The Path to Be Last: Matthew 20:17-28 (Sermon)

Introduction

In grade school, we would have to line up single file to go to the bathroom, recess, and cafeteria. On several occasions, one particular girl budged— She would cut in line. Let’s call her Bathilda. When she did, my blood would curdle, and my teeth would clench. I would think to myself, “That is not fair. BUDGER!” I probably whispered words of contempt to my little back-of-the-line buddies. That might have been what the disciples felt when they heard James and John’s mom advocate for her kids to get the best seats when Jesus came into his kingdom. 

QUESTIONS

What does it look like to line up and follow Jesus? 

• What was he about? 

• Why did he come to earth?

• What did he want? 

We will tackle questions like these and more through our passage this morning. 

TEXT

We are working through the book of Matthew, verse by verse and chapter by chapter. We are in chapter 20. Matthew is calling us to follow the promised king into his kingdom. Jesus is the king that God had promised. I will have D. and H.S. read for us, starting in Matthew chapter 20, verses 17 through 28. Would you please stand with me in honor of God’s Word? 

And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” 

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:17–28, ESV)

Thanks. Let’s pray. Dear God, thank you for coming to earth to die. You are worthy of our praise. Help us see you for who you are. Please help us be content. Help us follow you and your ways. In Jesus’s name, we pray, amen. You may be seated. 

CONTEXT

Jesus was sharing, for the third time, explicitly that he would suffer, die, and rise. He came to save his people from their sins, and death and resurrection were how he would do that. The main idea of this text is that Jesus would give his life as a ransom for many and thus model a way of living for us. Let me say that again for those of you taking notes:

Jesus would give his life as a ransom for many and thus model for us a way of living. 

STRUCTURE 

The structure of the passage is twofold.  

First, Vs. 17–19 - Jesus predicted his death and resurrection. 

Second, Vs. 20–28 - A mother’s request sparked a controversy. Let me say that again. 

First, Vs. 17–19 - Jesus predicted his death and resurrection. 

Second, Vs. 20–28 - A mother’s request sparked a controversy. 

POINT ONE: JESUS’S PREDICTION

To begin, let’s dive into Jesus’s prediction. Verse 17 sets the stage. 

“And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them” (Matthew 20:17, ESV). 

Let’s stop there and talk about the location. When the Bible says Jesus was “going up to Jerusalem,” understand that the city of Jerusalem was built on a mountain: Mount Moriah. The same mountain that Abraham came close to sacrificing his son, Isaac, but God provided a substitute. So whether you are arriving from the north, south, east, or west, it was going up to Jerusalem. In Matthew chapter 20, Jesus was heading there from the north for a different sacrifice: himself. He brought with him twelve young men and more. He had a posse, which included women like Mrs. Zebedee, James, and John’s mom. He was teaching, preaching, predicting, and hiking. 

VERSES 18 and 19

Let’s look at verses 18 and 19. 

See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day. (Matthew 20:18–19, ESV) 

Jesus was the “Son of Man.” He used this twenty-eight times in the book of Matthew. Often, Jesus referred to himself in the third person. People did that back then. This language harkens back to Daniel chapter 7, verses 13 and 14. Daniel wrote: 

I saw in the night visions, 

                  and behold, with the clouds of heaven 

      there came one like a son of man, 

                  and he came to the Ancient of Days 

      and was presented before him. 

            And to him was given dominion 

      and glory and a kingdom, 

                  that all peoples, nations, and languages 

      should serve him; 

                  his dominion is an everlasting dominion, 

      which shall not pass away, 

                  and his kingdom one 

      that shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13–14, ESV italics mine)

Jesus was connecting himself with the Messiah of the Old Testament. He had told them these details two other times, and one of those times, Peter rebuked him. 

PETER’S REBUKE

Peter didn’t think Jesus should suffer. Why? Perhaps it was because of passages like we just read in Daniel, where the Son of Man would have: 

• Dominion, not death, 

• Glory, not a grave, 

• A kingdom, not condemnation, 

• And servants do not endure sacrifice. 

But Jesus knew his purpose and rebuked Peter. Through his death, the grave, condemnation, and enduring sacrifice, he would fulfill his mission and come into Daniel’s fantastic vision. Peter stood corrected, and Jesus repeated this prophetic announcement in Matthew chapter 20. 

