March 2, 2025 • 32 mins
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What does it truly mean to be great? As we unpack Mark 10, we take a reflective journey alongside Jesus and His disciples on their path to Jerusalem. This episode delves deep into the poignant teachings of Jesus as He prepares for His final moments, directly addressing themes central to the Christian faith: servanthood, ambition, and sacrifice. We witness the tension between the disciples' desires for power versus Jesus' radical redefinition of what it means to lead.
From the moment Jesus forewarns His disciples about His betrayal, we discern the baffling disconnect between His impending suffering and the disciples’ preoccupations with glory. Their request—an appeal for positions of authority in the coming kingdom—highlights a universal struggle we all face: the temptation to prioritize status over service.
Jesus’ response flips traditional notions of leadership upside down, inviting listeners to reconsider their understanding of greatness. He emphasizes that true greatness is found not in authority, but in humility and service to others. This transformative message rings especially relevant today, encouraging each of us to reflect on the ways we seek power and control in our lives.
Throughout this episode, we explore how Jesus walks this talk, illustrating the life of a servant through His ultimate act of love—laying down His life for many. This powerful teaching embodies the heart of the Christian narrative and empowers us to embrace our roles as servants in our everyday lives.
Join us in this transformative discussion as we challenge ourselves to redefine greatness through the lens of servanthood, inviting deeper reflections on our journeys and the ways we can embody Jesus' teachings in our communities. Don't forget to subscribe and share your thoughts with us—we'd love to hear how you're embracing the call to servanthood in your own life!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
Mark 10, verse 32.
Let's read why don't we justread the whole passage for today
and let me know where we'regoing Mark 10, verse 32.
Going Mark 10, verse 32.
(00:32):
Now, as they were on the roadgoing up to Jerusalem, jesus was
going before them and they wereamazed, and as they followed,
they were afraid.
Then he took the 12 aside andbegan to tell them, or again
began to tell them, the thingsthat would happen to him.
Behold, we are going up toJerusalem and the Son of man
will be betrayed to the chiefpriests, to the scribes, and
(00:56):
they will condemn him to deathand deliver him to the Gentiles,
and they will mock him andscourge him, and scourge him and
spit on him and kill him, andthe third day he will rise again
.
Then James and John, the sonsof Zebedee, came to him saying
teacher, we want you to do forus whatever we ask.
(01:18):
And he said to them what do youwant me to do for you?
And he said to them what do youwant me to do for you?
They said to him grant us thatwe may sit on your right hand
and the other on your left inyour glory.
But Jesus said to them youdon't know what you ask Are you
able to drink the cup that Idrink and be baptized with the
baptism that I am baptized with?
(01:39):
And they said to him we areable.
So Jesus said to them you willindeed drink that cup that I
drink and with the baptism I ambaptized with, you will be
baptized.
But to sit on my right hand andon my left is not mine to give,
but it's for those of whom itis prepared.
And when the ten heard it, theybegan to be greatly displeased
(02:04):
with James and John because theyhadn't thought of the same
thing.
Oh, anyways, verse 42.
But Jesus called them tohimself and said to them you
know that those who areconsidered rulers over the
Gentiles lord it over them andtheir great ones exercise
authority over them.
Yet it shall not be so amongyou.
But whoever desires to becomegreat among you shall be your
(02:26):
servant, and whoever desires tobe first shall be slave of all.
For even the son of man did notcome to be served, but to serve
and to give his life a ransomfor many.
So that's a big passage there,but we'll try to look at it
today.
Going back back there to verse32, we see that they're on the
(02:47):
road.
You remember this all started afew chapters back as they came
down from the Mount ofTransfiguration.
Jesus is glorified, seen asglorified, there on the mountain
, and then they begin to go down.
As they're going down, they'removing towards Jerusalem.
Luke tells us in Luke 9, 51that as the time came for Jesus
(03:12):
to be received up, hesteadfastly set his face to
Jerusalem.
So this is a picture we'regetting here with Jesus.
He is determined to go toJerusalem.
He has this plan and the crossis in view.
So with that the mood has sortof changed a bit as well.
(03:34):
As Jesus is locked in and justdetermined to go to the cross,
to go to Jerusalem.
His disciples feel it and wesee this here in verse 32.
As they're going up, hisdisciples were amazed.
They just feel this littlesense of awe.
He's determined to go toJerusalem.
(03:56):
Well, we know that thereligious leaders already had
determined to kill Jesus and so,with that in mind, his
disciples go that's crazy, youwant to go to Jerusalem, they
want to kill you there.
We're amazed, notice, they'reafraid.
As they followed they wereafraid.
(04:18):
So, along with this amazementand just how tough and how
determined Jesus was, they'realso feeling this kind of dread.
Now Jesus then makes a seriousstatement there in verse 33.
The third time that he mentionsthe cross, his death and his
resurrection.
There in verse 33, we are goingup to Jerusalem and the Son of
(04:42):
man will be betrayed to thechief priests and the scribes.
They will condemn him to deathand deliver him to the Gentiles.
So Jesus tells themstraightforwardly I'm going to
be betrayed, and we can feelthat right Betrayed to the chief
(05:05):
priests and the scribes, andthey would condemn him notice in
verse 33, condemn him to deathand deliver him to the Gentiles.
Now the Jews had their owncounsel.
The Jews had their own counsel,but they could not deliver a
(05:26):
person to death.
They they couldn't executeanyone.
To do that, the Romans had toget involved.
So the Jews would deliver Jesusto the Romans and the Romans
then would execute him and andwe get a rundown here Jesus
(05:48):
knows in verse 34, this is howthe Gentiles are going to do it.
They're going to mock him,they're going to scourge him.
You know, as close to death asthey could get a person.
They would a person, they wouldscourge and beat their
prisoners and then they're goingto spit on him total disgrace
(06:11):
and kill him.
So this Jesus knows is coming.
