Servanthood

1:13But God is teaching me, and I'm learning that greatness is much different in the word than it is in the world. And I think we find Jesus teaching a similar lesson here to his disciples. So in that sense, Sense, according to what we will find today, I'm regularly in the presence of greatness, many of whom are in this room today. I have the joy of serving alongside some of the greatest self-giving servants that I've ever met.

1:48And so, what I hope that we'll learn and see in the text this morning is what true greatness is in God's kingdom. So, to begin, I want to give us some context beginning in Mark 10, 34, I'm sorry, 32 through 34. Jesus is leading his disciples to Jerusalem. And I want you to think about that for a moment. Jesus and team are walking to Jerusalem. That was the main form of transportation, of course. And I know that may sound terrible. However, think about the time and the space and the margin that this allowed them to talk and reflect on life and ministry in their own souls.

2:39As Caleb mentioned earlier, we find it really hard to be silent, to be still. And so, this is going to come back up. Keep that in the back of your mind. But Jesus is leading his disciples to Jerusalem. What is the purpose of that? Well, he's going there to die. And he knew this, and yet he leads the team there, and he's first. One commentator says that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, not to triumph in a military campaign, but to die.

3:11You see, this is the way of our Savior. Humble, submitted, and focused on the Father's will. And for a third time, Mark records that Jesus predicts his death and resurrection, this time with a striking amount of detail. And so look at verse 32. And they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus walking ahead of them. And they were amazed. And those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was about to happen to him, saying, See, we're going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priest and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles.

4:00And they will mock him, and they will spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days, he will rise. So not only is there this striking amount of detail, but you can sense the tension as if you were there. There's both this sense of amazement and this sense of fear. There's both this promise of deliverance, but also suffering. There's this promise that there will be. New world order, and yet they would have to lose their leader and their friend.

4:42And so, this is the context, and this brings us to our text in verse 35. And we find this special request from James and John. But who were James and John? Well, James and John were brothers, they were part of the inner three, the closest friends of Jesus, including Peter. And each of them would play a significant role in carrying out the mission of the church after Jesus' death. So, James and John were brothers, and they were known as the Sons of Thunder, Mark 3:17 says, and that is an awesome nickname.

5:19I don't know, I've never had a nickname that awesome. So, there you go. Sons of Thunder, some aspirational goals for you. But, second, it's helpful to note that there's this ongoing dispute among the disciples. Mark chapter 9:33-37 says that Jesus had confronted them in the middle of their discussion about who was the greatest. And so, he sought to bring instruction. But it appears that they were either not convinced, didn't understand, or both, because the dispute continues.

5:52And so, finally, we arrive at the request. It appears that James and John at least recognized that Jesus would be coming. To power, there's this sense that Jesus would soon rule and reign. However, it's clear that even James and John, two of the closest to Jesus, they didn't understand the manner in which he would come to power and how he would reign. And so the request is that Jesus would grant them seats to his right and to his left when he came to power. That is, that he would bless them with seats of honor beside him as co-rulers.

6:35Now, this may not seem that absurd because who wouldn't want a seat of honor next to their teacher, their friend, their king? But given the ongoing discussion about greatness, we saw in chapter 9, into chapter 10, and now here, Mark gives us insight into both their hearts and their motivation behind the request. Notice how they approach him in verse 35. Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you. If you could just give me a blank check, that way I can do whatever I want with it.

7:20I think one commentator says it well. He says this: These two act like brazen fortune hunters when they ask Jesus to guarantee that one Can sit on his right and the other on his left when he comes into his glory. They want to be crowned princes sitting on co-thrones with Jesus. And I believe the rest of the passage is going to help us see that this is true. Look at Jesus' response in verse 38. His response is pretty clear. You don't understand what you're asking.

7:55And they lacked understanding on a number of different levels. First, they continue to misinterpret what it means for Jesus to be a Messiah and assume that when he comes to power, they would receive special privileges, special benefits. As a result, they misunderstand how Jesus would come to power, and so Jesus uses the cup and baptism to show their misunderstanding. So what is all this language about cup and baptism? Well, first of all, notice how Jesus asked the question. He asked the question in such a way that expects a negative answer. Look at verse 38.

