Why Christ Came
Text: Mark 10:32-45
Core Idea: Jesus demonstrated true greatness by coming to serve us, save us, and be our Substitute. The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for us. Then let us humbly receive His life-giving service as we learn to serve others in a way that will point them to the beauty of Christ.
INTRODUCTION
We are going through the Gospel of Mark to explore the life of Jesus Christ. And today, we’ll look at a passage that includes a verse that may be the most important verse in the Gospel of Mark. Then as we spend some time contemplating its implications for us, my prayer is that we will freshly understand and experience God’s love for us displayed through the person of Jesus Christ. So, if you have your Bibles, please turn to Mark 10:32-45. Let me read this for us.
32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again, He took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to Him. 33 “We are going up to Jerusalem,” He said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock Him and spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him. Three days later He will rise.” 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.” 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.” 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.”
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Verse 32. Picture this scene with me. They are on a road through the Judean countryside leading to Jerusalem. Jesus is not walking with them but ahead of them – leading the way for the disciples. The Twelve and the other disciples are following behind Jesus – carefully observing Him. What’s interesting here is that they were astonished, even afraid. And we can’t help but ask, “Why is this simple scene of these people just walking on this road so filled with tension and emotions? What is causing them to be astonished and afraid?” Mark doesn’t explain but we can speculate by looking at their destination: Jerusalem. To the Jews, Jerusalem was the holy city set upon a hill – the city of King David who they loved and admired. Everyone wanted to be there. But for Jesus, Jerusalem was a symbol of opposition to His ministry. We know this because Mark has informed us that many Pharisees and teachers of the law who weren’t fond of Jesus, who were suspicious of Jesus, often came from Jerusalem to test and trap Jesus. For example, Mark 3:22 says, “And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said [accusing Him], ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons He is driving out demons.’” No wonder the disciples were astonished and afraid. They just weren’t sure the kind of dangers that possibly awaited them in Jerusalem, yet Jesus carried on. He led the way.
Now, sensing that they were unsettled and fearful, Jesus took them aside to tell them for the third and last time what was about to happen in order to prepare them. Verse 33, “We are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles, who will mock Him and spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him. Three days later He will rise.” Jesus knew that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and die – and this would be unbelievably painful. He would be mocked, spat on, flogged, before being brutally, violently killed – this is what the messianic mission involved. Jesus spoke with certainty to show that His death wasn’t a tragic accident but God’s purposeful plan. He must suffer many things. Then we can’t help but ask, “Why? Why did Jesus have to die? Why did Jesus silently endure through the mocking, spitting upon, flogging, and crucifixion?” This is what Mark will aim to answer today. Then with this in mind, let’s look at the rest of the passage. There are three things I want to point out:
THE DISCIPLES’ AMBITION
GREATNESS REDEFINED
HUMILITY DEMONSTRATED
1) THE DISCIPLES’ AMBITION (V. 35-41)
Verse 35. It seems like there’s a pattern to each of the Passion predictions – after the prediction, Mark records a failure by the disciples, followed by Jesus’ teaching on discipleship. Let me show you. In Mark 8:31, the first Passion prediction was followed by Peter taking Jesus aside to rebuke Him. Jesus responded by saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Mk. 8:33). Then Jesus taught them, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me” (Mk. 8:34). In Mark 9:31, the second Passion prediction was followed by the Twelve arguing about who was the greatest. Then Jesus taught them, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mk. 9:35). And here, for the third time, Jesus was foreshadowing His impending death and there was another blatant failure on the disciples as they expressed their arrogance and selfish ambition.
James and John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” This is the kind of thing that makes you speechless. Jesus just shared that He will suffer and die – how can they be so insensitive? Instead of comforting Him or asking Him to give them the courage to stand with Him, they were thinking about themselves. It’s incredible how Jesus was able to remain patient. In fact, He asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” Verse 37, “Let one of us sit at Your right and the other at Your left in Your glory.” Do you see what they were asking? They thought that Jesus was going to conquer Jerusalem and they must have imagined Him on the throne, in glory – remember that these two, along with Peter, witnessed Jesus transfigured in glory. And they wanted that same glory, power, status, and recognition for themselves – they wanted to be great. They weren’t humbly asking to see but they were arrogantly asking to be seen. Unfortunately, the other disciples were no different – verse 41, “When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.” They were so angry not because they were thinking of Jesus, but simply because James and John got to Jesus first – they wanted to be the greatest among them.
