The Greatness of Suffering and Service

Matthew 20:20-28

As Jesus continues to approach Jerusalem (see Matt. 20:17), the disciples are anticipating Jesus coming into His kingdom. Indeed, arriving in Jerusalem in Matthew 21, Jesus will openly accept praise as the Messianic King by His triumphal entry into the city on a donkey (Matt. 21:9). Yet, despite His repeated teachings about the true nature of His kingdom, even those closest to Him failed to understand it. Jesus had just predicted to His disciples His suffering, death, and resurrection that was coming in Jerusalem. Then, shockingly in the very next event, we see James and John, two of Jesus’ closest disciples, coming with their mother to ask for places of power and honor with Jesus in His kingdom.

What the disciples didn’t yet fully understand was that the Savior’s pathway to greatness wouldn’t follow the course they expected. They didn’t know that greatness in His kingdom led first through the path of service, suffering, and sacrifice. They could not yet comprehend that the way to His glorious crown required a stop first at the gruesome cross. They didn’t understand then that this was how true “greatness” in His kingdom would be accomplished.

And even we, today, easily forget it. We live in an ambitious and competitive world. The way up to prominence in the world is often by trampling over lesser people as we scramble to the top. Greatness is measured by how many serve you and look up to you. We celebrate those who are the best, fastest, smartest, strongest, mightiest, loveliest, and richest. Even in our Christian circles we are often captivated by celebrity preachers, musicians, and leaders. Many bask in the limelight of those who appear to have extraordinary gifts and influence.  

Yet in our text today, Jesus will make it clear that the road to greatness in Jesus’ kingdom is not the way of the world but through following His own example of humble, sacrificial service.

Our story begins with …

1. The Disciples’ Ambitious Request (Matt. 20:20-21)

²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. ²¹ And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” (Matt. 20:19-21).

Zebedee’s sons are James and John (Matt. 4:21). They come to Jesus with their mother. Comparing the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection accounts in Matthew, Mark, and John, many scholars have concluded that the mother of Zebedee’s sons (Matt. 27:65) is the woman named Salome (Mark 15:40) and the Lord’s “mother’s sister” (John 19:25). If this is true, it would mean that she was Jesus’ aunt through Mary, and James and John were Jesus’ cousins. This might partly explain why Jesus entrusted the care of His mother Mary to John as He hung dying on the cross (John 19:27). Mary was John’s relative.

Salome had a great faith in Jesus and was clearly devoted to Him. She was among those women who followed Jesus and served Him in His earthly ministry and who watched after Jesus’ crucifixion to see where He was buried (Matt. 27:55-56). She was also among those women who came early on the Sunday of His resurrection to His tomb (Mark 16:1). She believed that He was the Messiah King and that His kingdom was about to be realized. And as a mother who is proud of her sons, she was eager for James and John to be appointed to places of honor in that kingdom.

Now we shouldn’t think that this was just their mother’s idea. I don’t picture James and John behind their mother, shaking their heads in embarrassment at her request. In Matthew 27:22, Jesus addresses His comments directly to James and John. He knew it was their request, not just their mother’s. Perhaps they thought they would more likely get a positive answer from Jesus if they put their request in the mouth of their sweet mother who was so devoted to Jesus.

We also must not think that only James and John had this ambition for first place in the kingdom. This was not the first time that the question of “greatness” came up among the disciples. Recall that in Matthew 18, the disciples had asked Jesus, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matt. 18:1). Mark tells us that on the way they had been arguing among themselves about who would be the greatest (Mark 9:34). Do you remember what Jesus did then? Jesus placed a small child before them and said, “whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:4).

All the disciples seemed obsessed with the ambition for greatness. Matthew 20:24 tells us, “And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.” The ten were not offended at the two brothers’ lack of humility; they were indignant because they wanted those honored places. Luke tells us that even on the night of the Passover, after Jesus had instituted the Lord’s Supper and told them that His betrayer was there at the table with them, again they fought with each other about who was greatest.

Is it wrong to want to be great in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus has clearly taught us to “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33). He taught us to “… lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” (Matt. 6:20). When Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all his possessions, give them to the poor, and come follow Him, He promised him “treasure in heaven” (Matt. 19:21). In Matthew 19:28, Jesus had already promised His disciples prominent places of authority in the kingdom, saying, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

The real problem with the disciples was not that they desired to be great in the kingdom. Their first problem was that they misunderstood the nature of the kingdom of heaven. They were still thinking of earthly rewards, while Jesus spoke of heavenly rewards. They were seeking power and honor for themselves, and that’s not what the kingdom of heaven is all about. And this led to their second problem—they were seeking for greatness in the wrong way. If you seek an earthly reward you will pursue it in earthly ways. But if you seek a heavenly reward, you will pursue it in godly ways. If you seek a selfish reward, you will pursue it in selfish ways. But if you seek a godly reward, you will see it in godly ways.

