The Way of the Cross

So again, the reading will be from Matthew 20, starting at verse 17 and reading through to the end of the chapter.

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.

And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him.

And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside.

And when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out,

Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David.

The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent.

But they cried out all the more, Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David.

And stopping, Jesus called them and said, What do you want me to do for you?

They said to him, Lord, let our eyes be opened.

And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

Okay, well, we're looking at Matthew chapter 20.

Matthew 20 · chapter mention

And it would be great if you could have that part of the Bible open,

because we'll be looking at it closely.

But I want to start with a story.

We've been, my wife and I, we read books to our kids at night.

And one of the books we read to our kids earlier this year was The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

You may be familiar with the story.

Maybe you've read the book or at least seen the movie or movies it is, isn't it?

And The Hobbit tells the story of 13 dwarves who are on a quest to the Lonely Mountain, their ancestral home.

Years ago, the dwarves were forced out by the wicked dragon Smorg.

And now they're returning and hoping to claim back their treasure from the dragon.

And with the 13 dwarves is a small hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins.

Bilbo has been chosen by the wizard Gandalf to be the group's burglar.

And towards the end of the book, the dwarves are setting out on the last leg of their journey from Lake Town,

which is kind of like a last remote outpost of civilisation.

And everyone is jubilant.

The dwarves have been treated as heroes in Lake Town.

They've been fed and housed and pampered in the most delightful and satisfactory fashion, Tolkien writes.

They've been provided with boats and rowers and provisions and horses by the good folk of the town,

who cheered if any dwarves showed so much as his nose.

And Thorin, the leader of the dwarves, looked and walked as if his kingdom was already regained,

and Smorg the dragon chopped up in little pieces.

So chapter 10 of the Hobbit closes with the dwarves departing Lake Town by boat

on the final stage of their long journey to the Lonely Mountain,

as people sang on the keys and out of windows.

Tolkien tells us that the only person thoroughly unhappy was Bilbo.

See, as the group's burglar, all the expectation of the dwarves rested on his shoulders.

He is the one who must sneak into the dragon's lair.

He is the one who must confront the foul beast.

He is the one who must steal the dragon's treasure.

He knows what lies ahead.

He knows what lies ahead.

And there's a similar contrast in the passage before us today.

As Jesus and his 12 disciples embark on the final stage of their long journey to the mountain of Jerusalem,

the mindset of the Saviour and the mindset of his closest followers are miles apart.

We'll come to the disciples shortly.

First, let's hear what Jesus says to them to help prepare them for what lies ahead.

Look at Matthew chapter 20, verse 17.

Matthew 20:17

And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the 12 disciples aside and on the way he said to them,

See, we're 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'll be raised on the third day.

Now notice several things about these verses.

First, notice the repetition of the phrase going up to Jerusalem.

Verse 17, it's mentioned as part of the narrative.

Jesus was going up to Jerusalem.

In verse 18, it's repeated again in the words Jesus spoke to his disciples,

where he includes them to in the journey.

He says, we are going up to Jerusalem.

A journey which Jesus first signalled to his disciples back in chapter 16 was soon to reach its destination.

Now, Jesus says, and the narrative says, going up because travel to Jerusalem did involve an ascent.

Jerusalem was 750 metres above sea level.

Jericho, which is where we find Jesus and his disciples in verse 29.

Jericho was 250 metres below sea level.

So there's an ascent from the last kind of 28 kilometre stretch from Jericho to Jerusalem involved a significant climb, an ascent.

Secondly, notice in these verses that this conversation Jesus had with his disciples was a private conversation.

He took the 12 aside on the way.

And said to them.

It's a private conversation, Jesus and the 12.

Now, while there's a crowd of pilgrims accompanying Jesus on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover,

these words were for Jesus' closest handpicked disciples alone.

Thirdly, notice the detailed nature of Jesus' prediction.

Jesus foretells his betrayal.

The Son of Man will be delivered over.

His betrayal to the Jewish leaders, to the chief priests and scribes.

He predicts the verdict of the Jewish council.

They will condemn him to death.

He predicts the Jews' subsequent act of transferring Jesus into the custody of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.

They will deliver him over to the Gentiles.

Jesus predicts the cruel treatment he would suffer at the hands of the Roman soldiers, mocked and flogged.

And he predicts the exact method of his execution, crucified.