Again, Jesus didn’t rebuke James and John, but He was trying to help them see – verse 38, “You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” The “cup” represented the wrath of God in the OT. Isaiah 51:17 says, “Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of His wrath” (see Ps. 75:8; Hab. 2:16). Similarly, baptism in the OT illustrated being immersed in suffering or death. Then Jesus was saying, “I’m going to suffer and die, for that’s why I came. Can you die alongside Me?” And here, they should’ve responded, “No, we can’t. We’re so sorry that we even asked.” But they confidently answered, “We can.” They were clueless and ignorant – deluded in their assessment of themselves. And at this, Jesus simply responded that they too will taste and experience what was about to happen to Him – and reminded them that it was God who determines all things.
What does this mean for us? Two things. First, we must realize that sin pushes us to the centre of our world. Sin really does make it all about us – we become utterly inconsiderate, insensitive to the needs of others. And the reality is that none of us are immune to the problem of pride and selfish ambition. Just like the disciples, we long to be first. We long to be noticed. We long to be appreciated. And here’s why: this is the condition of our hearts. All of us are enslaved to sin. And we are unable to free ourselves from the grip of sin on our own, which means that it is utterly impossible for us to live in a way that’s pleasing to God even if we wanted to. We are all in desperate need to be rescued, liberated from the shackles of sin.
Second, see how tender and gentle Jesus was with James and John. He could’ve said, “You will never taste that glory. Who do you think you are? How dare you ask Me such a thing?” Instead of exposing them, cornering them, humiliating them for their sin, Jesus remained patient and loving in the way He instructed them. This is important because it shows that Jesus will always deal gently with all sinners who come to Him no matter how serious their sin may be. Friends, have you sinned this week? Is the weight of guilt and shame heavy on you? If so, I want to encourage you to bring your mess to Jesus because He will know how to receive us. He will not be rough with us. He will not scold us or humiliate us. He will not lash out – the way many of our parents did or the way we do to our own children. And this isn’t because He takes our sins lightly – no, He fully knows the seriousness of our sins far more than we do. We’re aware of just the tip of the iceberg of our depravity; He sees it all – yet He will treat us tenderly because of His unfailing, unchanging love for us. Dane Ortlund wrote, “As long as you fix your attention on your sin, you will fail to see how you can be safe. But as long as you look to this high priest, you will fail to see how you can be in danger. Looking inside ourselves, we can anticipate only harshness from heaven. Looking out to Christ, we can anticipate only gentleness.” I invite you to look to Christ today.
2) GREATNESS REDEFINED (V. 42-44)
Verse 42. Jesus gathered His disciples and drew their attention to what they knew about greatness – how greatness was defined and perceived in their culture. He 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.” In other words, Jesus pointed out that greatness in the Gentile world was about position, power, ruling, lording it over, and exercising authority. And sadly, the disciples must have been influenced by this – instead of being different from the world, they operated like the world.
Jesus continued in verse 43, “I know, you know this is how the world operates but not so with you. You ought to be different.” He was calling His disciples to be different as He redefined greatness for them. He said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” True greatness is achieved by becoming a servant, a slave to all. Think with me. Slaves don’t have the power or right to determine things for their lives. Every aspect of their life is controlled by the will of another. All the boundaries of their lives are set by someone else, and all their energy and time are spent for the pleasure, success, and glory of others. Rather than being preoccupied with one’s own interests, slaves are all about the interest of others. And Jesus was teaching that this is how one becomes truly great in the eyes of God.
