Sermon Series: Getting To Know Jesus 

Getting What You Want 

Mark 10:35-45 

PSBC 7/14/02

In a nutshell: To be close to Jesus and experience His power. That sums up about any Christian's desire. How do you get those two things? Truly care about lost people, and be a servant of all.

I. Introduction

A. Barnhouse story

Donald Grey Barnhouse, one of the first great radio preachers and former pastor of the great 10th Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, was called to the hospital by a doctor friend.

It turns out that an atheist, whom the doctor knew, was dying. Barnhouse responded to his doctor friend, "I'll come right over to see him." The doctor replied, "But he doesn't like you." But Barnhouse said he'd come anyway.

He entered the patient's room, grabbed a chair, sat down and folded his arms and said nothing.

After several minutes, the atheist was curious and irritated. "All right, what do you want, Barnhouse?", he finally asked.

Barnhouse answered, "I've come to see what it's like when an atheist goes to hell." This so shocked the atheist, that Barnhouse was able to lead him to faith in Christ.

B. Transition

What do you want? That's quite a question, isn't it? -If I asked you that question, and you knew I had the power to grant you any wish, your mind would start racing a mile a minute to come up with a list of what you think would satisfy your desires. -Ask any child that question, and you will get at least ten or fifteen quick answers in rapid succession, all of which would involve toys or games. -Ask any motorcyclist that question and you'd get a list of several items that involved "chrome" in one way, shape or form.

Well, imagine Jesus asking that question. What do you want? Would you have a list ready? And would you be willing to do what it took in order to receive what was on your list? That's the subject of the passage we'll be looking at in Mark, chapter 10. If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn there with me.

Jesus and His disciples are walking a road in Palestine, heading for Jerusalem, where Jesus knew He was going to be betrayed, condemned to death, mocked, crucified and after three days…rise from the dead.

Mark 10:35-37 35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." 36 "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. 37 They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."

II. What the Disciples Wanted

So, there's the question. What do you want?

In Matthew's account of this incident, he records that Jesus had just been teaching on heaven and future of things. And at that time, Jesus had promised that when He came in His glory, the disciples would sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

Matthew 19:28 28 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

So this was very much on their minds as they walked toward Jerusalem-WE'VE GOT THRONES WAITING FOR US!

That's why James and John asked the question they did in these verses. Their list included two things:

A. Proximity

The first thing they were asking for had to do with proximity or closeness. Once the disciples were told that there were thrones waiting for them to occupy, and once they realized that they were going to be ruling with Jesus someday, they wanted to know the placement of these thrones.

James and John wanted to be close to this rabbi whom they had devoted the better part of three years to following. Both these guys had been privy to the Transfiguration. They both seemed to be part of the inner core of three. So, it was natural to want to find out if one of them could be on Jesus' left and the other on Jesus' right, when the thrones were arranged.

Now, is this wrong? I don't think it is. It's not wrong to want to be close to Jesus-to have his ear-to know He'll respond to you because you're right there…close to Him. They knew they were going to be sitting with Him and judging Israel…so why not be close? It makes perfect sense.

Friends, as followers of Jesus Christ, isn't that what you want? -Don't you want to be so close to Jesus that you can whisper in His ear, have Him lean close to you, and answer you? -Don't you want to be so close to Him that He can touch you, and reassure you? -Don't you want to be as near as possible to Him?

Of course you do! And that's what James and John wanted as well. But that's not all that was on their list…

B. Power

The other thing on there list was power. After all, a throne represented power. They wanted to know what was their power going to be like?

As United States citizens, we have a hard time understanding the power of a throne. Because we founded this country on the overthrow of the throne of England. So, I'm convinced that we really don't get it, when the Bible talks about thrones.

Illustration: A few years ago, I read a book that talked about the social life of the wealthy class in England in the late 1800's. Back then, it was considered a sign of power to be invited to a ball where the Prince of Wales was in attendance. And back then, if the Prince would talk to you or carry on a conversation with your wife, you would gain a considerable amount of social power and approval for years and years to come.

So, for common fishermen to be given thrones from which they would rule was pretty heady stuff. James and John wanted to know just how much power they were going to have. I believe they were asking for clarification and elaboration on how much power they would exercise when they ruled with Jesus. They were asking about something that had already been promised. I don't see anything wrong with that.

And when Jesus replied to them, He didn't rebuke them for asking. He didn't say, "What's the matter with you guys? How dare you be so selfish and ambitious!" He doesn't call what they asked for, sin or wrong. Because being near Jesus and being curious about the power of heaven are not bad things to ask about.

But what Jesus does say is that they don't understand what they are asking for…

III. What Was Involved in Their Request

A. The Cup and the Baptism

Mark 10:38-40 38 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" 39 "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 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."

Jesus is saying, "The trouble with you guys is not that you're asking for the wrong things. The problem is that you're asking for it without any understanding of what's involved." Then He goes on to tell them (and us) what is involved in this request for proximity and power.