He even predicts his resurrection on the third day.

Everything would unfold exactly as Jesus had said.

As we see if we follow this story through to Matthew chapters 26 to 28.

Matthew 26 · chapter mention

Every detail would be just as Jesus foretold.

And while Jesus knew he would be raised to life,

his words here emphasize his suffering.

All the things that must take place culminating in his death.

His mind was set on what he must do.

On the extreme trial that lay ahead for him.

The way to Jerusalem was the way of the cross.

And that terrible purpose weighed on Jesus.

And it's for this that he sought to prepare his disciples.

As he gathered them in on the way and spoke privately to them.

He told them what must take place.

That's the private conversation he had with them.

But soon after, two of the twelve approached Jesus for another private conversation.

Or rather they approached him with a request.

A request that shows their minds were in a very different place to the mind of Jesus.

Actually in the first instance, the request was made by their mother.

Look at verse 20.

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

That's James and John.

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?

And she said to him, say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one on your right hand and one on your left, in your kingdom.

Now there's an almost comical ring of truth to this scene.

I wonder, did the sons, James and John, put their mother up to this?

Or was it the other way around?

Now my mum's here, here with us this morning, so I need to be careful what I say.

But I can imagine my mum doing something like this.

She's an amazing woman, God bless her.

But my mum has two sons.

And there is no doubt about it that she is our biggest fan.

So maybe it took a mother's ambition to egg on her boys to make this bold and brazen request of Jesus.

Whatever the case, Jesus treats the petition as coming from all three of them.

So in verse 21, he speaks to the mother directly.

What do you want?

And the you there in the Greek text is singular.

What do you want?

He speaks to her.

But then in verse 22 and 23, he addresses the sons.

The you in verse 22 and 23 is plural.

Perhaps he's speaking to all three of them, but I think particularly to the two men.

Now to their credit, they clearly had a lot of faith in Jesus.

They have full confidence that Jesus is the king and that his kingdom is coming.

They know the outcome.

They believe that Jesus will be vindicated.

Their request here assumes Jesus' ultimate triumph and reign.

And James and John want the positions of greatest honour in Jesus' kingdom.

The seats at his right and left.

And that's what they're asking for.

The positions of greatest honour.

It's a bit like politicians jockeying for ministerial positions before the election has even taken place.

Perhaps James and John are attempting this backroom dealing specifically in an attempt to get ahead of other disciples.

Perhaps Peter and Andrew.

They want to get their claim in first.

But rather than immediately give a straight answer, Jesus challenges their question and challenges the ignorance behind their question.

Verse 22.

Jesus answered,

You do not know what you are asking.

Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?

Jesus says to them,

You don't understand.

Now Jesus' cup here will find a couple of echoes later in Matthew.

We might think of the cup that Jesus offers his disciples at the Last Supper.

When he says,

Drink of it, all of you.

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus.

But Jesus' question here in verse 22 is not so much about the cup Jesus offers,

but the cup Jesus himself was about to drink.

Can you drink the cup?

Can you drink the cup?

Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?

This is the cup about which Jesus prayed in Gethsemane.

My Father, if it's possible, let this cup pass from me.

Yet not as I will, but as you will.

Now, of course, the two cups are connected.

Jesus can only offer the one cup because he himself drank the other.

But when Jesus asks,

Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?

He is asking James and John,

Can you share in my sufferings?

Are you able to do what I am about to do?

Notice the question is not about their willingness.

He doesn't ask them,

Will you drink the cup?

It's about their ability.

Are you able to drink the cup?

James and John confidently assert the affirmative.

Verse 22,

We are able, they answered.

An answer that betrays just how fundamentally they understood

both the nature and the depth of Jesus' sufferings.

Now, as events would unfold at the crucial time,

James and John, like the rest of the disciples,

would prove both unable and unwilling to drink the cup.

When the chain of sufferings which Jesus foretold in verses just here,

which Jesus foretold,

when the chain of sufferings began with Judas' betrayal of Jesus,

like the rest of the disciples,

James and John would desert Jesus and flee.

They couldn't drink the cup.

They wouldn't drink the cup.

Surprisingly, though,

rather than continue to challenge James and John's

underestimation of Jesus' sufferings,

Jesus changes his approach in verse 23.

He said to them,

There is a sense,

Jesus says,

there is a sense in which James and John would drink Jesus' cup.

