Study in Mark’s Gospel

Study in Mark’s Gospel Presentation 32

The Servant King Chap 10v32-45 Presentation 32

Introduction Do you know of people who have made up their mind to do something and they will allow nothing to get in their way. It can be unnerving to watch the kind of single-mindedness that refuses to be distracted. There was something in Jesus’ determination to go to Jerusalem, in order to die, that unnerved his disciples. We can sometimes think we know a person quite well until the curtains are drawn back to reveal another aspect of their character. The disciples were astonished, afraid and unnerved by Jesus’ commitment because he seemed to be pulling them into his orbit of wholehearted obedience to God and that terrified them. Presentation 32

Spelling It Out In our passage, Jesus, while spelling out in even greater detail the events that would surround his death in Jerusalem makes it clear that his own people would reject him. Can you grasp what that meant. When I was a toddler my mother was hospitalised for a time and I stayed with my Gran. When mother came home, I ran away and hid. I did not believe she was truly my mother. She found this experience of rejection devastating. Jesus experienced rejection on a far greater scale! His nation, who had been so uniquely blessed by God would now turn their back on him. But more than that, they would hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked, spat upon, flogged and eventually crucified. Presentation 32

Spelling It Out How would the disciples to react to this fresh kingdom news? Their previous responses to Jesus teaching concerning his death had been very disappointing: They had first sought to deflect him from his task. They had argued among themselves concerning who was his greatest disciple. Now surely they could be expected to provide needed encouragement and support as they shadow of the cross fell over him? Not a bit if it! James and John were preoccupied with the kind of benefits that could be theirs. Jesus’ death would usher in a great Messianic Age. He would officiate at a great banquet but who would be seated in the places of honour?. Presentation 32

Spelling It Out They decided it was time to stake their claim on these benefits and make sure they got good seats - places of honour - sitting on either side of Jesus in his kingdom. Grasping honour was the thing that was uppermost in their minds. Can you believe that? Their response to the suffering and death of Jesus was to ask, “What’s in it for me?” They did not really understand what they were asking. Nor did they realise how insensitive and selfish their request was in the light of Jesus’ impending suffering. They wanted glory without suffering, honour without humility. Presentation 32

A Probing Question Jesus responded to their insensitivity by asking, “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with?” The question was designed to stop the disciples short in their tracks and to cause them to thing before answering, ‘No of course not your suffering will be of necessity unique!’ We need to remind ourselves that on the cross Jesus would die as his people’s substitute. He would drink the cup of God’s punishment, and be baptised or, overwhelmed by the waters of God’s wrath. His was to be The Death of Deaths! Presentation 32

A Probing Question Immediately, and without asking for clarification, both James and John answer, ‘Yes, we can do that!’ What folly how little they understood! Nevertheless, Jesus assures them that they would drink a cup and receive a baptism of suffering – but they would not of course contribute to Jesus’ atoning death. However, it was the right of the Father to bestow places of honour at the Messianic banquet. How saddened Jesus must have been. After all this time these men were still pushing themselves forward and had failed to grasp that it is the man who stoops lowest whom God raises highest. Presentation 32

A Probing Question Self-seeking within the fellowship of God’s people breeds division. And as soon as the other disciples discover that James and John were out to feather their own nests they were indignant. This was crisis time in the disciple band! At this critical stage in Jesus’ ministry division could do great harm to God’s work. The devil knows when to strike and how to stir up resentment, misunderstanding and injured pride in the hearts of God’s people. He often does so as we stand on the threshold of fresh opportunities of service and new challenges. In this way God’s work is discredited before it begins. To counter this attack Jesus unpacks one of the great principles of the kingdom Presentation 32

A Probing Question The kingdom of God is quite unlike the kingdoms of men. In God’s kingdom, true greatness is measured by a man’s service and not by the number of his servants. We do not ask, ‘how high up the pole can I climb?’ carelessly treading on others to assist our advance but, ‘how far down the ladder am I prepared to go for the sake of others?’ At the heart of Christian discipleship there are deaths to be died - a refusal to court recognition is one of these deaths. We are to pattern ourselves upon Jesus. The servant cannot be greater than his master. Jesus defines his role, ‘The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many’ v45. We cannot truly understanding our role without understanding his. Presentation 32