8:37Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or to be baptized with a baptism with which I am baptized? The cup was used in the Old Testament and in the New Testament to either symbolize God's blessing or God's wrath towards evil. Most of the time, it's the latter, but the context helps to determine the meaning. And so, here are a few examples for you on the screen if you're taking notes. Old Testament, you can see an example of blessing and wrath, New Testament, blessing and wrath.

9:18So, here in Mark 10, in light of Jesus' impending death, the cup is in reference to God's wrath. To drink the cup means to fully experience God's wrath. But he also refers to baptism. And one of the keys to understanding what baptism means, I think, is found in Luke chapter 12, verse 50. I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished. So, in this extended section of the coming kingdom, Jesus alludes to the fact that he must die in order to bring about salvation and peace to the world.

10:08And so, you really can't see it in the English, but Luke uses two different words here for baptism. The first word means suffering or death, and the second word means to immerse or to cover. That word is very similar. It is the same word that we use for the ordinance of baptism. Be more familiar with. So, what is he saying? Well, to help maybe paint a more clear picture, I think he's saying that just as the world was covered with water in the flood to bring about salvation through judgment, Jesus would once for all bring about salvation through his death, he would be consumed with, he would be washed over or totally immersed in death. And I take that from 1 Peter 3:20 and 21.

11:05So, in the sense, Jesus is yet again showing that he would suffer, he would die, and he would bear the full wrath of God in order to bring about salvation to many. And he's making this connection between one's reward and place of honor in his kingdom and the degree of their earthly suffering. And this is why, friends, I think he expects a negative response because obviously his disciples cannot bear the weight, the burden of God's wrath, and no human can. No human can atone for sin.

11:50Finally, it's clear they misunderstand because they believe that Jesus would grant their request. Notice that Jesus confirms that they would indeed sin. Suffer and die. James was the first, and John was the last. But their seat, their place in God's kingdom was not his to grant. That was determined by God's sovereign choosing. And that's what he says in verse 40, for those whom it has been prepared. So time and again, Jesus has been clear that he only does that which with the Father wills. And he demonstrates this time and again through his life of submission to the Father.

12:36And so the tensions are at an all-time high. You can sense it in the passage. Even the disciples get angry and frustrated. You can feel the tension. One of the reasons they're angry and frustrated is, I think, because they didn't get there first. They didn't get to put their request in first at the top of the list to get special privileges. And again, I think we see that they're preoccupied first and foremost with themselves. And so Jesus, having had enough, he snaps. But his snapping is much different than ours, isn't it? I mean, look at it. It's amazing.

13:25Rather than responding in anger and frustration, Jesus responds with kindness and compassion. He stops the whole convoy and he takes time to teach. Sometimes the greatest teaching moments occur at the worst, most inopportune times, don't they? They're walking to Jerusalem. We don't have time to stop, guys. We got to go. But he stops. Maybe it's speculation, but I think that part of what made Jesus such an effective shepherd and leader is because he didn't suffer from a hurried spirit like many of us do.

14:17That in part has to do with the pace and rhythm of life that we talked about earlier. So here in verses 42 through 44, Jesus begins his lesson. And so here's the big idea: so that you can see how the points align. This is the CDG version. This is not the Bible. He's saying, you guys are acting like self-centered pagans and you claim to worship God. And here's how he starts. He contrasts earthly and kingdom leaders and rulers. Because just like us, the disciples were tempted to take their cues for greatness and success from the world and leaders and the corporations. Culture rather than from God.

15:04And it's important to remember the greater context of the Gospels. One of the critical aspects that the Gospel writers have been inspired to bring to light are the characteristics of kingdom citizens. In other words, if you are a follower of God, this is what your life looks like. These are marks of your life as a follower of God. We see even Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount bringing these characteristics to light. And so Jesus uses their current cultural context to teach an important kingdom truth to show them what makes one great.

15:43So he begins with earthly rulers. That term, rulers of the Gentiles, means pagan rulers or worldly rulers. And he's using earthly rulers to contrast with godly rulers or leaders. And so how do they lead and how do they rule? Well, he says two things: worldly leaders lord it over them. This phrase means to master or to gain dominion over. Secondly, they exercise authority over them. And similarly, this means to domineer over. And when you contrast this with Jesus' example himself and this text in texts like 1. Peter chapter 5, 2 and 3, which we heard last week, they are in stark contrast to one another. Look briefly at 1 Peter 5, 2 and 3.