The Romans would be a part ofit.
The Jews would deliver him up.
He was going to die.
So this is the third time thatJesus has mentioned his death
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straightforwardly and hisresurrection.
But the disciples didn't get it.
Right Now they're feeling itbecause they're afraid, and
they're feeling this dread overgoing to Jerusalem, but they
just didn't get it.
How do we know that they didn'tget it?
It's what comes next in verse35.
Then James and John, the sonsof Zebedee, came saying Teacher,
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we want you to do for uswhatever we ask.
Right Now they have on theirmind here to be top dogs in the
kingdom.
Right, that's what James andJohn want, and they just don't
get it right.
So a few years ago you know it'skind of.
You know it's that thing ofwhen you just are oblivious to
(07:16):
what's going on in life.
You ever feel that way.
A few years ago, what normalday, normal day.
And I got a call from a goodfriend hey, you want to go catch
some lunch?
I am always I'll put it outthere I'm always up to going out
for lunch.
Any of you guys want to ever goout for lunch?
I still do that really well,lunching.
(07:38):
And so I got this call from afriend hey, you want to quick go
get some lunch?
I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, letme let me just ask.
Lila was sitting next to me,let me just ask if that's okay.
(08:05):
And so I said, hey, you know,bud wants May 24th, my wife's
birthday, and all the dread.
Just you know, when you can beoblivious to something, jesus is
just sharing his heart.
They're going to betray me.
You're going to betray me.
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They're going to mock me andscourge me and kill me.
I will rise again.
And here these guys are justoblivious.
Man, when you can be in yourown world so strongly that you
don't even realize what's goingon, they had it in their minds
(08:48):
to interview for a job.
Really, that's kind of whatthey're doing here.
They say, jesus, when you comeinto your kingdom, you're going
to Jerusalem.
I assume you're gonna presentyourself as the Messiah, the
King.
Well, when you come into yourglory, can we be on your right
and on your left?
I think it's Luke mentions it.
(09:09):
They actually sent their mom toask this question to Jesus,
right, and have their mom comeasking for this position of
power in the kingdom.
And so, here they are, grant uswhatever we would like.
And he says what is it?
It's to sit on your right andon your left.
(09:30):
Now, jesus set some straight.
You don't know what you'reasking.
When would he be coming intohis kingdom?
Well, it would be when he wason the cross To be on his right
and on his left.
Well, there were two, one onthe right and one on the cross
to be on his right and on hisleft.
Well, there were two on, one onthe right and one on the left.
It was two thieves when he wascrucified.
(09:51):
And he says you don't know whatyou're asking for.
Guys, are you able to endurewhat I'm going to endure?
And I said, of course we are.
And Jesus says well, you willendure that, but this place of
being on my right and on my leftendure that.
But this place of being on myright and on my left, it's not
for me, it's for my father.
But they're desiring power andposition.
(10:12):
And we notice here in verse 41,kind of skipping down.
Well, we notice verse 41, the10 heard it and they began to be
greatly displeased with Jamesand John right.
So picture it as they comeasking for this place in the
kingdom, the other 10 go whoa,how dare you, how dare you be so
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self-seeking?
I should have asked that.
Why were they displeased?
Well, because they didn't thinkto be that bold and to go right
to Jesus and ask.
But their desire was for power,a place, position in the
kingdom.
And they said what everybodyelse was thinking.
Well, obviously, this is lifein the kingdom of this world.
(10:59):
We look for power and place andposition.
But notice what Jesus does here, teaching opportunity.
He says this in verse 42.
He said to them you know thatthose who are considered rulers
over the Gentiles lord it overthem and their great ones
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exercise authority over them.
So this is the way it is in theworld, right, guys, my
disciples?
Jesus says this is the way itis amongst the Gentiles.
Now we understand there are twopeople in the biblical sense
Jews, descendants of Abraham,isaac and Jacob, and everybody
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else, and most of us fall intothat.
Everybody else but this wordGentiles, the.
Everybody else, and most of usfall into that.
Everybody else but this wordGentiles, the.
Everybody else could also bethe nations.
The nations is what Jesus issaying.
The nations without God, a few.
Well, many years ago now, at thebeginning, when we first got
married, we went to Israel andwe were there over the Passover
(12:03):
and got to experience a Passoverfeast with just common,
everyday Israeli people.
At one point during the feastthey were to get up and take a
glass of wine and take it to thewindow.
Strange part of the feast takea glass of wine and take it to
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the window and throw it out thewindow.
Just toss the glass of wine outthe window.
And I said, well, what doesthat mean?
Well, this is God's wrath onthe goyim.
What are the goyim?
The Gentiles, everyone else.
We celebrate that one day God'swrath is going to be on the
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nations, poured out the window,and God will do it justly.
But here Jesus says you know theGentiles, the goyim, the
nations, those out there outsideof God, this is how they act
and notice.
He says this is life in thereal world.
Right, the rulers lord it overthem, great ones exercise
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authority over them.
This is the way it is.
Gentiles exercise dominion overeach other.
It's the haves and thehave-nots, the higher-ups and
the lower-downs.
Right, and this is the havesand the have-nots, the higher
ups and the lower downs right,and this is the politics of life
and we know it and we all hateit, right, the politics of life
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at work, at school, maybe evenin your family from time to time
it's this lording it over, thisdominion, kind of thing.
No-transcript.
But look at verse 43.
Yet it shall not be so amongyou.
Whoever desires to become greatshall be your servant.
Whoever desires to be firstshall be slave of all.
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So Jesus shares with hisdisciples.
Look, james, john, the 10 whoare displeased.
You're getting it all wrong.
You think that life will befound being on the top.
Well, it's not that way in thekingdom.
Now let's look at these wordsreally quickly here, because
(14:21):
they say a lot.
Whoever desires to be great inverse 43, shall be your servant.