There is a sense in which they would share in his sufferings.

James, in time,

would be put to death by the sword at the command of Herod Agrippa.

In his later years,

John would be exiled to the Isle of Patmos

because of the testimony of Jesus.

But Jesus could not grant the places at his right and left.

That was the prerogative of God the Father,

who had prepared those places for the ones he chose.

Now, what do we make of this?

What are we to make of this?

If Jesus is thinking of his future kingdom,

and he speaks of these places at his right and left,

if Jesus is speaking of his future kingdom,

we might remember his words in chapter 20, verse 16,

the last will be first and the first will be last.

And so,

when we get there,

expect to be surprised.

Those granted,

these places

of proximity to Jesus

may well be among the most obscure of believers.

Names we've never heard.

The last will be first.

Then again,

when later in Matthew's gospel,

we do hear of one on Jesus' right

and one on Jesus' left,

it wouldn't be the two brothers,

but rather two rebels and thieves

crucified next to Jesus,

who joined in with the crowd

in heaping insults on him.

In any case,

while in one sense,

James and John

would

drink Jesus' cup,

at the crucial time,

they could not

and would not.

It was given to Jesus alone

and he alone could drink it.

There was no other way.

With that,

the private conversation

between the sons of Zebedee

and Jesus

comes to an end.

But for the two brothers,

there's an awkward postscript.

You know,

like the backroom dealings

of politicians

leaked to the press,

James and John's private maneuvering

soon become known.

And with all the subsequent

self-righteous moral outrage

we might expect

in Crikey

or in the Daily Telegraph,

we have the response

of the others

in verse 24.

And when the ten heard of it,

they were indignant

at the two brothers.

They're indignant.

No.

Who are they

to ask Jesus

for these positions?

But Jesus used this

as an opportunity

for a lesson

for all of them

on true greatness,

verse 25.

But Jesus called to them

and said,

you know that the rulers

of the Gentiles,

the nations,

lorded over them

and their great ones

exercise authority

over them.

That's the way

of the world,

Jesus says.

The way of the world

is to pursue power

and to seek honour

and to exalt in authority

and position

and to delight

in being first.

That's the way

of the world.

The great ones

of the world

are the rich

and the famous

and those with power

and sway

and influence.

Elon Musk,

Jeff Bezos,

Rupert Murdoch,

Taylor Swift,

Vladimir Putin,

Xi Jinping,

people who can buy

whatever they want,

people who get to define

the narrative

and shape the world,

people who can control

what others do,

people who can control

what others think.

They're the great ones,

surely,

in our world.

But Jesus completely overturns

that way of thinking,

the way we naturally

think about greatness.

Verse 26,

Jesus says,

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.

And even as the

Son of Man

came not to be served

but to serve

and to give his life

as a ransom

for many.

The way of Jesus

is the way of the cross.

And the way of the cross

is the way

of humility,

the way of loneliness,

the way of service,

the way of placing

others

before yourself.

When Jesus died

on the cross,

he did so

to give his life

as a ransom

for many.

One

for many.

The language

of many

here

is not to suggest

a limit

in Christ's death,

many rather than all,

but rather is an allusion

to Isaiah chapter 53.

Isaiah 53 · chapter mention

Isaiah chapter 53

Isaiah 53 · chapter mention

is a prophecy

about the suffering servant,

the servant of the Lord.

And we read

in Isaiah 53,

my righteous servant

will justify many

and he will bear

their iniquities.

Therefore,

I will give him

a portion

among the great

because he poured

out his life

unto death

for he bore

the sin

of many.

Jesus is the greatest

in the kingdom

of God

because he did

what no other

could do.

He gave his life

as a ransom,

his life

in exchange

for ours.

He bore

the sin

of many.

He suffered

the penalty

for our sins.

He suffered

the wrath

of God

in our place.

That's the cup

he drank

which we

cannot drink.

Indeed,

that was the purpose

of his sacrifice.

That is the cup

that he drank

so that

we would not

drink it.

he suffered

in our place

the righteous

for the unrighteous,

the son

of man

for the sons

and daughters

of men.

To quote

an old hymn,

I wonder

if any

of you

will recognise

it.

It's one

of my favourites.

death

and the curse

were in our cup

our cup.

O Christ

t'was full

for thee

but thou

hast drained

the last

dark drop

tis empty

now for me

that bitter cup

love drank

it up

now blessings

draft

for me.