DIFFERENCE 

Why? Why did Jesus repeat himself? He repeated what was necessary. He offered specificity, giving a foothold for faith. His death would not be an accident. His crucifixion was going to be something God planned and Jesus chose. Afterward, Peter would recall: 

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. (Acts 2:22–24, ESV)

Judas’s betrayal was ordained. Jesus was not surprised by his impending death. And in so warning the disciples these words offered one more token that he was more than a mere teacher and miracle worker. He was and is the Son of Man, the Son of God, born of a woman, fully man yet fully divine. He was and is the perfect substitute for sin. He died for a purpose. What was that?

Jesus would give up his life as a ransom for many and thus model for us a way of living.

A MOTHER’S REQUEST

Now, for a mother’s request. Look at verse 20.   

“Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something” (Matthew 20:20, ESV). 

She kneeled. She humbled herself. 

JESUS’S RESPONSE

How did Jesus respond? Did he shut her down or shut her up? No. He gave her a fair shake. He asked her a question. Go to verse 21. 

“And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom’” (Matthew 20:21, ESV). 

What did she want? She wanted her children to have seats of honor. Moms do that sort of thing. They tend to look out for their kids. They do what they think is best. Dads do this, too. Even when the kids are adults, parents look out for their kids. Mrs. Zebedee was a matchmaker, deal broker, and dream fulfiller. She asked that her kids could sit on Jesus’s right and left when he came into his kingdom. Jesus had just told Peter they would have twelve thrones. All she wanted was first dibs on the seating chart. These seats were like the special parking spots, honorary titles, corner offices, and going first in line in grade school. Peter may have been in hot water again, asking for what they would get for leaving everything to follow Jesus. Why not give a promotion to her children? 

RESPONDING TO THE QUESTION 

How did Jesus react? He was gracious; he turned to the boys and talked to them. He didn’t rebuke her, blow her off, or outright deny her. Jump to verse 22.  

“‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?’ They said to him, ‘We are able’” (Matthew 20:22, ESV).  

Did he have a special cup? I have a few mugs. I know Joe Koehler likes mugs. My wife has her Polish pottery. What cup did Jesus refer to? The Zebedees were thinking of a kingdom as they traveled to Israel's capital with the Son of David, the Christ. They were thinking of sitting, not drinking. Jesus was thinking of his path of execution. The cup could be one of salvation or wrath in the Old Testament. In this case, it meant a path of suffering.  

CAN YOU DRINK THE CUP

Reading the other biographies by Mark and Luke, James and John were the ones who asked Jesus about the seats of honor. I could see the mom asking on behalf of the boys and the other gospel writers summarizing the encounter with the boys speaking. However, I could also see this request being made repeatedly. Regardless, Jesus addressed the boys. How? He asked them if they could handle this cup. They said they could; however, they didn’t know what cup he was talking about. 

THEY WILL DRINK

“He said to them, ‘You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father’” (Matthew 20:23, ESV).  

In Acts chapter 12, verse 2, we read that James was killed for his faith. He suffered. He was the second to do so (Stephen was the first.) James drank from Jesus’s cup. In Revelation chapter 1, we read that John suffered for his faith. He drank the cup deeply. Tradition tells us that enemies poured burning oil on him to kill him. Miraculously, that didn’t work. He survived. Subsequently, his opponents sent him to a prison camp on the isle of Patmos. There, he wrote the book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible. They could and would drink from Jesus’s cup. But Jesus concluded that he didn’t have the job of conferring the right and left positions in heaven; God the Father did. I picture him saying, “Sorry, boys. That is not mine to confer. Take it up with the Father.” 

WHAT DO WE LEARN 

This tells us there is agency, individuality, personality, and roles in heaven. God the Father is in charge. There is separation in the Trinity, while unity. The Bible teaches that the Trinity is one in three and three in one. They are of the same substance but different persons. They existed before time and will exist forever. If your mind hurts trying to comprehend the implications of verse 23, you are not alone. 

VERSE 24

Now, verse 24. Matthew continued. 

“And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers” (Matthew 20:24, ESV).  

This is where I was taken back to Folwell Elementary School in the late eighties and early nineties. I think of last week’s message about the wages in the vineyard. In my heart of hearts, I lean toward those who want fairness. I see myself indignant, like the disciples saying, “The two need their mommy to advocate for them. Grow up. If my mother was here, she could beat up your momma. Why are you bringing your momma into this? It is not fair. Budgers! I want to sit on Jesus’s right or left.” The guys were bickering. 