That word servant is where weget the idea of a deacon.
You guys that have grown up inthe church you realize in the
church there are elders andthere are deacons.
That word deacon is right here.
A deacon, it means servant.
(14:43):
In the book of Acts they hadsome practical needs where they
were feeding the poor and takingcare of food distribution, and
they said we need some people totake care of these practical
needs.
And so they appointed some tobe deacons, servants, waiters,
(15:04):
right Now, think about that word, think about the idea of a
waiter, somebody who servestables.
For the girls' birthday, we wentto a very nice restaurant, what
was that?
Texas Roadhouse.
We went all out and had somesteak, right.
But those servers, some of themdo a good job and some of them
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don't.
But, man, if they really want atip, they do their best and I
feel guilty in some ways.
Honestly, sometimes I'm like Ican get my water.
It's cool, I'm not, you know,I'm not beyond that.
You know they go.
Well, can I take some of theseplates out of the way?
This one really gets me and youlike, try to turn the plate so
that, like your mashed potatoesaren't where their fingers are
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going.
You know what I mean.
But then they just pile it upand a good servile will pile it
up and say I'm so sorry, I am sosorry.
They're like, you're fine, Ihope you give me a $10 tip, $20
tip, whatever you know, and yougo.
Man, it takes a lot to be aserver, a servant, right, and
(16:08):
Jesus here says this is the wayof the kingdom Be a servant, be
someone who waits on others.
Notice he goes further in verse44.
It says whoever desires to befirst shall be slave of all.
Now the word slave is a littleembarrassing to most of us.
(16:30):
We think of slavery a darkpoint in history.
But slaves were a real thing inthose days.
And this word here, slave,though, is different.
It's a bondservant.
If you've been around the Bible, you know that word,
bondservant.
Paul says about himself I'm thebondservant of Christ.
It means slave, but it means aslave by choice, and for that we
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could go to Exodus, chapter 21.
You're always welcome to turnthere, exodus 21, verse 5,
talking about this bondservantthing here.
If a person just to kind of getus up to speed if a person was
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in slavery because of debt orwar, whatever it was, and they
earned their way out, they paidwhat they needed to pay to get
out of slavery.
They had an option, and we seeit here in chapter 21, exodus 21
, verse 5.
If the servant plainly says Ilove my master, my wife and my
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children.
I will not go out free, thenhis master shall bring him to
the judges.
He shall also bring him to thedoor or to the doorpost, and his
master shall pierce his earwith an awl like a spiky thing
right, and he shall serve himforever.
Now, this is pretty colorful,right.
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If a person had earned their wayout of slavery, their freedom
was there.
They had the opportunity tostick around and stay with the
master.
If they said this I love mymaster, I don't want to leave, I
want to stay with him forever,they could.
And this whole ceremony goesdown right.
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You know, at the door of thehouse the master would take an
awl you know the spiky thing.
You hit with a hammer to likepunch things through.
They would take their ear andnail it to the doorpost.
Now I assume they take it offthen and put an earring in, or
something like that, but theywould nail their ear to the
house.
All to say, I will serve thismaster forever.
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Now check it out.
If a slave realized, man, mymaster is so good, there were
good masters, right, my masteris so good, I just want to serve
him forever Out of love andcommitment, that servant could
stick around and be a slave forlife, and people did it.
Now, this is the idea thatJesus is getting at here in
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verse 44.
Whoever desires to be firstshall be slave of all, a
bondservant serving out of loveforever.
And this is what Jesus issaying If you want to be great,
(19:40):
great, be a servant.
If you want to be first, beslave of all.
And Jesus puts this in here forhis disciples and says it's not
like the world thinks.
That's kind of what we've beenlearning all along rich, young,
ruler, all these things.
Life in the kingdom iscompletely the opposite of life
in the world.
It's backwards in a sense.
And that makes sense when youis completely the opposite of
life in the world.
It's backwards in a sense.
And that makes sense when youget to the book of Acts right,
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the book of Acts, chapter 17, Ibelieve it is the church is
getting in trouble with theauthorities again and they bring
the Christians, the earlychurch, to the governors and
they say these people haveturned the world upside down.
And you look at that and you go.
That's the way the world shouldsee us.
You guys are so backward.
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Your morals, they're sobackward from what we think is
right and wrong.
Your way of dealing with peoplein situations.
You deal in love when man, wewould just turn and smack the
guy you know.
You're so backwards.
We should look at it in theChristian life and say you know
what I'm not like the world.
(20:45):
That's really what we'regetting at here.
The Gentiles lorded over eachother, but you become a servant,
you become a slave.
And he tells his disciples thatthis is what to expect if
you're going to be great in thekingdom be a slave.
Now, that is a tall order, butit is the way of the kingdom.
(21:12):
Verse 45 Jesus says for eventhe son of man did not come to
be served, but to serve and togive his life a ransom for many.
And so Jesus says I'm not gonnajust tell you to be a servant,
I'm gonna show you what being aservant is like.
The son of man, right, thatterm here, son of man, would
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take them back to the book ofDaniel.
It's a messianic term the sonof man, that the Messiah would
be a human being, a descendantof Abraham, a descendant of
David.
Now Mark uses that word, thatphrase, son of man, a lot to
show that Jesus was a servant,he was a man.
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Come to serve in flesh.
Other places Jesus is calledthe son of God.
No hesitation, jesus is knownas the son of God.
He's God in flesh.
So we look at that combinationGod in flesh.
The word became flesh and dweltamong us and we realize that
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Jesus, though, even though hewas the Messiah, even though he
was God in flesh, he didn't cometo be served.
You'll never find a point whereJesus is using his power on
himself.
That's why it was such a bigdeal in the temptation right.
Remember, when Jesus was hungryhe hadn't eaten for 40 days and
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the devil came to him andtempted him and said since
you're the son of God, makethese stones into bread, feed
yourself.
