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JESUS CAME TO SERVE AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE

Matthew 20:17-34

Key Verse: 20:28

“…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

1. Read verses 17-19. As they neared Jerusalem, what did Jesus again teach his disciples? Why is it important that he taught this to his disciples repeatedly? What is the meaning of these events? (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24)

2. Read verses 20-21. What request did the mother of James and John make of Jesus? For what did she think she was asking? What did she believe?

3. Read verses 22-23. What was Jesus’ response and question? What does it mean to drink from Jesus’ cup? Why could he not grant their request?

4. Read verses 24-28. Why were the ten indignant? What is the world’s view of greatness and authority? How is Jesus’ view of greatness different? What is the greatest example of this? (28) Why did the Son of Man do this?

5. What happened as Jesus was leaving Jericho? (29-31) What did the persistent shout of two blind men reveal about them? How did Jesus show compassion on them? (32-34) What can we learn about Jesus?

Attachment:

• Matthew 20(17-34).que.docx

Message

JESUS CAME TO SERVE AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE

(Matthew 20:17-34)

“…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (v. 28).

Wow! Our ISBC is almost around the corner! The theme of the conference is “His glory!” We want to see Christ’s glory. In today’s passage, Jesus helps his disciples to glimpse his future glory by predicting his suffering, death and resurrection. He also teaches his disciples to participate in his glory by following his example of servantship! Through today’s passage, I pray that God may grant us earnest spiritual desire and help us to prepare our hearts for the conference to see his glory!

Verse 17 begins, “Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem….” Jesus had been on the east side of the Jordan River, in the region referred to as Perea. There, he healed the sick and taught his disciples some important lessons. Now the time had come for him to go to Jerusalem, where he would offer his own life for the salvation of mankind. Jesus' heart must have been heavily laden with the upcoming ordeal. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them. Look at verses 18,19. “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

In Matthew 16:21, Jesus first taught his disciples about his suffering, death and resurrection right after Peter’s confession of faith. In 17:22,23, the second time Jesus spoke of his death and resurrection was after the event of his transfiguration. In today’s reading, when Jesus spoke the third time, he predicted what would happen to him in more detail—his trial and condemnation by the Jewish religious leaders, and the mocking, flogging and crucifixion by the Gentiles. Why did Jesus repeatedly teach his suffering, death and resurrection? It is the Gospel by which they would be saved and which they were called to preach (1 Corinthians 15:2).

Isaiah 53:4-6 explain the meaning of Jesus’ death and why he should be betrayed, mocked, flogged and crucified so tragically. “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” These verses clearly state that the Messiah had to suffer and die to receive the punishment for our transgressions and iniquities. Here “transgression” refers to intentional disobedience, especially against God’s law. “Iniquity” refers to a moral failure or wickedness. We are the ones who should suffer and die for our inward and outward sins. But in order to pay the full price of our sin, Jesus had to be tried and sentenced to death. He had to be mocked and flogged in order to receive the shame and humiliation for our stead. Then he had to be crucified to take all our punishment in his own body.

The punishment brings us peace—peace with God through forgiveness of all our sins. Peace with God also brings peace with men. Furthermore, peace with God brings us healing and restoration. Sin is the cause of all sorrows and pain. Every sin hurts our souls and leaves deep wounds which any medicine cannot heal. However, Jesus’ suffering and his wound brings us healing from deep wounds and gives us freedom from the bondage of sins.  

Whenever Jesus predicted his death, he also predicted his resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection proves that Jesus is the Son of God. As a result, Jesus’ resurrection is an assurance that he won the victory over the power of sin, death and Satan. After his resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19; Acts 7:55). He will come back in the same way as he has been taken into heaven (Acts 1:11). When he comes, he will transform our lowly bodies, so that we will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:21). We will live with him eternally in the restored paradise.

In verse 18, Jesus calls himself the “Son of Man.” The title was his humble identification with human beings. It was an expression of his determination that he came to live and die for his people as the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Most of all, it recalls the prophecy in Daniel 7:13,14, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Jesus is in very nature God. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. He will reign supreme as King of kings and Lord of Lords. This was a vision of Jesus who was to come as a Son of Man, to be crucified, resurrected, and glorified.

This is the Gospel and the key message that Jesus wanted his disciples to believe and preach. Jesus taught the Gospel repeatedly until his disciples accepted it and saw his glory in his crucifixion and resurrection. How did the disciples respond to Jesus’ message of the Gospel? It is clear through the following event that they did not understand Jesus’ words yet.

Look at verses 20,21, “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. ‘What is it you want?’ he asked. She said, ‘Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.’” The mother of Zebedee’s sons, James and John, knelt before Jesus like a subject before her king and asked for two important seats in Jesus’ kingdom. Sitting at Jesus’ right or left implied the most important positions of power and privilege in his kingdom. This event tells us the irrelevant response of the disciples to Jesus’ prediction of his death and resurrection. Jesus’ words did not sink in their hearts because they were filled with human ambition.

How did Jesus deal with his two disciples? Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking…Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” (22a) Here “the cup” refers to Jesus’ suffering and death. Jesus would suffer and die in shame and pain for the sin of the world. They did not understand the character of the kingdom of God which Jesus came to establish. Jesus pointed out that they had to participate in his suffering in order to participate in his glory. They boldly said, “We can.” However, they did not know what they were saying. But Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father” (23). Later James became the first martyr among the apostles (Acts 12:2). John was exiled on Patmos for his faith and suffered the longest among them under fiery persecution of the first century.