16:42Shepherd the flock of God. Peter is addressing elders and pastors. Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight. Here it is. Not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you. Not for shameful gain, but eagerly. Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. So, in the most basic sense, Jesus is saying, those who are of God's kingdom, they live and they lead in a way that's opposite of the world.

17:22So, what does that mean? And what does it look like? Well, verse 43, the second part of verse 43, Jesus gives two examples, and he says, Whoever would be great among you must be your servant. A servant is a minister or a person who renders service and help to others. It's the same word used to describe deacons in Acts chapter 6. And so, that's why it's critical that deacons be character qualified and tested before they're recognized by the church, because their lives. Serve it as an example for the church. But lest we think that we are excluded from this, because most of us aren't deacons, I want you to remember that those who are in Christ have been reconciled to Christ and given the ministry of reconciliation. This is what 2 Corinthians 5:18 says. So, in a sense, we are all ministers and called to be servants of God. And listen, God is making His appeal to the world through us. Isn't that amazing? 2 Corinthians 5:20. So, if you're a follower of Jesus, then this applies to you.

18:45Here's the point: over and against what we find celebrated, liked, tagged, followed, shared, there's probably other ones that I don't know about. All of these ways that greatness is put before us in the world, the scriptures show something entirely different. Kingdom citizens are called to serve. They're called to lay down their lives for the good of others. They're called to set aside their preferences for the greater good, to give up their rights to show Jesus to the world around them.

19:31To interact and relate to one another in love. To sacrifice self, to give rather than to take. Greatness in God's kingdom is marked by humble self-denial. So, what does it look like? What does self-giving service look like? Well, verse 45 gives us a clue. And what does verse 45 state that Jesus did? How did he serve? He gave his life. Jesus is putting himself forward as an example of what a servant is and what a servant does. Another way of saying that is Jesus himself is the greatest example of greatness.

20:24So as we look to Jesus, what do we see? Well, first we see Jesus' kindness and compassion. We see this most prominently as he responds to the disciples. We made note of that earlier. After they clearly don't understand, again, how does he respond? With anger and frustration? Absolutely not, because he's not like us. No, with kindness and compassion. Romans says, it's God's kindness that leads us to compassion. It's related to his grace, his unmerited, unearned favor. The word kindness is the same word used as one of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit, which the Apostle Paul expects every believer to exemplify.

21:20And it's kindness that Paul encourages us to show one another. Remember Ephesians 4? Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you. So Jesus shows kindness, but he also shows compassion. In compassion, that word means pity. It's related to mercy. It's what Jesus felt when he looked out on the crowds and he saw their great need. He says they were like sheep without a shepherd. And what does Matthew 9:36 say? That he felt compassion. He felt moved to offer them what they did not deserve, which is mercy, and he did so humbly.

22:13So Jesus showed kindness and compassion. But how did Jesus serve? Well, he served first by submitting himself to the Father. We see this in his response to the disciples when they asked for seats in his kingdom. He says, I'm not able to grant that. It's the Father who grants that. More than that, we see that in his death, he gave his life, submitted to the Father's will. There's this humility, isn't there? This humble self-denial, this confident trust in all that the Father had for him.

22:58And that's what led him to receive the cup and prepare for his baptism of death. It led him to not take matters into his own hands, but with clear resolve to entrust himself to God. And in these ways, it's clear that Jesus understood his role and his relationship to God. He was obedient because he knew that God knew best and he wanted to bring glory to God. Finally, we see that Jesus served through substitution. And this is the very thing that he was trying to communicate to the disciples over and the world over and over again. Verse 45 uses the word ransom. Literally, the word means the price paid to free a slave or the price of redemption. It gives us this wonderful picture of precisely what Jesus accomplished with his life, death, and life. And resurrection.

24:02He died to atone for, to pay for the sin of every person who would trust and believe in him. The scriptures are clear, and we know in our hearts that we've all fallen short of God's glory. And there's only one way for sin to be removed. There's only one way for sin to be atoned for, and it's by the shed blood, the broken body of Jesus Christ. He was the perfect substitute, life for a life. He died that we might live and be free. He was payment.