He says no way, not doing it.
Man should not live by breadalone, but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.
But it was a big deal becauseJesus didn't use his power to
serve himself.
That's not why he came In anykind of way.
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Did Jesus use his power toserve himself?
And he could have, but hedidn't.
The son of man didn't come tobe served but to serve, and we
see that in Jesus throughout thegospels.
It's just spending time withpeople and loving people and
going to the least of in oursociety and loving them and
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loving them.
And yet he says I came to givemy life a ransom.
For many we go back to slaveidea there.
Ransom To buy someone's freedom.
That's what Jesus did on thecross.
Now One more thing before wehave a time of communion here
today, the wrath of God was whatwas required for this ransom.
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What were we purchased by?
It was the blood of Jesus.
How did it happen?
It was God's wrath poured outon his son.
Remember back there in verse 38.
Look at verse 38.
Jesus said to them you don'tknow what you ask?
Are you able to drink the cupthat I drink?
And so we come back to thisidea of the Gentiles and the
(24:22):
wrath of God.
Remember that picture there atPassover they would throw this
glass of wine out the window andsay this is judgment on the
Gentiles, the wrath of God, thecup of wrath.
In the book of Revelationthere's bowls of wrath right and
God's wrath, his justice, is onan evil world, poured out in
(24:44):
these bowls of wrath.
And we look at that and go.
The wages of sin is death.
What did our sin deserve?
Death?
The wrath of God, and that'snot a popular thing to consider.
God's wrath oh, he's loving andhe's kind.
I love all those things.
That's usually where I go.
But God's justice that he looksat the sin of the world and he
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goes.
Justice is death.
Justice is death, wrath of Godon sin.
And yet Jesus took that cup ofwrath for us.
You'll remember the nightbefore the cross he was in the
garden and he said, father, ifthere's any way for this cup to
(25:36):
pass from me, but not your, mywill be done, but your will be
done, so in some kind of way inhis humanity.
Jesus himself asked, maybe forus, is there any other way that
this cup, this cup of wrath, candepart from me?
The cross, and there was noother way.
It was the only way that Godwould pour his wrath out on his
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own son and Jesus would drink itto full for us.
But Jesus points to that as hisown service.
Even the son of man did notcome to be served, but to serve
and to give his life a ransomfor many.
Now, that is what drives us tobe a bond servant, when we
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consider the love of God for us,when we consider what God has
done for us, what Jesus has doneon the cross for us, when we
see that it should just inspireus to offer our bodies a living
sacrifice.
In view of all these things,paul says offer your body a
living sacrifice, and so what wewant to do to close today is
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just spend a few moments incommunion.
If a couple of you could passout the elements there in the
back the bread and the cup we'llpass those out and we'll take
it together, but a time toremember what God has done for
us.
So let's pray and then we'llpass those out and we'll hold it
and we'll take it together.
God, we don't want to take thislightly.
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It's simple, god, we don't wantto take this lightly.
It's simple juice and bread,but even more.
For us, it represents whatyou've done for us your body
broken and your blood shed.
God, as we take a deep breath,we just want to find you.
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We want to see you more clearlyin this time.
We pray that, as we see yourwonderful love for us, god, that
you would help us to take it toheart, that you would cause us
to be servants and slaves bychoice.
Because you're so good, god, Ipray that you'd use this time in
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our lives.
The night before Jesus went tothe cross, he had a meal with
his disciples, and that meal wasactually that same Passover
meal that we talked about.
They would have bread and theywould have a cup.
They would have several cups ofwine that they would use to
demonstrate several things, butthey would also have lamb.
(28:19):
Right, and it wasn't justbecause lamb was a great meal,
it was a symbol of the sacrifice.
When they left Egypt, youremember that they would take a
lamb and they would kill it andthey would put the blood of the
lamb on the door of their house.
If there was a blood of thelamb on the door of their house
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when the angel of death,remember, passed through Egypt,
death would pass over that housewith the blood of the lamb on
the door.
Well, jesus became our lambthat day on the cross, the lamb
of God that takes away the sinof the world, and the people
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would have to take thatpersonally.
Jesus, though, he set it up inthat same meal.
He said see this bread.
And he took a piece of bread itwas part of the ceremony there
and he said guys, this breadrepresents my body broken for
you.
And they would break the breadand they would take it, and
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there was a lot of things youcould say about that bread.
But Jesus says, when you seethis, remember my body broken
for you.
That the next morning theywould beat Jesus, they would
mock him, they would spit at him, they would whip his back and
he willingly laid down his lifefor us there on the cross,
(29:48):
served us with everything.
So let's thank God for thisbread and remember God.
It's just simple bread heretoday, but we remember your body
, broken for us, god.
It's so easy in this world tothink that nobody cares about us
, and yet we see your amazinglove, that you, God, in flesh,
(30:14):
your amazing love, that you, godin flesh, laid down your life
for us.
You were broken for us, god.
Help us to see that wonderfulservice and, more than anything,
realize your love for us, god.
You are a good master who givesyour life for us.
God, we want to serve you, god,work this into our heart.
In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.
(30:40):
Well, you know he also took acup.
It absolutely did not look likethis, but same basic substance
here.
Jesus took a cup and he saidthis is my blood shed for you.
Whenever you do this, rememberme.
Remember that God laid down hislife, shed his blood, to cover
(31:05):
our sins, and it's not just acover, right?
You know, you paint a dirtywall and you cover up the dirt.
It means to wash it away likeit never happened.
It means to make it new, and Ilove that because I need that
every single week.
I'm not too quick, I'm good atsinning and you know God gave
(31:29):
his son, jesus shed his blood tomake us clean, absolutely clean
, from sin.
We can be forgiven and perfectrighteous.
He doesn't just take our sinaway, he gives us his
righteousness.
And so Jesus shed his blood.
Let's thank God for this timeas well.
God, jesus, it's your blood.
