Success Is Self-Sacrifice
Mark 10.35-45
Introduction
The World Economic Forum published an article on February 1, 2018 entitled, “How Do Americans Quantify Success?” They administered a survey founding that Americans on average defined success in this way: to be married with 2 kids having 4 best friends; graduating with a bachelor’s degree and making at least $147k/year; working 31 hours/week with a commute time of no more than 10 minutes or preferably working at home (that strikes a little different in 2020, doesn’t it?); Americans want 5.3 weeks off a year and they want to travel 3 times/year; with a home value of $461k and a car value of $41k. Of course this is on average. To some this sounds extravagant and to others not extravagant enough. But my guess is for most of us in the room we’d say that sounds pretty good.
In our text this morning we see how Jesus Christ defines success. Here in Mark 10.35-45 we see Christ continue to teach on his kingdom. This pericope looms in the shadow of what Pastor Kevin preached last week: the third time Jesus spoke plainly of his death and resurrection. We must also keep the context of the entire book in mind. Mark’s Gospel is about the King who is going to the cross. If that’s true then success probably looks different than we’d expect. What does success look like in the kingdom of Christ? And how does that reshape the way that we love, think, and live now?
How the World Defines Success
Notice there’s no geographic or chronological transition from verse 34 to 35. The text doesn’t say, “and the next day or after this…” No. Mark just keeps moving along. It seems like James and John come to Jesus immediately following his gospel teaching.
My kids will try and set me up sometimes by saying, “Dad, whatever I’m about to ask you, you have to say ‘Yes’ no matter what, ok?” Nice try, buddy. That’s what James and John try to pull on Jesus. “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And Jesus shows them grace. He doesn’t rebuke them but indulges them. And they ask to sit on each side of him in his glory. Now remember, in a 1st century 2nd Temple Jewish mind they weren't thinking of sitting next to Jesus in heaven. They thought that Jesus was going to lead a revolution to overthrow Rome and then God would resurrect the dead and they would live in shalom.
James and John want to be the co-vice-presidents of the kingdom of Christ. They’re looking for important cabinet appointments in the Christ administration And we saw in verse 41 that the other 10 disciples were indignant at their petition probably because they want the same thing but don’t have the guts to ask. This is the 3rd time Jesus spoke plainly about his death and resurrection and it’s the 3rd time the disciples didn’t get it. Remember the 1st time Peter tried to rebuke Jesus and the 2nd time the disciples started bickering about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. Now James and John ask for prominence.
We must acknowledge that reading these verses is like looking in a mirror. As fallen humans our hearts are prone to want success and we view success as being served. Think about the most powerful office in the world: President of the United States of America. It is the closest thing to royalty we have in our country. The president is served on hand and foot. There’s not a single thing he has to do for himself. Consider billionaires and celebrities, you know the kind whose housewives have nannies, maids, and chefs. We’re drawn to that. We look at that kind of lifestyle and view it as the highest form of success.
Jesus once again reveals that his kingdom is upside down. They don’t know what they’re asking. Are they able to drink the cup that Jesus drinks or to be baptized with the baptism with which Christ is baptized? They think so. At this point I’m not sure if they understood what Jesus was saying. In part Jesus was speaking of his work on the cross. The cup that he was going to drink was the cup of God’s wrath drained on the cross. In the garden Christ prayed, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14.36). Jesus would be immersed into the judgment of God; baptized into the ground when he was buried.
Maybe the disciples thought Jesus was saying it’ll be tough but we’ll make it through. But interestingly enough Jesus does affirm that they will drink and be baptized as he was. Of course, they would not be bearing God’s wrath but they would all face persecution. All but John would be martyred.
But to sit at the right and left hand of Christ has already been prepared. Mark uses the perfect passive indicative 3rd person singular of ἑτοιμάζω. A perfect verb refers to an action that happened in the past with ongoing results. It’s a state that is currently true because of a past event. For example, since May 16, 2009 I have been married. I was married that day and have been in a state of marriage since. Jesus says this has been prepared. It happened before and it’s still true. But the verb is also a divine passive. It’s a 3rd person singular. He’s saying the Father has prepared these things.