24:48And that's the second aspect of substitution: redemption. Redemption means to release or to deliver by payment of ransom. So, in this case, Jesus was payment for sin. He bought us with his body and brought us back from sin to life. We were slaves to sin, and slaves can't free themselves. They must be freed by payment. And Jesus was our payment, his righteousness for ours. To do so, he endured great suffering. You may remember that hundreds and hundreds of years before this, Isaiah prophesied. Prophesied and referred to Jesus as the suffering servant. Hebrews 5:8 says that Jesus learned obedience through his suffering.

25:44So he was our substitute. But also, we see this aspect of slave again. Kingdom citizens serve, but they also must be slave or bondservant to all. And so, just as Jesus made himself a slave to the will of the Father, John 4:34, we too must seek to be slave to the will of the Father for the good of all. This is the humble self-denial that marks kingdom citizens. And so, to sum it all up, Jesus is not only teaching them about greatness, but he's living it before them. He's serving as an example, the perfect example. And not only that, but he's showing them how he would empower them to be these kinds of people, to be kingdom citizens who serve and sacrifice as he did.

26:47So, what in the world does all of this mean? What does it mean for us, 2021? How can we apply this? Well, first, I think for many, this is a call to revelation. Repentance. Just like James and John, we often seek to make much of ourselves. We have our own self-interest in mind most of the time. Like the disciples, we approach God with all that we want to get, while Jesus is showing all that He was going to give.

27:32We show by our actions in part that we think discipleship to Jesus is about rank, is about privilege, is about status. We too delight in power, in glorious achievement, in personal ambition, in the hustle, in being known as a go-getter, dreaming of success. We want to be great. But my friends, we fixate and we live by the world's measure of greatness, fortune, fame, likes, friends, influence on social media. We compete with one another for first place, and in so doing, we fail to love one another as neighbors.

28:33We want the cross without suffering. And so there is this great sense in which this scene highlights the absurdity of selfish ambition and worldly pursuit, of maneuvering for position and power, and brings it all under judgment beneath the cross. And so some today may need to repent and turn from living for self to live for Jesus. And so the question I want to leave you with is: whose are you? Whose are you? If you are His, then your life will show it. Increasingly, you will become more self-less than selfish.

29:31For others, this may be a call to take up your cross and follow Jesus in self-giving service. This means that you'll lay down your life and your preferences for the good of others, because self-giving service is what makes one truly great. And so, the question I want to challenge you with this morning is: what are you pursuing? What are you pursuing? Here's the good news. No matter where you find yourself, Jesus has gone before us. He's gone before us to show us by his example. But more than that, he's made a way through his life, death, and resurrection for every person to be great.

30:28Speaking of the presence of greatness, I found this quote from Martin Luther King Jr. I think it's helpful to communicate the point. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You don't have to know Plato or Aristotle. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity. You know, that proves the point. I told my wife, this is going to happen when I read this quote. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics and physics. Amen to all of this.

31:07You only need to have a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. So if I could offer you a couple of next steps, maybe as you're processing this now and into this week, it would be this, if you're taking notes, number one, and this is the hardest one: commit. 30 minutes of silence and solitude this week to think and wrestle on this text, the application of what God is stirring in your heart. Number two, seek God for help sorting through all the baggage in your heart.

31:51We all have it. We feel the pull of the world, and Jesus calls us to sacrifice, surrender, and serve. So wrestle. Study the scriptures. Look to Jesus. Study the spiritual gifts to discern yours in order that you might invest your life as a kingdom citizen in God's kingdom work. Seek greatness by humbly and selflessly serving others. Friends, as we've looked at Jesus' life and example, I want to leave you with one final question. How is God leading you to change your actions and your attitudes as it pertains to greatness and as it pertains to serving others?

32:52How is God leading you to change your actions and your attitudes as it pertains to greatness? And self-giving service to others, he will answer you if you ask him. So let's ask him this week for his glory and the good of others. Let's pray together. God, we don't like the silence because our minds flood with all that we are, all that we want to be, and often it's so deeply convicting because it doesn't line up with who you say we are or should be.

34:08God, we need your help. We thank you for Jesus and His example, but more than that, we need your power, supernatural power to live humbly, to deny self, to sacrificially serve. For your kingdom and for the good of others, we pray and ask God that you would do this work in us because we know we've already tried. Greatness is only possible through Jesus Christ. So we pray and ask you to do that work in us in His wonderful name. Amen.

35:04Thank you for listening to the sermon audio from New Life Baptist Church in College Station, Texas. For more information or to support our ministry, visit us online at newlifecs.net.