Without the shedding of blood,our sin is still there.
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God, we have regrets, but yetyour blood washes us clean from
every sin.
God, you make us new.
God, not only do you clean us,you give us your righteousness
that you look at us and you seeyour son, your perfect son,
jesus.
I just pray that you would coatus, wash us in your blood.
(32:16):
This week, god, we face a lotof different things, but we
would know absolutely that we'reloved because of Jesus.
God, apply these things to ourheart as we remember you.
In Jesus' name, we pray, amen.
Mark 10, verse 32.
Let's read why don't we justread the whole passage for today
and let me know where we'regoing Mark 10, verse 32.
Going Mark 10, verse 32.
(00:32):
Now, as they were on the roadgoing up to Jerusalem, jesus was
going before them and they wereamazed, and as they followed,
they were afraid.
Then he took the 12 aside andbegan to tell them, or again
began to tell them, the thingsthat would happen to him.
Behold, we are going up toJerusalem and the Son of man
will be betrayed to the chiefpriests, to the scribes, and
(00:56):
they will condemn him to deathand deliver him to the Gentiles,
and they will mock him andscourge him, and scourge him and
spit on him and kill him, andthe third day he will rise again
.
Then James and John, the sonsof Zebedee, came to him saying
teacher, we want you to do forus whatever we ask.
(01:18):
And he said to them what do youwant me to do for you?
And he said to them what do youwant me to do for you?
They said to him grant us thatwe may sit on your right hand
and the other on your left inyour glory.
But Jesus said to them youdon't know what you ask Are you
able to drink the cup that Idrink and be baptized with the
baptism that I am baptized with?
(01:39):
And they said to him we areable.
So Jesus said to them you willindeed drink that cup that I
drink and with the baptism I ambaptized with, you will be
baptized.
But to sit on my right hand andon my left is not mine to give,
but it's for those of whom itis prepared.
And when the ten heard it, theybegan to be greatly displeased
(02:04):
with James and John because theyhadn't thought of the same
thing.
Oh, anyways, verse 42.
But Jesus called them tohimself and said to them you
know that those who areconsidered rulers over the
Gentiles lord it over them andtheir great ones exercise
authority over them.
Yet it shall not be so amongyou.
But whoever desires to becomegreat among you shall be your
(02:26):
servant, and whoever desires tobe first shall be slave of all.
For even the son of man did notcome to be served, but to serve
and to give his life a ransomfor many.
So that's a big passage there,but we'll try to look at it
today.
Going back back there to verse32, we see that they're on the
(02:47):
road.
You remember this all started afew chapters back as they came
down from the Mount ofTransfiguration.
Jesus is glorified, seen asglorified, there on the mountain
, and then they begin to go down.
As they're going down, they'removing towards Jerusalem.
Luke tells us in Luke 9, 51that as the time came for Jesus
(03:12):
to be received up, hesteadfastly set his face to
Jerusalem.
So this is a picture we'regetting here with Jesus.
He is determined to go toJerusalem.
He has this plan and the crossis in view.
So with that the mood has sortof changed a bit as well.
(03:34):
As Jesus is locked in and justdetermined to go to the cross,
to go to Jerusalem.
His disciples feel it and wesee this here in verse 32.
As they're going up, hisdisciples were amazed.
They just feel this littlesense of awe.
He's determined to go toJerusalem.
(03:56):
Well, we know that thereligious leaders already had
determined to kill Jesus and so,with that in mind, his
disciples go that's crazy, youwant to go to Jerusalem, they
want to kill you there.
We're amazed, notice, they'reafraid.
As they followed they wereafraid.
(04:18):
So, along with this amazementand just how tough and how
determined Jesus was, they'realso feeling this kind of dread.
Now Jesus then makes a seriousstatement there in verse 33.
The third time that he mentionsthe cross, his death and his
resurrection.
There in verse 33, we are goingup to Jerusalem and the Son of
(04:42):
man will be betrayed to thechief priests and the scribes.
They will condemn him to deathand deliver him to the Gentiles.
So Jesus tells themstraightforwardly I'm going to
be betrayed, and we can feelthat right Betrayed to the chief
(05:05):
priests and the scribes, andthey would condemn him notice in
verse 33, condemn him to deathand deliver him to the Gentiles.
Now the Jews had their owncounsel.
The Jews had their own counsel,but they could not deliver a
(05:26):
person to death.
They they couldn't executeanyone.
To do that, the Romans had toget involved.
So the Jews would deliver Jesusto the Romans and the Romans
then would execute him and andwe get a rundown here Jesus
(05:48):
knows in verse 34, this is howthe Gentiles are going to do it.
They're going to mock him,they're going to scourge him.
You know, as close to death asthey could get a person.
They would a person, they wouldscourge and beat their
prisoners and then they're goingto spit on him total disgrace
(06:11):
and kill him.
So this Jesus knows is coming.
The Romans would be a part ofit.
The Jews would deliver him up.
He was going to die.
So this is the third time thatJesus has mentioned his death
(06:31):
straightforwardly and hisresurrection.
But the disciples didn't get it.
Right Now they're feeling itbecause they're afraid, and
they're feeling this dread overgoing to Jerusalem, but they
just didn't get it.
How do we know that they didn'tget it?
It's what comes next in verse35.
Then James and John, the sonsof Zebedee, came saying Teacher,
(06:54):
we want you to do for uswhatever we ask.
Right Now they have on theirmind here to be top dogs in the
kingdom.
Right, that's what James andJohn want, and they just don't
get it right.
So a few years ago you know it'skind of.
You know it's that thing ofwhen you just are oblivious to
(07:16):
what's going on in life.
You ever feel that way.
A few years ago, what normalday, normal day.
And I got a call from a goodfriend hey, you want to go catch
some lunch?
I am always I'll put it outthere I'm always up to going out
for lunch.