You cannot

drink the cup.

You don't

need

to drink

the cup.

He drained

it for you.

You cannot

drink the cup

and yet

you will

drink the cup.

That's

Jesus'

word to

James and

John,

the sons

of Zebedee.

For although

we could not

go to the

cross,

Jesus

nevertheless

calls us

to carry

our cross.

We could

not offer

Christ's

sacrifice

but he

does call

us to

imitate

his

sacrifice.

See,

the way

of the

cross

is both

a way

Jesus

must walk

alone

and a

way in

which we

follow.

And if

you want

greatness

then let

Jesus show

you what

true

greatness

is.

true

greatness

is found

in

accolades

and status

and riches

and honour

and power.

True

greatness

is found

in humble

costly

acts of

service

of others.

True

greatness

is found

in kind

words

spoken to

the lonely.

It's found

in hospitality

offered to

a stranger.

nature.

It's found

in patience

shown to

a difficult

child.

It's found

in loving

care offered

to the

sick and

ageing.

That's

where true

greatness

is found.

We

cannot be

the saviour

but we

are like

our saviour

when we

live for

others and

not for

ourselves.

Let me

share with

you again

a story

which

many of

us will

remember.

It's the

story of a

woman by

the name

of KD

Lusam.

On the

28th of

March

an

earthquake

struck

the nation

of Myanmar

with its

epicentre

near the

Mandalay

region.

And about

30 miles

south of

Mandalay

in

Keauks

is a

preschool

the

bright

kids

preschool

the

two

story

building.

The

older

children

studied

in the

upper

floor

and the

younger

children

were in

the

ground

floor

classroom.

And when

the

earthquake

struck

the

building

collapsed

and the

upper

story

the

upper

floor

fell

onto

the

lower

story.

The

children

in the

upper

room

survived

but most

of the

children

in the

lower

classroom

the

younger

ones

perished.

26

died

that

day

in that

school.

And among

the others

on the

ground

floor

when the

earthquake

occurred

was a

Christian

teacher

KD

Lusam

the

daughter

of a

local

pastor.

And

she

went

as the

building

started

she

didn't

flee

but

rather

she

quickly

gathered

three

children

under

her

arms

and

as

the

debris

fell

used

her

body

to

shield

them

from

the

impact.

All

were

alive

when

the

rescue

team

arrived

and

the

teacher

with

her

last

breath

she

told

the

rescuers

to

prioritise

the

children

get

them

out

first

and

they

were

rescued

alive

and

then

later

in the

afternoon

the

rescue

team

finally

reached

the

teacher

and

she

was

barely

breathing

and

she

lost

her

life.

Sadly

one

of the

three

children

also

later

died.

God

calls

few

of us

to

acts

of

service

as

dramatic

or

as

final

as

that

godly

teacher's

giving

her

life

for

the

children

in

her

care.

But

however

humble

and

small

the

acts

of

service

God

may

call

us

to

be

may

our

lives

echo

the

life

and

death

of

our

saviour

who

gave

his

life

as

a

ransom

for

many.

We

are not

called

to

count

our

glories

we

are

called

to

carry

our

cross

that's

the first

request

made of

Jesus

on the way

to Jerusalem

in the final

stage of the

journey.

There's a

second request

in the final

verses of

chapter 20.

verse 29 to

34.

