Upside-down Kingdom of Jesus
Greatness Through Suffering and Service
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
35 aJames and John, the two sons of Zebedee, *came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.”
36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
37 They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”
38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.
40 “But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
41 Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John.
42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus *said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them.
43 “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant;
44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.
45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.
45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
This is our Lord’s personal mission statement. If I’m to be an authentic follower of Christ, what marked His life ought to mark mine, and my personal mission statement ought to be “serving and giving.”
Set your Bible down a moment and hold your hands in front of you. Clench one of your hands into a fist and leave the other open. This is the choice being a follower of Christ. Am I going to live with a clenched fist expecting others to serve me, receiving, accumulating, and getting? Or am I going to live with an open hand, giving and serving?
This is our Lord’s personal mission statement. If I’m to be an authentic follower of Christ, what marked His life ought to mark mine, and my personal mission statement ought to be “serving and giving.”
This is our Lord’s personal mission statement. If I’m to be an authentic follower of Christ, what marked His life ought to mark mine, and my personal mission statement ought to be “serving and giving.”
1. Verse 35. This statement is actually Christ’s conclusion to a conversation with two of his disciples, which begin with a request: “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” What an incredible request! Their view of following Jesus was not, “How can I serve Jesus?” but “What can Jesus do for me?” The root problem was selfishness.
2. Verse 36. Jesus responded with a question: “What do you want Me to do for you?”
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.”
They believed Jesus was going to establish an earthly political kingdom, and they wanted to be Number 1 and Number 2 in that kingdom.
They believed Jesus was going to establish an earthly political kingdom, and they wanted to be Number 1 and Number 2 in that kingdom.
Where did this selfish, prideful attitude come from? You’d think that some of Jesus would have rubbed off on them. Three factors may have contributed to their attitude:
A. They had a mother with great ambitions for her sons (see Matt. 20:20).
20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to 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.”
B. James and John were part of the inner circle and had been privy to some incredible spiritual moments, such as in Mark 9:1–13.
We have to be careful with the spiritual moments God gives us that we don’t allow spiritual knowledge and experience to build pride in our lives.
20 Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.
3. Verse 37. “Grant that we may sit on Your right hand and on Your left.” We instinctively want everyone else and everything to meet our needs.
4. Verses 38–44. Jesus, saying “You do not know what you ask,” offers two principles in response. First, the Cost of Leadership: “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?” The path to glory and greatness always takes us through suffering and difficulty
Second, the Call to Leadership: His is an upside down kingdom. In the world, greatness is determined by how many people serve you. In Christ’s kingdom greatness is determined by how many we serve. It’s not a matter of authority and control but of humility and service.
5. Verse 45. Jesus concluded by saying He Himself exemplifies these principles. Obeying them is a process of becoming like Him.
Am I living my life expecting others to serve me? My spouse? My children? The people at work? Or do I view those around me and my circumstances as opportunities to serve both Christ and others?
Am I closed-fisted or open-handed? I don’t mean we will never receive and that we should never be served—there are times when that happens—but I’m talking about the passion of our life. Receiving or giving?
This morning many of us are in the receiving mode, but have you also come with a passion to give? To worship? To serve? Much of our culture is designed to make us feel good. The radical message of Jesus counteracts that.
The greater message this morning is, “Who’s in control of my life? Why am I following Christ? What am I doing for Christ?” May the Lord Jesus take our lives and let them be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.