Any of you guys want to ever goout for lunch?
I still do that really well,lunching.
(07:38):
And so I got this call from afriend hey, you want to quick go
get some lunch?
I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, letme let me just ask.
Lila was sitting next to me,let me just ask if that's okay.
(08:05):
And so I said, hey, you know,bud wants May 24th, my wife's
birthday, and all the dread.
Just you know, when you can beoblivious to something, jesus is
just sharing his heart.
They're going to betray me.
You're going to betray me.
(08:26):
They're going to mock me andscourge me and kill me.
I will rise again.
And here these guys are justoblivious.
Man, when you can be in yourown world so strongly that you
don't even realize what's goingon, they had it in their minds
(08:48):
to interview for a job.
Really, that's kind of whatthey're doing here.
They say, jesus, when you comeinto your kingdom, you're going
to Jerusalem.
I assume you're gonna presentyourself as the Messiah, the
King.
Well, when you come into yourglory, can we be on your right
and on your left?
I think it's Luke mentions it.
(09:09):
They actually sent their mom toask this question to Jesus,
right, and have their mom comeasking for this position of
power in the kingdom.
And so, here they are, grant uswhatever we would like.
And he says what is it?
It's to sit on your right andon your left.
(09:30):
Now, jesus set some straight.
You don't know what you'reasking.
When would he be coming intohis kingdom?
Well, it would be when he wason the cross To be on his right
and on his left.
Well, there were two, one onthe right and one on the cross
to be on his right and on hisleft.
Well, there were two on, one onthe right and one on the left.
It was two thieves when he wascrucified.
(09:51):
And he says you don't know whatyou're asking for.
Guys, are you able to endurewhat I'm going to endure?
And I said, of course we are.
And Jesus says well, you willendure that, but this place of
being on my right and on my leftendure that.
But this place of being on myright and on my left, it's not
for me, it's for my father.
But they're desiring power andposition.
(10:12):
And we notice here in verse 41,kind of skipping down.
Well, we notice verse 41, the10 heard it and they began to be
greatly displeased with Jamesand John right.
So picture it as they comeasking for this place in the
kingdom, the other 10 go whoa,how dare you, how dare you be so
(10:35):
self-seeking?
I should have asked that.
Why were they displeased?
Well, because they didn't thinkto be that bold and to go right
to Jesus and ask.
But their desire was for power,a place, position in the
kingdom.
And they said what everybodyelse was thinking.
Well, obviously, this is lifein the kingdom of this world.
(10:59):
We look for power and place andposition.
But notice what Jesus does here, teaching opportunity.
He says this in verse 42.
He said to them you know thatthose who are considered rulers
over the Gentiles lord it overthem and their great ones
(11:21):
exercise authority over them.
So this is the way it is in theworld, right, guys, my
disciples?
Jesus says this is the way itis amongst the Gentiles.
Now we understand there are twopeople in the biblical sense
Jews, descendants of Abraham,isaac and Jacob, and everybody
(11:41):
else, and most of us fall intothat.
Everybody else but this wordGentiles, the.
Everybody else, and most of usfall into that.
Everybody else but this wordGentiles, the.
Everybody else could also bethe nations.
The nations is what Jesus issaying.
The nations without God, a few.
Well, many years ago now, at thebeginning, when we first got
married, we went to Israel andwe were there over the Passover
(12:03):
and got to experience a Passoverfeast with just common,
everyday Israeli people.
At one point during the feastthey were to get up and take a
glass of wine and take it to thewindow.
Strange part of the feast takea glass of wine and take it to
(12:23):
the window and throw it out thewindow.
Just toss the glass of wine outthe window.
And I said, well, what doesthat mean?
Well, this is God's wrath onthe goyim.
What are the goyim?
The Gentiles, everyone else.
We celebrate that one day God'swrath is going to be on the
(12:44):
nations, poured out the window,and God will do it justly.
But here Jesus says you know theGentiles, the goyim, the
nations, those out there outsideof God, this is how they act
and notice.
He says this is life in thereal world.
Right, the rulers lord it overthem, great ones exercise
(13:10):
authority over them.
This is the way it is.
Gentiles exercise dominion overeach other.
It's the haves and thehave-nots, the higher-ups and
the lower-downs.
Right, and this is the havesand the have-nots, the higher
ups and the lower downs right,and this is the politics of life
and we know it and we all hateit, right, the politics of life
(13:39):
at work, at school, maybe evenin your family from time to time
it's this lording it over, thisdominion, kind of thing.
No-transcript.
But look at verse 43.
Yet it shall not be so amongyou.
Whoever desires to become greatshall be your servant.
Whoever desires to be firstshall be slave of all.
(14:01):
So Jesus shares with hisdisciples.
Look, james, john, the 10 whoare displeased.
You're getting it all wrong.
You think that life will befound being on the top.
Well, it's not that way in thekingdom.
Now let's look at these wordsreally quickly here, because
(14:21):
they say a lot.
Whoever desires to be great inverse 43, shall be your servant.
That word servant is where weget the idea of a deacon.
You guys that have grown up inthe church you realize in the
church there are elders andthere are deacons.
That word deacon is right here.
A deacon, it means servant.
(14:43):
In the book of Acts they hadsome practical needs where they
were feeding the poor and takingcare of food distribution, and
they said we need some people totake care of these practical
needs.
And so they appointed some tobe deacons, servants, waiters,
(15:04):
right Now, think about that word, think about the idea of a
waiter, somebody who servestables.
For the girls' birthday, we wentto a very nice restaurant, what
was that?
Texas Roadhouse.
We went all out and had somesteak, right.
But those servers, some of themdo a good job and some of them
(15:25):
don't.
But, man, if they really want atip, they do their best and I
feel guilty in some ways.
Honestly, sometimes I'm like Ican get my water.
It's cool, I'm not, you know,I'm not beyond that.
You know they go.
