The Cup of Jesus

By Danny Saavedra

“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.’ ‘You don’t know what you are asking,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?’ ‘We can,’ they answered. 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.’ When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 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 — 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.’” — Matthew 20:20–28 (NIV)

Have you ever asked for something you didn’t fully understand? In today’s passage, we’re told that James and John, the “sons of thunder,” had Mommy ask Jesus if they could sit at His right and left hand. Why was this a big deal? These were the places of highest honor in any kingdom.

This request came only days before they arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover. So, not having understood the kingdom Jesus was building, the disciples likely anticipated their journey to Jerusalem would result in His ascension to King, the overthrow of Rome, and the establishment of Israel over the earth. James and John wanted to get Jesus to promise the best seat in the kingdom before it all went down.

Jesus responds by asking if they truly know what they’re asking. Again, His disciples didn’t understand the spiritual kingdom He was building with His first coming. The prediction of His death and warnings of suffering and persecution hadn’t registered. So, He asks, “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with” (Mark 10:38 NIV)? He was referring to the cup of suffering and the baptismal waters of affliction. James and John answered, “We can,” not fully understanding. And as Jesus points out, they did experience it — James was beheaded, and John was persecuted and exiled.

Now, naturally having Mommy ask Jesus for the best seats didn’t sit well with the other disciples, but Jesus used this tense moment to further explain the nature of following Him and what true greatness looks like in His kingdom: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” You see, the church is not to operate like the world! We aren’t called to be “leaders,” we’re servants — first of God and then of one another. In the hierarchy of Christ’s kingdom, we’re not called to rule, but to serve according to the example of our King and in accordance with and complete submission to the will of God.

To be His disciple, we must die to ourselves and be ready and willing to forsake the comforts, pleasures, and attachments of this world for the sake of a greater kingdom. We must make peace with the fact that we’ll always be subject to the cup of suffering and the waters of affliction because of His name. And we have to humble ourselves and live in service to Christ, His kingdom, His people, and the world we’re trying to reach with the gospel! And the beautiful thing about Jesus is that He isn’t commanding us to do something He didn’t do.

Jesus shows us how to live a life of service by doing the very same for us. Jesus gave it all up for us (2 Corinthians 5:21, 8:9; Philippians 2:5–8), laid down His life willingly (John 10:18), got into the muck and the mess (Mark 5:25–34, 7:33; John 9:6), and served with love, joy, and compassion (Mark 6:30–44; John 13:1–17).

I hope you see this not as a burden but as the incredible privilege it is to be His disciple, to follow in the footsteps of our Savior, and to live for and be part of something so much greater than we could imagine. Praise Jesus for this glorious call.

Pause: Jesus laid down His life for you. What does it mean for you to lay down your life for Him and His kingdom?

Practice: Humble service is the method of leadership in the kingdom. So today, go out of your way to serve someone! Identify the person or people and be intentional about it. Pray and consider what you can do that will be of true service to them.

Pray: Father, as I read Your Word, I have a better understanding of the cost of being Jesus’ disciple, the cup, and the baptism. Stirred by the fact that Jesus suffered for it first on my behalf and bore the weight for my sins, I thank You for the privilege to drink from the same cup as my Savior and follow His example of being a servant. Thank You for the privilege of serving You and following Your example. Help me today, Jesus, to walk in humility and selfless service. Help me to cast aside my selfish desires, ambitions, and plans for the sake of Your kingdom and Your purpose. Help me serve others as You command. Amen.

Thank you for taking this journey with us. To find more resources, visit Resources.CalvaryFTL.org.

If you have questions, are struggling and need help, or would like someone to pray with you, please send an e-mail to DanielS@CalvaryFTL.org.