.

-We like James and John need this reminder… we also need to realize, we are ever growing in our understanding.

-Make us understand you more Jesus, help us be more like you.

4- Jesus Leads the Way into Humility

Mark 10:41–45 “When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.””

This has now been a theme for weeks straight. Humility. Since about the middle of chapter 8, this has been either the main point or the secondary point.

Humility like Christ.

-In death and suffering

-In glory and transfiguration

-In faith — help my unbelief

-Not first but last

-Cut off your hands/feet if they cause you to sin — aka you need Jesus

-Divorce

-Children the way to the kingdom

-The Rich in the kingdom of God

And here we are again. Why is this such a key… because it’s easy to be proud, it’s hard to be humble and yet HUMILITY is the WAY OF JESUS.

So let me close the sermon from the Apostle Paul:

Philippians 2:1–11 NIV

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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In what ways can we allow Jesus to lead us into unknown situations in our own lives?

What does it mean to you personally to follow Jesus into suffering?

How can we find hope in our struggles, following the example of Jesus as described in this passage?

What are some practical steps you can take to embrace the humility that Jesus exemplifies?

How does understanding Jesus’ sacrifice help you in your daily challenges?

What unknown risks are you currently facing that require trusting Jesus' leadership?

How do you typically respond to suffering, and how can you shift that response to be more aligned with Jesus’ teachings?

Reflect on a time when you had to serve someone else; how did that experience shape your understanding of greatness?

What cultural or personal beliefs about power and authority need to be adjusted in light of Jesus' teachings?

How can we create a community that values service and humility, as Jesus calls us to do?