Well, can I take some of theseplates out of the way?
This one really gets me and youlike, try to turn the plate so
that, like your mashed potatoesaren't where their fingers are
(15:46):
going.
You know what I mean.
But then they just pile it upand a good servile will pile it
up and say I'm so sorry, I am sosorry.
They're like, you're fine, Ihope you give me a $10 tip, $20
tip, whatever you know, and yougo.
Man, it takes a lot to be aserver, a servant, right, and
(16:08):
Jesus here says this is the wayof the kingdom Be a servant, be
someone who waits on others.
Notice he goes further in verse44.
It says whoever desires to befirst shall be slave of all.
Now the word slave is a littleembarrassing to most of us.
(16:30):
We think of slavery a darkpoint in history.
But slaves were a real thing inthose days.
And this word here, slave,though, is different.
It's a bondservant.
If you've been around the Bible, you know that word,
bondservant.
Paul says about himself I'm thebondservant of Christ.
It means slave, but it means aslave by choice, and for that we
(16:56):
could go to Exodus, chapter 21.
You're always welcome to turnthere, exodus 21, verse 5,
talking about this bondservantthing here.
If a person just to kind of getus up to speed if a person was
(17:16):
in slavery because of debt orwar, whatever it was, and they
earned their way out, they paidwhat they needed to pay to get
out of slavery.
They had an option, and we seeit here in chapter 21, exodus 21
, verse 5.
If the servant plainly says Ilove my master, my wife and my
(17:40):
children.
I will not go out free, thenhis master shall bring him to
the judges.
He shall also bring him to thedoor or to the doorpost, and his
master shall pierce his earwith an awl like a spiky thing
right, and he shall serve himforever.
Now, this is pretty colorful,right.
(18:01):
If a person had earned their wayout of slavery, their freedom
was there.
They had the opportunity tostick around and stay with the
master.
If they said this I love mymaster, I don't want to leave, I
want to stay with him forever,they could.
And this whole ceremony goesdown right.
(18:22):
You know, at the door of thehouse the master would take an
awl you know the spiky thing.
You hit with a hammer to likepunch things through.
They would take their ear andnail it to the doorpost.
Now I assume they take it offthen and put an earring in, or
something like that, but theywould nail their ear to the
house.
All to say, I will serve thismaster forever.
(18:47):
Now check it out.
If a slave realized, man, mymaster is so good, there were
good masters, right, my masteris so good, I just want to serve
him forever Out of love andcommitment, that servant could
stick around and be a slave forlife, and people did it.
Now, this is the idea thatJesus is getting at here in
(19:10):
verse 44.
Whoever desires to be firstshall be slave of all, a
bondservant serving out of loveforever.
And this is what Jesus issaying If you want to be great,
(19:40):
great, be a servant.
If you want to be first, beslave of all.
And Jesus puts this in here forhis disciples and says it's not
like the world thinks.
That's kind of what we've beenlearning all along rich, young,
ruler, all these things.
Life in the kingdom iscompletely the opposite of life
in the world.
It's backwards in a sense.
And that makes sense when youis completely the opposite of
life in the world.
It's backwards in a sense.
And that makes sense when youget to the book of Acts right,
(20:03):
the book of Acts, chapter 17, Ibelieve it is the church is
getting in trouble with theauthorities again and they bring
the Christians, the earlychurch, to the governors and
they say these people haveturned the world upside down.
And you look at that and you go.
That's the way the world shouldsee us.
You guys are so backward.
(20:24):
Your morals, they're sobackward from what we think is
right and wrong.
Your way of dealing with peoplein situations.
You deal in love when man, wewould just turn and smack the
guy you know.
You're so backwards.
We should look at it in theChristian life and say you know
what I'm not like the world.
(20:45):
That's really what we'regetting at here.
The Gentiles lorded over eachother, but you become a servant,
you become a slave.
And he tells his disciples thatthis is what to expect if
you're going to be great in thekingdom be a slave.
Now, that is a tall order, butit is the way of the kingdom.
(21:12):
Verse 45 Jesus says for eventhe son of man did not come to
be served, but to serve and togive his life a ransom for many.
And so Jesus says I'm not gonnajust tell you to be a servant,
I'm gonna show you what being aservant is like.
The son of man, right, thatterm here, son of man, would
(21:37):
take them back to the book ofDaniel.
It's a messianic term the sonof man, that the Messiah would
be a human being, a descendantof Abraham, a descendant of
David.
Now Mark uses that word, thatphrase, son of man, a lot to
show that Jesus was a servant,he was a man.
(22:00):
Come to serve in flesh.
Other places Jesus is calledthe son of God.
No hesitation, jesus is knownas the son of God.
He's God in flesh.
So we look at that combinationGod in flesh.
The word became flesh and dweltamong us and we realize that
(22:22):
Jesus, though, even though hewas the Messiah, even though he
was God in flesh, he didn't cometo be served.
You'll never find a point whereJesus is using his power on
himself.
That's why it was such a bigdeal in the temptation right.
Remember, when Jesus was hungryhe hadn't eaten for 40 days and
(22:44):
the devil came to him andtempted him and said since
you're the son of God, makethese stones into bread, feed
yourself.
He says no way, not doing it.
Man should not live by breadalone, but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.
But it was a big deal becauseJesus didn't use his power to
serve himself.
That's not why he came In anykind of way.
(23:07):
Did Jesus use his power toserve himself?
And he could have, but hedidn't.
The son of man didn't come tobe served but to serve, and we
see that in Jesus throughout thegospels.
It's just spending time withpeople and loving people and
going to the least of in oursociety and loving them and
(23:32):
loving them.
And yet he says I came to givemy life a ransom.
For many we go back to slaveidea there.
Ransom To buy someone's freedom.
That's what Jesus did on thecross.
Now One more thing before wehave a time of communion here
today, the wrath of God was whatwas required for this ransom.