GENTILE ATTITUDE 

Jesus caught a whiff of this stinky squabble. Look at verse 25.  

“But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them’” (Matthew 20:25, ESV). 

The world gets this first-come, first-serve, dog-eat-dog, kill or be killed. Don’t be a doormat; stand up for yourself; the early bird gets the worm kind of talk. But that works for the kingdom of the world, not God. 

JESUS’S WAY

What was Jesus’s way? What was his path and kingdom like? Jump to verses 26 and 27. 

“It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave” (Matthew 20:26–27, ESV)

Jesus said if a person wanted to be first, which they were fighting about, they would become slaves: They would be the last, the bottom of the barrel, the end of the line, the leftovers, neglected, ignored, and used. If you want to have honor, you need to seek to be a slave. That was a dramatic inversion, and it didn’t make sense. 

MISSIONARIES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Leonhard_Dober 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Nitschmann_der_Bischof 

In 1732, Johann Dober and David Nitschmann, two young men from Germany, set out to be slaves in the West Indies to preach to slaves. The Denmark government wouldn’t permit it. They denied their voyage. Johann and David persisted. Eventually, they procured transportation to minister in the Caribbean in whatever fashion or platform they could find. They would do carpentry if they couldn’t be slaves. 

“They arrived in St. Thomas … on December 13 [1732]. While in St. Thomas, they lived frugally and preached to the slaves, and they had a certain amount of success.[6]” After a couple of years, they returned to Germany as pastors. One worked in Europe, and the other traveled with John Wesley to America. [Over the course of time, their organization]… baptized 13,000 converts before any other missionaries arrived on the scene.[7]] ” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravian_slaves#cite_note-7 These two men didn’t care about cost. They gave up family, homes, wealth, time, safety, and energy to share the good news about Jesus. The church’s mission is to give our lives to others so that they will have eternal life. Tertullian said the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Verse 28 is our driving reason. 

“Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28, ESV).

Jesus demonstrated how we should live. 

Jesus would give up his life as a ransom for many and thus model for us a way of living.

He was and is our ransom. He came to earth to save his people from their sins. He died for his people to live forever. He was the paschal lamb. He would sacrifice himself so people would not have to bear the wrath of God for their sins. He would take it. He would pay the price and forgive the debt. He satisfied God’s justice for our injustice. 

PAUL’S TAKE 

Paul framed it this way: 

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11–14, ESV, italics mine)

His ransom resulted in redemption and purity for God’s people. 

PETER’S TAKE 

Peter wrote of it this way: 

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:24–25, ESV, italics mine)

His ransom resulted in a spiritual healing. 

JOHN’S TAKE

The apostle John had a vision of heaven and this ransom. That vision described twenty-four elders around a lamb that had been slain but was standing. They fell before him and sang: 

“Worthy are you to take the scroll 

      and to open its seals, 

                  for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God 

      from every tribe and language and people and nation, 

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, 

      and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9–10, ESV)

Jesus died so that through his blood, we would be ransomed. That means: 

• He paid the ultimate price for our sins. 

• He redeemed us and made us righteous and pure. 

• He healed us from the disease of sin. 

• And he made us his people and priests forever.

He did all that and more because of his grace, not because we deserved it. Let us, therefore, graciously follow his example and give our lives in service to others. 

Jesus would give up his life as a ransom for many and thus model for us a way of living.

INDIA 

Last month, when I was in India, we discussed the blessing of service. We attempted to seek ways to serve daily. We wanted to be on the lookout to serve others. God brings opportunities along the path. 

• What would it look like for you to see yourself as a missionary? 

• What would it look like for you to see yourselves as servants? (Some of you are, for example, you moms out there). 

• What would it look like for you to see yourself as slaves, not begrudgingly but joyfully and willingly? 

• What if we fought to be last in line, not the first? 

PHILIPPIANS 

I think that is God’s desire for us. Paul put it this way: 

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5–8, ESV)

UNBELIEVER

If you are not a follower of Jesus, let me encourage you to become one. He died to pay the ransom to God the Father. Acknowledge that you are a sinner; Jesus died and rose to save you. Claim that faith in his action is your satisfaction. The Spirit does the convincing. If you are believing, then God is working. Believe, be saved, and join us as we follow Jesus to be last in line. 

PRAYER 

Let’s pray.

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