Theme

Jesus gives Himself for me — so I must give myself for others.

Text

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 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. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Discussion Questions

1. Have you asked yourself, “What am I doing here?” When and why?
2. Read v. 32 carefully. In one word, how would you describe this journey? What details does Mark include about the journey and the different people on it?
3. Jesus gives the most detailed of His three “passion predictions” (vv. 33–34; cf. 8:31; 9:31). List every action (and actor) involved in this prediction.
4. What do the images of "cup" and "baptism" reveal about the experience Jesus is about to undergo? Is this something that we experience in the same way as Jesus? Why or why not? See Ps. 75:8; 69:1–2; Isa. 43:2; 51:17–22; 53:6; Rom. 6:4
5. Read v. 45 carefully, noting the choice of words. According to Jesus, why and for whom did He come? How would this have been so hard for the disciples to understand, especially in light of Daniel 7:13–14?
6. How does the brothers’ question reveal their ignorance of God’s plan? What are some ways that we risk having a similar “spiritual near-sightedness” today?
7. How does Jesus’ giving of His life for us free us to give our lives back to God and to others?

Transcript

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