So, Jesus has to correct James and John for their wrong thinking about the kingdom and how to pursue it. They wanted the crowns but didn’t understand the cross. They wanted the glory but had not counted the cost.

Jesus therefore teaches them …

2. The Lord’s Arduous Requirement (Matt. 20:22-23)

In Matthew 20:22, Jesus answered the two brothers and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?“

James and John did not know what it would mean for them to sit at His right and left hand in the kingdom. If they really knew what it would require, they might not have asked. Jesus asks them, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” Drinking the cup is a figure of speech that represents a taking a portion or experiencing something. The Old Testament often uses the cup to represent suffering or judgment. David writes in Psalm 11, “Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup.” (Psalm 11:6).  Psalm 75 says,

⁷ But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another. ⁸ For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, And the wine is red; It is fully mixed, and He pours it out; Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth Drain and drink down. (Psalm 75:7-8).

Isaiah prophesies, “Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the LORD The cup of His fury; You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, And drained it out.” (Isaiah 51:17).

For Jesus, the cup represented His suffering and death. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus would pray, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39). And as Peter tried to fight back at Jesus’ arrest, the Lord told him, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?” (John 18:11).

In our context here in Matthew 20, Jesus has just for the third time predicted His suffering and crucifixion that awaits Him in Jerusalem. He just told them He would die on a cross. And now He asks them, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (Matt. 20:22). He is asking if they are willing and able to die as well.

Do you think they understood now? Nope. Listen to their hasty response, “They said to Him, ‘We are able.’” (Matt. 20:22). Because they were selfishly ambitious, they were overly confident in themselves. They were ready to agree to anything to get those honored seats next to Jesus.

Knowing that they still did not understand what they were agreeing to, Jesus answered them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with” (Matt. 20:23). And drink that cup of suffering and death, they did. James was the first of the apostles to be martyred. Under the direction of Herod Agrippa, James was arrested and put to death. You can read the story in Acts 12. John suffered greatly for His Lord. He was persecuted and exiled to the island of Patmos, which was frequently used by the Romans to punish criminals. James and John drank from His cup.

But even still, Jesus makes it clear that He cannot promise them the places of honor. He says, “but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father” (Matt. 20:23). Honor and authority are not rewarded to us in this life. They are rewards in heaven, prepared by the Father for those who love Him.

These brothers thought that greatness meant being above others in position. They wanted to turn the twelve into “the two and their ten subordinates.”[i] So Jesus needed to teach them again the true nature of His kingdom, what greatness really means, and how to get there.

That is what we see next. Jesus teaches …

3. The Kingdom’s Absolute Reversal (Matt. 20:25-28)

Matthew writes, “But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you.” (Matt. 20:25-26a). Jesus says that they are not to be like the “rulers of the Gentiles”—in other words, they are not to seek greatness like unbelievers do.

Greatness in the kingdom of heaven does not at all look like greatness in the world. The world seizes positions of authority and then dominates those under them. In this world the poor serve the rich, and the weak serve the strong. It’s a “top-to-bottom” hierarchy of power, and the only way to climb up the ladder is by trampling those under you and ruthlessly crawling over those above you. People desire positions of authority because of the benefits that it will bring to themselves: recognition, social status, promotion, financial benefits, power, superiority, and influence. They are in it for themselves. Even the leaders of Israel in the time of Ezekiel were like this. Ezekiel 34 says,

  ¹ And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ² “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? ³ You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. ⁴ The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.” (Ezek. 34:1-4).

How do you know if your attitude is too much like the world? Ask yourself: Do I need to be the one in control? Do I need to be the center of attention? Do I need to have it my way? Do I need to win? How do I feel when others treat me like a slave? Am I offended when I get ignored or passed over?

Jesus says to those who enter the kingdom of heaven, “Yet it shall not be so among you” (Matt. 20:26). They must have a different path to greatness than the rest of the world. That different path is, “… but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave.” (Matt. 20:26-27). In other words, the path to greatness isn’t looking out for yourself; the path to greatness is looking out for others. It’s exactly what Jesus has been trying to teach the disciples: that the first will be last and the last will be first (Matt. 19:30; 20:16).