(23:58):
What were we purchased by?
It was the blood of Jesus.
How did it happen?
It was God's wrath poured outon his son.
Remember back there in verse 38.
Look at verse 38.
Jesus said to them you don'tknow what you ask?
Are you able to drink the cupthat I drink?
And so we come back to thisidea of the Gentiles and the
(24:22):
wrath of God.
Remember that picture there atPassover they would throw this
glass of wine out the window andsay this is judgment on the
Gentiles, the wrath of God, thecup of wrath.
In the book of Revelationthere's bowls of wrath right and
God's wrath, his justice, is onan evil world, poured out in
(24:44):
these bowls of wrath.
And we look at that and go.
The wages of sin is death.
What did our sin deserve?
Death?
The wrath of God, and that'snot a popular thing to consider.
God's wrath oh, he's loving andhe's kind.
I love all those things.
That's usually where I go.
But God's justice that he looksat the sin of the world and he
(25:08):
goes.
Justice is death.
Justice is death, wrath of Godon sin.
And yet Jesus took that cup ofwrath for us.
You'll remember the nightbefore the cross he was in the
garden and he said, father, ifthere's any way for this cup to
(25:36):
pass from me, but not your, mywill be done, but your will be
done, so in some kind of way inhis humanity.
Jesus himself asked, maybe forus, is there any other way that
this cup, this cup of wrath, candepart from me?
The cross, and there was noother way.
It was the only way that Godwould pour his wrath out on his
(25:57):
own son and Jesus would drink itto full for us.
But Jesus points to that as hisown service.
Even the son of man did notcome to be served, but to serve
and to give his life a ransomfor many.
Now, that is what drives us tobe a bond servant, when we
(26:23):
consider the love of God for us,when we consider what God has
done for us, what Jesus has doneon the cross for us, when we
see that it should just inspireus to offer our bodies a living
sacrifice.
In view of all these things,paul says offer your body a
living sacrifice, and so what wewant to do to close today is
(26:48):
just spend a few moments incommunion.
If a couple of you could passout the elements there in the
back the bread and the cup we'llpass those out and we'll take
it together, but a time toremember what God has done for
us.
So let's pray and then we'llpass those out and we'll hold it
and we'll take it together.
God, we don't want to take thislightly.
(27:11):
It's simple, god, we don't wantto take this lightly.
It's simple juice and bread,but even more.
For us, it represents whatyou've done for us your body
broken and your blood shed.
God, as we take a deep breath,we just want to find you.
(27:31):
We want to see you more clearlyin this time.
We pray that, as we see yourwonderful love for us, god, that
you would help us to take it toheart, that you would cause us
to be servants and slaves bychoice.
Because you're so good, god, Ipray that you'd use this time in
(27:55):
our lives.
The night before Jesus went tothe cross, he had a meal with
his disciples, and that meal wasactually that same Passover
meal that we talked about.
They would have bread and theywould have a cup.
They would have several cups ofwine that they would use to
demonstrate several things, butthey would also have lamb.
(28:19):
Right, and it wasn't justbecause lamb was a great meal,
it was a symbol of the sacrifice.
When they left Egypt, youremember that they would take a
lamb and they would kill it andthey would put the blood of the
lamb on the door of their house.
If there was a blood of thelamb on the door of their house
(28:42):
when the angel of death,remember, passed through Egypt,
death would pass over that housewith the blood of the lamb on
the door.
Well, jesus became our lambthat day on the cross, the lamb
of God that takes away the sinof the world, and the people
(29:04):
would have to take thatpersonally.
Jesus, though, he set it up inthat same meal.
He said see this bread.
And he took a piece of bread itwas part of the ceremony there
and he said guys, this breadrepresents my body broken for
you.
And they would break the breadand they would take it, and
(29:25):
there was a lot of things youcould say about that bread.
But Jesus says, when you seethis, remember my body broken
for you.
That the next morning theywould beat Jesus, they would
mock him, they would spit at him, they would whip his back and
he willingly laid down his lifefor us there on the cross,
(29:48):
served us with everything.
So let's thank God for thisbread and remember God.
It's just simple bread heretoday, but we remember your body
, broken for us, god.
It's so easy in this world tothink that nobody cares about us
, and yet we see your amazinglove, that you, God, in flesh,
(30:14):
your amazing love, that you, godin flesh, laid down your life
for us.
You were broken for us, god.
Help us to see that wonderfulservice and, more than anything,
realize your love for us, god.
You are a good master who givesyour life for us.
God, we want to serve you, god,work this into our heart.
In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.
(30:40):
Well, you know he also took acup.
It absolutely did not look likethis, but same basic substance
here.
Jesus took a cup and he saidthis is my blood shed for you.
Whenever you do this, rememberme.
Remember that God laid down hislife, shed his blood, to cover
(31:05):
our sins, and it's not just acover, right?
You know, you paint a dirtywall and you cover up the dirt.
It means to wash it away likeit never happened.
It means to make it new, and Ilove that because I need that
every single week.
I'm not too quick, I'm good atsinning and you know God gave
(31:29):
his son, jesus shed his blood tomake us clean, absolutely clean
, from sin.
We can be forgiven and perfectrighteous.
He doesn't just take our sinaway, he gives us his
righteousness.
And so Jesus shed his blood.
Let's thank God for this timeas well.
God, jesus, it's your blood.
Without the shedding of blood,our sin is still there.
(31:53):
God, we have regrets, but yetyour blood washes us clean from
every sin.
God, you make us new.
God, not only do you clean us,you give us your righteousness
that you look at us and you seeyour son, your perfect son,
jesus.
I just pray that you would coatus, wash us in your blood.
(32:16):
This week, god, we face a lotof different things, but we
would know absolutely that we'reloved because of Jesus.
God, apply these things to ourheart as we remember you.
In Jesus' name, we pray, amen.
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