Basically, Jesus says, "You don't realize the cost. Proximity to God and power from God has a price." Jesus knows, because He's on that road. And He wants to know if James and John are willing to pay that same price. So the first thing he asks is, "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" Both the cup and the baptism are word pictures that refer to the same concept.

1. The Cup

When Jesus talks about "the cup", He's talking about what lies ahead in Jerusalem, and Gethsemane, and Calvary. The mocking, the beating, the agony, the pain, the suffering and the death. All so people could be saved from the consequences of their sin. The Bible calls that ultimate consequence…Hell. Jesus' cup was to do whatever it took to rescue people from Hell. It wasn't going to be an easy thing. In fact, when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before He was arrested, He prayed…

Mark 14:36 36 "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

The "cup" wasn't going to be an easy thing. But since lost people mattered to His father, then they mattered to Him as well. And He was willing to do whatever it took to save them from Hell.

So, Jesus is telling the disciples, "If you want to experience closeness to God and the power of God in your lives, then you have to give yourself 100% to what matters most to God-People! And doing whatever you can to be a link in the chain of events that will rescue them from Hell."

2. The Baptism

To further emphasize this point, Jesus also uses the term, baptism. We saw this morning that baptism is an immersion. The New Testament Greek word that's used here for baptism, (baptismah) literally means to dip or dunk until something is completely wet.

In the context of what He said to James and John, He is talking about something that completely affects a person's life. For Jesus, He was immersed in the fact that people were going to Hell, unless they had a Savior. Every level of His life was affected by that one single thought.

Without a Savior, every person you make eye contact with is going to spend eternity apart from God, in a place called Hell, where there is eternal sorrow, never ending pain and constant regret. You've got to care enough to do something about that fact, if you want to have a close relationship with God and experience His power in your life.

B. Servant of All

But there's something else that's necessary to experience closeness to God and the power of God. The other 10 disciples open the door to this point when they got ticked off at James and John for asking what they asked…

Mark 10:41-45 41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The other 10 disciples want to experience proximity and power, too. So they start "dissing" the other two disciples in order to build themselves up. In reality, they were trying to position themselves so they could have positions of closeness and power, as well.

And Jesus says, it's not a matter of positioning, or playing politics, or "dissing" someone to build yourself up, or pulling power plays that get you close to God, or allow you to experience the power of God in your life. That's how the secular world might do things, but that's not how you guys should do things.

The path to a close relationship with God and experiencing the power of God is service. That's the point Jesus is trying to make in verse 45….

Mark 10:45 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

This is so important to Jesus that His entire life and ministry was devoted to it. And He says this should be important to His disciples, and it should be important to us. As followers of Jesus Christ, God calls us to give our lives in order to help others. This is what ministry is all about. We are not here to be served-we are here to serve. Church is not primarily for us. Church is for others. On the front of your copies of "The Week…" is a statement that carries this very sentiment…

The church is the only cooperative society in the world that exists for the benefit of its nonmembers. (William Temple, Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 4.)

If we are really going to be a church that experiences a closeness to God and the power of God in our midst, then we must redirect our thinking and our lives to reflect the principles of service and sacrifice.

The disciples were selfish at this point in their lives. They almost always thought about themselves, first. And folks, so often we do the same. More than two thirds of us are staying home and not attending one of the six weekly prayer meetings that are going on during these 100 days of Prayer, Promise and Power because I think many are just like the disciples-you're being selfish.

-Maybe you haven't bought into the concept that prayer changes things and moves the hand of God. Well, if you don't believe it, then show me from the Bible what you do believe. -Maybe you're not comfortable praying in a group. Well, show me from the Bible where your comfort is a top priority. -Maybe you don't see any personal benefit to praying with others from our church for the salvation of people; for a greater outreach to the Hispanic community; for God to provide the resources we need; or for people to begin taking a public stand for Jesus. Well, show me from the Bible where your personal benefit has anything to do with following Jesus. -Maybe praying in a group isn't "your thing". Please show me in the Bible where "you're thing" should be something other than God's thing!

What Jesus is saying, folks, is that if Palm Springs Baptist Church wants to experience a closeness to God and power from God… then the lives of the people of Palm Springs Baptist Church need to be focused on others-not ourselves. -Instead of looking at what we want, we should be asking what God wants. -Instead of looking at what we need, we should be asking ourselves what others need.

That's the point of being a slave to all and a servant. And unless we do this consistently, friends, God will distance Himself from this church, and we will die!

IV. Conclusion

If I were to survey every person in the audience this morning and ask you, What would you like to experience most as a Christian?…I can guarantee you that feeling close to God and experiencing God's power would be right up there as two of the top choices.

If that's what you want, then Jesus says two things to you…

1. People matter to God, so they had better matter to you. Do whatever you can to rescue them from Hell.

2. Serve people. Put your wants, your needs, your desires, your preferences on the back burner, and start focusing on what others need.

Friends, we have to Open our eyes to what is really important to God-people-especially lost people. And we must stop thinking of ourselves. We are number two. Others are number one.

Because the facts from scripture this morning tell us that we will never draw close to God or experience His power on any other terms than these.

Amen.