If you want to be great you must be what? A servant. If you want to be first you must be what? A slave. The lower you become, the higher you will be. In Jesus’ kingdom, greatness is not measure by how many people serve you, but by how you serve other people. Jesus Himself is our example. Remember what Jesus did for His disciples on the night He was betrayed? John 13 tells us,

¹ Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. ² And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, ³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, (John 13:1-3).

Think about that. Jesus knew He had come from God and was going to God. He knew He had been with the Father from all eternity (John 1:1-3). He knew He was equal with God (Phil. 2:6). He knew He would sit at the right hand of the Father with all authority given to Him in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18). Yet, He took the form of a slave and …

 ⁴ rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. ⁵ After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. (John 13:4-5).

He took the lowly place of a slave and He served them. When He was through,  Jesus placed His garments on again, sat down, and said to His disciples,

“Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:12-17).

Jesus is our example of humble service. Our role models are not the rulers of the world but Jesus Himself–Jesus, who humbled Himself as a slave. Jesus, who said, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28). The word “serve” in that verse is the Greek word diakoneo. It is the verb form of the word “deacon”. In the church, a deacon is not a position of authority; it is a position of service. One preacher commented, “Every time a person becomes a deacon they ought to go home and say, ‘I got demoted today, they made me a deacon.’”[ii]

Jesus’ ultimate act of service for others was “to give His life a ransom for many.” Jesus knew He came to serve and to give His life up on the cross to pay the ransom for us. Because of our sin we owed a debt to God that we could not pay. We were slaves of sin (Rom. 6:6). We were condemned sinners (John 3:18) as children of wrath (Eph. 2:1). But while we were still sinners Jesus died for us (Rom. 5:8). He redeemed us with His own blood (Eph. 1:7; Matt. 26:28; Acts 20:28; 1 Tim. 2:6; Tit. 2:14; Heb. 9:12’ 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10; Rev. 5:9). This is why He willingly went to the cross and died. He gave His life to ransom yours. There is no greater love than what Jesus showed in dying for us (John 15:13). If Christ has so loved us, shouldn’t we also love one another the same way (1 John 4:11)?

Jesus, in His service, suffering, and death, He not only redeemed us, He set the example for us. It’s not those who act high and mighty who are great. It’s the servant. How do you know you have the heart of a servant? How do you react when someone treats you like one? How do you feel when you give and help and labor, but nobody seems to notice or say “thank you”? In Luke 17, Jesus taught His disciples saying,

⁷ “And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? ⁸ But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? ⁹ Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. ¹⁰ So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'” (Luke 17:7-10).

A servant isn’t supposed to look out for his own needs. A servant is supposed to look after the needs of his master. Servants cook the food for their masters. Servants clean the house for their masters. Servants wash the clothes for their masters. Servants plow the fields for their masters. Servants pick the weeds for their masters. And servants don’t look for a “thank you”. They don’t do it for the applause. They don’t expect recognition.

Jesus we must servants to others. We should be looking out for the interests of others, as if they were our masters. As if they were our Lord. That’s the way it is to work in Christian families, Paul says, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (Eph. 5:22); “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,” (Eph. 5:25); “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” (Eph. 6:1). It’s to be that way in our work also. Paul writes to slaves, to serve their masters, “with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,” (Eph. 6:7).  And to all he writes, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Col. 3:17). We serve one another because in doing so we are serving the Lord.

And we are being like our Lord. Paul puts it this way in Philippians 2,

³ Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ⁴ Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. ⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (Phil. 2:3-5).

The Christian’s ambition is not to gain authority over others but to serve others. It is not to be high and mighty but low and weak. It is not characterized by haughtiness but humbleness. It means suffering, service, and sacrifice.

As we close today, I want you to consider three things. One, have I trusted in Christ to pay the ransom for my sin? If not, repent and believe in Him today. Come, and He will give you life—eternal life. Two, consider how you can follow the example of Jesus in serving others. Let’s serve each other in the church, especially in ways that will not gain us recognition from others but only rewards from God. Three, consider how you will follow Jesus in suffering and sacrifice. If we are following His example, we will also drink that cup. Greatness is the kingdom is found in following Jesus in suffering and service.

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[i] Greg Allen, With Jesus on the Road to Greatness, https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2008/011308.htm

[ii] Rory Mosley, The Christian Ambition (Matthew 20:17-28), https://fbcspur.org/christian-ambition-matthew-2017-28/