This passage signifies another shift in the ministry of Jesus. His death on the cross is now just a few days away. At the beginning of Matthew 20:17 we see that they are now about to head to Jerusalem. To this point, Jesus’ ministry has primarily been in the vicinity of the Sea of Galilee with some trips to other places around Israel as well. But Jesus knows when He goes to Jerusalem, His life will be in danger, so He will foretell what will take place to His disciples before they go.
JESUS PREDICTION
At this point in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus has been teaching His disciples lesson after lesson on humility. Immediately following the parable of the vineyard and hired day workers, Jesus foretells His death with remarkable accuracy.
Matthew 20:17-19 – As Jesus was about to go to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples as ide by themselves, and on the way He said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”
This isn’t the first time Jesus tells His disciples of what is to come. But they still don’t completely seem to get it. They must wonder if he’s speaking metaphorically or just be ignoring him all together. With each time Jesus foretells of His impending death, He adds more details. This time He says who he’ll be handed over to, the Sanhedrin, that He will be scourged in addition to crucified and that He will be raised again. If the disciples questioned Him about what all of this meant or what they should do when it happens, we don’t know how that went. Last time Jesus predicted His death, Peter simply argued with Him that it would never happen and was reprimanded by Jesus (Matthew 16:21-23). Perhaps that is why it seems the disciples don’t reply to this prediction? Instead, a familiar question is asked once again.
DRINK FROM THE CUP?
Jesus is approached by the mother of two of His disciples. James and John, the sons of Zebedee and their mom have a question for Jesus.
Matthew 20:20-21 – Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in your kingdom these two sons of mi ne may sit one on your right and one on your left.”
Yet another request from the disciples to be in a position of prominence. Although this time, the disciples don’t do it themselves, they send their mom. All of this after Jesus has been teaching about how the kingdom will look different than the present world. In the present world, power looks like wealth, power, being above others, having servants and those waiting on your needs and more. Jesus has already taught that in the kingdom the first will be last and the last will be first. Humility and service will be the marks of power. In fact, here is Jesus. He is the creator of all things. He is first above all creation. He is the glorified Son of God and He just described to His disciples how He would be murdered by His own sinful created humans. So, Jesus gets very direct and very pointed in His response to the two disciples’ mother.
Matthew 20:22 – But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able”.
What cup is Jesus talking about? In the context of this passage, the cup is the death He is about to endure. ‘To drink the cup’ does not communicate something positive, just the opposite. Jesus is going to be killed, and He makes sure these two disciples who want to sit in prominence at either hand of Jesus, know what they’re signing up for. And they answer in the affirmative that they do understand and that they are willing to endure whatever comes.
They will drink of the cup Jesus is talking about. James would be the first of the disciples to be martyred and John would die marooned on the island of Patmos. In both cases, they would die for their commitment to Jesus. But that doesn’t happen until years later. For now, Jesus tells them what is in store for them.
Matthew 20:23-24 – He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”
Jesus confirms that they will in fact suffer as He will suffer. But He also tells them that He cannot grant their request. He defers to the authority of His Father. As you would expect, this entire exchange between the two disciples and their mom with Jesus was upsetting to the other 10.
Matthew 20:24 – And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers.
The other ten disciples were angry. Of course, it hasn’t been long since other disciples have had arguments about who was the greatest, so this was a topic that was fresh among them. But it is especially difficult for us as readers to understand how that is where their minds could still be. After all they had witnessed, after all the teaching Jesus had just given them on seeking the interest of others first. They still have this question right on the heals of Jesus telling them He would be arrested, killed and would rise again. But Jesus in his patience and kindness uses this opportunity to teach them yet again.
HE CAME TO SERVE
Jesus could have really been righteously angry at this point. But instead, He calls them to Himself to listen and learn.
Matthew 20:25-28 – But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for man.”
Jesus points out to them the difference, once again, in what power looks like in His kingdom, compared to the way power looks here and now. Those in the positions of highest glory in the kingdom will be the greatest servants. He uses Himself as the prime example. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords came down to dwell among mankind. And He did so, not to be served, but to serve. And he adds that He will serve to the ultimate end, to lay down His life to pay a debt no one can afford. If He will serve to that degree, how the disciples not do the same.
CONCLUSION
We’ve all seen TV shows like ‘undercover boss’, where a CEO or company president will go undercover to work among the lower-level workers to see what it’s like to work at their company. Typically, it’s an eye-opening experience that leads to a change of heart toward the plight of the worker one way or another. In a sense, Jesus did something similar for us.
When we look at the Lord of glory for who He is, it becomes increasingly amazing that He took on the human form, he lived a 33-year life as a regular person. He worked as a carpenter, had friends and enemies, cried, and laughed, experienced joy and disappointment and experienced trials and tribulations just like we do. That is why the writer of Hebrews says in chapter 4:15 that we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are.
The last sentence of Matthew 20:28 is so wonderful. He came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. He paid our penalty for sin! He came for that very reason and He did it perfectly.
One of the two disciples who asked this question, John went on to write:
1 John 1:8-9 – If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.