Don’t miss the sovereignty language that Jesus is using. God has prepared everything that is about to happen. God is meticulously sovereign over every detail in history, especially the death and resurrection of his Son. The gospel of Jesus is God’s plan. He is saving his own through Christ.
And here’s the irony of the kingdom of Christ, Jesus’ glory is most clearly revealed through his death on the cross; at the cross where he would bear the wrath of God for the sins of his people. Remember the disciples are asking this question in response to his prediction of his death and resurrection. And there would be one at his right and one at his left on the cross. They wouldn’t be disciples but thieves.
How Jesus Defines Success
Christ now contrasts the world’s view of success with his – the city of man vs. the city of God. Remember the rich young ruler? He was the definition of the world’s success. He was rich and young and a ruler. But he didn’t inherit the kingdom of Christ. Jesus says those considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. The world views success as being better than other people.
Jesus says, “But 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 slave of all.” Success in the kingdom of Christ looks like serving. That’s true because the king of our kingdom came to serve.
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Jesus gives us a gospel-centered understanding of greatness. He gives us self-sacrifice as the template of success. Jesus came to serve and give his life. Theologians have called this Christus exemplar – the example of Christ. During his ministry he served others. He fed people, healed people, washed feet, and most importantly he taught the Word of God. He did so to show us what true greatness looks like. He gave us the truest picture of humanity the world has seen since Adam’s fall.
But he didn’t merely serve he also came to give his life as a ransom of many. This verbiage gives the deepest meaning to the death of Christ. Historically it’s been called penal substitutionary atonement, limited atonement, particular redemption, vicarious redemption. Jesus didn’t die hoping some people would believe. Jesus died to give his life as a ransom for many.
This is one of the clearest explanations of the gospel in all of Scripture so let’s contemplate these 3 words: (1) ransom, (2) for, and (3) many. First, ransom; λύτρον means “the means or instrument by which release or deliverance is made possible” Jesus is the means by which we are delivered. There is salvation in no other name. He is the way and the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14.6).
The second word is for (ἀντὶ). It means, “in the place of.” Jesus came to be the means of deliverance in the place of others. Mark Dever and JI Packer published a book on the atonement entitled, “In My Place Condemned He Stood.” What a beautiful summary of Good Friday! Today marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday yom kippor – the Day of Atonement. That old covenant feast was a signpost pointing us to Christ, the one who paid it all.
Jesus died ἀντὶ us, in our place. We deserve judgment for our sin and the sinless one stood in our stead like the great Lion Aslan for little Edmund. Listen to what CS Lewis wrote of Aslan’s ransom for the boy, “When a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward.”
The third word is many (πολλῶν). It means that Jesus didn’t die for every human who’s ever lived. If he did he would have to believe in universalism. Jesus dies for the many. He died for the church, for the elect, for his saints. The scope of the atonement is limited to his people. His redemption is particular.
You see that word even in verse 45? That means Jesus is upping the stakes. If the Son of Man (and read Daniel 7 if you want to know what he means by Son of Man) came to serve, how much more are his followers to be servants? As believers our lives should be marked by service. We know this is not how we are justified for that is by faith alone. But our justification yields the fruit of sanctification evidenced by serving. This is where the world sees death start working backward.
This applies to all of us in many different ways and only the Holy Spirit can sovereignly show you how you are to apply the teaching this morning. But let me ask one question that will apply to all of us. Are you serving in the church? If not, why not? Jesus says this is what success looks like. This is true greatness, to give yourself to serving others especially in the body of Christ.
Conclusion
What the Bible shows us is that none of the things from the World Economic Forum are inherently wrong. But when it becomes our definition of success we are missing the mark of the kingdom of Christ. Jesus came to serve and so must we. The good news is Jesus has left us the Word and the sacraments as means of grace to enable us to serve. By the time Mark wrote his Gospel 30-40 years after Jesus’ resurrection the church was organized.
I can’t help but notice what Jesus said, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized” was read by Christians who had been baptized and drank of the Eucharist every week, just like us. In part Mark is encouraging us that we have been baptized in him and we do drink of him. This is your fuel for self-sacrificial service. It is God’s means of grace to keep you until the last day. Success in the kingdom of Christ doesn’t look like money, cars, or homes. It looks like water, and bread, and wine.