Jesus The Ransom In the ancient world, Roman slaves could be released by the payment of a ransom price. Some slaves were never released for their family and friends were unable to meet the ransom demand. Jesus speaks of giving his life as a ransom but what was the ransom price he would pay and release to which Jesus referred? Clearly he was not talking about a physical condition - buying up all the slaves standing in the Jerusalem slave market -but about a spiritual one. That which keeps us from enjoying freedom in the family of God’s people. Presentation 32

Jesus The Ransom Many people today deny they are slaves and refuse to accept the seriousness of their spiritual bondage. Some go to great lengths to paint their cell bars in bright colours, or their manacles with gold paint, all in an attempt to deny spiritual reality. But they have no spiritual freedom. Notice, Jesus is not concerned to improve our prison conditions. He wants our release. For this reason his servant role is defined in terms of the payment of a ransom price – a price which we and others are incapable of paying. What was the ransom price? It was his atoning death on the cross. It forms the basis of our spiritual emancipation. Presentation 32

Jesus The Ransom Jesus did not simply come to pay a great price, he was that price. He gave his life as a ransom. His death was substitutionary. It was the death that we deserve to die. Jesus allowed himself to be treated as a sinner in order to release us from our prison cell. He pointed to our lying, pride, slander, gossiping, malice, jealousy, arrogance, lust, envy and thieving, greed, selfishness and idolatry and said, ‘I wear all of that, I will bear its awful punishment in my own body, I will soak up and exhaust the Father’s righteous anger against it. And although I bear all this with utter revulsion yet I will do so in order to pay the ransom’. Do you see how low the Servant King stooped? Amazing! Presentation 32

Response To Ransom How did James and John respond? They had been determined to climb to the top of the ladder only to find their Master heading in the opposite direction. Were they ashamed at their selfishness and insensitivity? Were they embarrassed by their own self-seeking in view of Jesus amazing self-sacrifice? How do we respond to the one who gave his life as a ransom for many? Are you still in a prison cell? Have you deluded yourself by painting your cell and manacles in attractive colours. Are you offended at the suggestion that you may be in spiritual bondage. If you are not a Christian then you are in bondage and in need of the ransom price that Jesus paid. Presentation 32

Response To Ransom Human pride attempts to blind us to our true spiritual condition. But even if we recognise it then pride tries to prevent us from calling out to Christ for help. Instead, it will agree to perform some great feat in order to earn deliverance. But Jesus said ‘I came to give my life as a ransom for many’. We cannot pay the ransom but we can reject the servant king who did, and seek to minimise his accomplishment upon the cross. Will you stay in your prison or allow the one who has paid your ransom to strike the chains from off your wrists, open the prison doors and lead you out into sweet fresh air and sunshine of his kingdom? Presentation 32

Response To Ransom Jesus may have already delivered you from prison. You may already have tasted his forgiveness and begun a life of discipleship? But do you still long for recognition no matter the cost? Is Jesus calling you to turn your back on self-assertiveness and the grasping after position, honour and the praise of men. Instead, is he bidding you to identify with him is his servant role and walk down the ladder of humility? Your ‘baptism of suffering’ does not involve a literal cross outside of Jerusalem but it does involve facing the world’s hostility, persecution, insult and scorn. It involves being prepared to suffer for righteousness sake. Matt. 5v10. Presentation 32

Conclusion Sadly, many Christians pursue a cross-less Christianity to their eternal impoverishment. The words of children’s hymn put it simply, ‘If you will not bear a cross you can’t wear a crown’. It is no easy thing to bend, to die to self and give ourselves in the service of others but is the servant greater than the master? Jesus approached his cross with firm resolve can we do less? As we seek to follow Jesus are we being drawn into an orbit of commitment that is unnerving? Don’t be discouraged, do not be among those who have hung back but join those who seek to press forward in their determination to follow the servant king? Presentation 32

Study in Mark’s Gospel