And as

they went

out of

Jericho

a great

crowd

followed

them

and behold

there

were

two

blind

men

sitting

by

the

roadside

and

when

they

heard

that

Jesus

was

passing

by

they

cried

out

Lord

have

mercy

on us

son

of

David

the crowd

rebuked

them

telling

them

to be

silent

but

they

cried

out

all

the

more

Lord

have

mercy

on

us

son

of

David

and

stopping

Jesus

called

them

and said

what

do

you

want

me

to

do

for

you

they

said

to

him

Lord

let

our

eyes

be

opened

and

Jesus

in

pity

touched

their

eyes

and

immediately

they

recovered

their

sight

and

followed

him

now

we

might

notice

some

echoes

in this

second

request

of

echoes

of the

first

request

now

like

the

first

request

those

making

the

second

request

recognize

Jesus

as

the

king

they

call

him

Lord

son

of

David

son

of

the

great

king

David

David's

promised

son

they

recognize

Jesus

as

the

promised

king

but

where

the

first

request

was

encouraged

by

a

mother

the

second

request

is

discouraged

by

a

crowd

the

crowd

rebuked

them

telling

them

to

be

silent

now

just

think

about

that

for

a

moment

the

large

crowd

are

we're

specifically

told

in

verse

29

the

this

great

crowd

are

following

Jesus

that's

who

the

crowd

are

these

are

people

who

are

drawn

to

Jesus

in

some

sense

at

least

they

believe

in

Jesus

they

recognize

Jesus

as a

teacher

they

recognize

Jesus

as

someone

to

follow

beyond

that

they

no

doubt

knew

that

Jesus

can

heal

people

many

of

them

would

have

witnessed

!

it

some

of

them

would

have

experienced

it

they

had

been

healed

by

Jesus

Jesus

had

even

healed

two

blind

men

before

earlier

in

Matthew's

gospel

and

here

is

this

crowd

following

Jesus

telling

these

two

blind

men

to be

quiet

how

consumed

that

crowd

must have

been

in

their

own

following

of

Jesus

to

try

and

shush

these

two

blind

men

how

little

regard

they

had

for

these

other

two

blind

by

the

side

of

the

road

but

Jesus

doesn't

silence

them

in

verse

32

as

he

did

with

James

and

John

Jesus

asked

the

question

what

do

you

want

what

do

you

want

me

to

do

for

you

he

doesn't

see

these

two

as

insignificant

he

doesn't

see

them

as

beneath

his

attention

he

doesn't

see

them

as

too

lowly

to

notice

he

doesn't

see

them

as

a

bother

or

as

a

nuisance

or

unwelcome

he

draws

out

their

request

what

do

you

want

me

to

do

for

you

verse

33

they

said

to

him

Lord

let

our

eyes

be

opened

their

request

is

not

for

glory

it's

not

for

honour

it's

not

to

be

placed

above

others

it's

just

to

be

restored

to

be

made

whole

to

be

able

to

see

in

verse

34

Jesus

in

pity

in

his

compassion

he

touched

their

eyes

and

immediately

they

recovered

their

sight

and

followed

him

notice

their

following

of

Jesus

comes

after

the

mercy

of

Jesus

the

compassion

of

Jesus

before

you can

follow

Jesus

you need

to be

forgiven

by

Jesus

before

you can

serve

like

Jesus

you need

to be

saved

by

Jesus

before

you can

drink

the

cup

you need

to

receive

the

cup

but

all

who

call

out

to

Jesus

for

mercy

he

will

not

turn

away

none

who

cry

out

to

him

will

he

silence

his

compassion

is

sufficient

for

all

brothers

sisters

what

do

you

want

from

Jesus

what

do

you

want

Jesus

to

do

for

you

do

you

want

greatness

we'll

let

Jesus

show

you

what

true

greatness

is

do

you

want

mercy

we'll

know

that

Jesus

will

not

turn

you

away

he

will

welcome

all

who

come

to

him

the

way

of

Jesus

is

the

way

of

the

cross

and

the

way

of

the

cross

is

the

way

of

humility

and

mercy

thanks

be

to

God

will

you

join

with

me

in

prayer

heavenly

father

we

thank

you

for

our

saviour

the

lord

jesus

christ

who

has

done

for

us

what

we

could

not

do

we

thank

you

that

he

paid

the

ransom

for

our

sins

that

he

drank

the

cup

of

your

wrath

that

he

died

in

our

place

as

your

servant

and

to

serve

us

thank

you

father

for

our

saviour

we

thank

you

for

his

compassion

we

thank

you

for

his

mercy

and

we

thank

you

for

his

example

thank

you

that

in

your

son

you've

shown

us

what

true

greatness

is

we

confess

before

you

that

too

often

we

want

to be

first

or we

strive

after

things

that will

serve

our

own

interests

but

lord

when we

behold

Jesus

or

when

we

think

of

that

faithful

teacher

in

the

school

in

Myanmar

who

gave

her

life

for

the

children

when

we

think

of

such

examples

of

true

humility

and

service

we

do

want

to

be

like

them

that

is

what

we

desire

so

take

away

from

us

every

selfish

ambition

and

inclination

and

grow

us

in

humility

and

lead

us

in

acts

of

compassion

and

service

of

others

this

we

pray

in

Jesus

name

Amen