A sense of honor is noble because God created man to be great. Here we learn, however, that the glory and honor which our Lord wants to give us are not in the world. Jesus made it clear that we must first drink from the cup of his suffering before we enter into his glory. Jesus also taught James and John to respect the Father’s sovereign purpose in regard to places in the kingdom. The Father alone decides who receives them for his own purpose and glory. In fact, John and James were blinded to the will and purpose of God. Selfish ambition can blind people to God and his purpose. It is said that if our prayers do not bring us nearer to the Cross, they are out of God’s will.

When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers (12). It was because each one felt that he had a legitimate chance to be number one among them all. They thought that James and John had cheated by enlisting their mother. How did Jesus help his disciples? Jesus called them together and taught two things.

First, his disciples must be servants of others. Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them” (25). The concept of greatness in the world is to have power and authority over others. Throughout the world’s history, those who were called the great lorded over people. For example, Roman emperors exercised their authority with their thumbs. When their thumbs were up, it meant life and freedom from a slave. When their thumbs were down, it meant death. Those in positions of power and authority—whether economic, social, political, military or intellectual—want to use their power to press others to do their bidding. However, Jesus’ disciples must be different.

Look at verses 26, 27. “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.” Jesus teaches that a truly great man in God’s kingdom is one who becomes a servant and even a salve for others. A servant serves the needs of the household he serves by doing all the humble jobs. A slave works hard in his or her lowly position for whom he belongs to not expecting a compliment because he is bound to serve. Although Jesus’ disciples had grown up in a society that influenced them with a worldly mindset, they needed to change.

Second, Jesus’ disciples should learn of Jesus in serving and giving. Jesus did not teach his disciples with words alone, but he also set the example for them. Look at verse 28. “…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” As the Son of Man, the glorious God, Jesus is worthy of all honor and glory and praise. It is right for him to be served by mankind. But Jesus came to serve in the lowest position. He served all kinds of sinners by healing the sick and teaching the word of God with patience and endurance. While serving the needy, Jesus was misunderstood, threatened, and persecuted. Finally, Jesus went to the Cross, where he offered his life as a ransom for all sinners.

Here ransom refers to the purchasing money to free slaves. In the Roman world, prisoners of war and slaves could be ransomed for a price. Once, we were prisoners of sin and slavery to Satan. We were not able to be freed from such miserable status with our own efforts. However, Jesus has bought us at a price, the price of his blood and life. Jesus set us free from bondage to sin and the devil and enabled us to serve God in holiness and righteousness.

Jesus wanted his disciples to learn his attitude in serving and giving. This kind of servant’s attitude stems from genuine humbleness. In Philippians 2:6-8, Apostle Paul described Jesus’ mindset with phrases, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9). Through Jesus’ example, we can learn that the true greatness of Jesus lies in his decision to obey God by taking the very nature of a servant and taking the cup God gave him to the point of death. We also learn that serving and giving need sacrifice. Without life-giving sacrifice, no life-saving work is possible. Naturally, nobody likes suffering and sacrifice, however, only through life-giving sacrifice, can we yield fruit and glory.   

In the last event in this passage, Matthew explains how Jesus served two blind men. As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside. They were helpless and pitiful. They seemed to be the least important people on the scene. But surprisingly, when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” (29-30) It was the power of faith welling up in their souls. They believed that Jesus was the Messiah and that he could heal them. People in the crowd were not happy about the shouting and rebuked them to be quiet. If these blind men had been sensitive to public opinion, they would have given up. But when faced with resistance, the power of faith and desire to see in their souls propelled them all the more to cry out to Jesus, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” They shouted as a matter of life and death.

Jericho is about 15 miles northeast of Jerusalem. Suppose that we are 15 miles away from a place of our own execution, how heavy and burdened our hearts would be. There would be no room to consider others’ needs. However, Jesus stopped and called them, asking, “What do you want me to do for you?” (32) It was their moment to have the Messiah’s ear. What did they ask for? They said, “Lord, we want out sight” (33). Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him (34). On his way to the Cross, Jesus served the seemingly least people and gave them sight. Jesus’ healing of the blind was a manifestation of divine mercy and love.

Imagine the blind men’s joy as they saw Jesus and the world. They experienced that Jesus is the light of the world. As they earnestly cried out to Jesus with a clear prayer topic, they experienced Christ's glory. This event is a great inspiration for us. We are praying to see Christ’s glory through our upcoming ISBC. Through seeing Christ’s glory, we may find healing, forgiveness, grace, and strength to fulfill our mission of preaching the Gospel to all nations and raising disciples of Jesus Christ. We want to grow more and more deeply in the love of Christ, enabling us to work together across generations and cultures to carry out the Great Commission. We also pray for young people to behold Christ’s glory, catch God’s vision for their lives, and commit to following Christ as his disciples.

Personally, I want to see Christ’s glory planted in his suffering, death and resurrection throughout the conference. I need to pray more earnestly, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! I want to see your glory.” May God open my spiritual eyes! May Christ’s glory be deeply carved in my heart, and dispel any kind of darkness in my life! May the glory lead me with a clear direction and purpose for the rest of my life! May God richly bless our conference and all attendants including our Raleigh ministry to see his glory!

Attachment:

• Matthew 20(17-34).mg.2023.docx