Now, think about how these words would’ve landed on the disciples. No doubt, it would’ve sounded absolutely ridiculous to the disciples – as absurd as a camel going through an eye of a needle. It must have provoked perplexed looks – respectfully nodding while thinking to themselves, “What is Jesus talking about? How can one’s greatness be measured not by power and position but by humble service?” It wouldn’t have made any sense to them – but if understood and applied, it had the power to transform their lives. And that’s exactly what happened to these two. Even though James and John didn’t get it then, when God opened their eyes to see the truth of the gospel, their lives were completely transformed – and they did end up drinking the cup that Jesus drank as He predicted in verse 39. James would be the first apostle to drink the cup of martyrdom. Acts 12:1-2 says, “It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.” What explanation is there for what we read here in Mark 10 and what we read in Acts 12 other than the fact that he really lived to be truly great in the eyes of God? Even though John escaped martyrdom, he was a living martyr. He suffered persecution and was banished to an island called Patmos where he died. Listen to what he said in 1 John 3:16, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” How can someone, who asked Jesus to do everything he wanted, be transformed to say something like this? He must have understood what it means to be truly great. Not just these two, all the disciples who were once motivated by selfish ambition were transformed into the servants of the gospel by the Savior’s sacrifice.
Brothers and sisters, this definition of greatness we encounter here, this path of greatness set before us by the Savior, if understood and applied, has the power to turn our lives upside down. It can impact the entirety of our lives – and I don’t say this lightly. When you believe this truth and put it into practice, it’s going to radically, completely change your appetite, attitude, and ambition. Then let me urge you, encourage you to take some unhurried time today or this week to reflect on this definition of greatness, and ask yourselves, “What would this look like for me? What would be the application of this in my relation to others?” Friends, what would this look like for you if you applied this in the home, the church, at work or school, to your leisure activities, to playing sports, to the entirety of your life? I want to speak especially to the youths here. What kind of greatness are you seeking? What are you aiming for? Do you strive to be accepted by those who are popular or strive to become a leader in your group? Do you distance yourself from a certain group of people at school, so you won’t be tainted by their reputation, or do you see that serving and loving all people, especially the marginalized and the forgotten is the only path to true greatness? Friends, follow Jesus’ example.
But to help all of us do this better, be on the lookout for someone who is living this out today – get to know them, spend time with them, ask them to teach you, and begin to emulate them. They’re the ones who are serving before the worship, during the worship, and after the worship – sometimes visibly and other times, behind the scenes. They’re the ones who are serving in the children’s ministry, our youth ministry, Community Groups, and countless special events. They’re the ones who are humbly serving their family – serving not to be rewarded, not to be recognized, but simply to honor God and bless their spouse, children, and parents. They’re the ones who are sacrificially helping those who are in need in this community – through their prayers, by generously giving their money, time, and energy. Let’s pay attention to true greatness so that we won’t be deceived by the standard of this world. And let us also joyfully give this selfless, slave-like love and devotion to the people around us. J.C. Ryle said, “True greatness consists not in receiving, but in giving, not in selfish absorption of good things, but imparting good to others. Not in being served, but in serving. Not in sitting still and being ministered to, but in going about and ministering to others.”
3) HUMILITY DEMONSTRATED (V. 45)
We finally come to one of the most important verses in the Gospel of Mark. Remember the question that I posed earlier: why did Jesus have to die? Well, this is the clearest statement of the purpose of His coming in the Gospel of Mark – and here, Jesus applied this definition of greatness to Himself and His messianic mission. Then let’s go through this carefully as every part of this statement is important. Verse 45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” The first thing I want to point out is that Jesus came to serve. Ponder this just for a moment. The One to whom all service should be given, the One rightly entitled to all service, came not to be served but to serve. The Greek word for “serve” is “diakoneo,” which is where we get the word “deacon.” It literally means “to wait on tables, to offer service to.” The King of kings, the Lord of glory, the Creator of all things came to wait on you – to serve you. Isn’t this incredible, mind-blowing? It’s true that we often focus so much on the fact that we are the servants of Christ – and that is absolutely true. But that’s not the point of verse 45 – Jesus wants to show us that He is our Servant.
I know, that just sounds weird. It feels weird even just to say it – “Jesus, our Servant?” But that’s what the Bible says. Now, we have to be careful to realize what this doesn’t mean. This certainly doesn’t mean that we tell Jesus what to do. In fact, that’s exactly what James and John were trying to do – order Jesus to do what they wanted. But that’s not what’s implied in seeing Jesus as our Servant. We don’t order Jesus around as if we have authority over Him. Instead, Jesus is our Servant in the sense that He gives us what we truly need. And here’s where I want to encourage you to pay close attention because I’m convinced that this is the key to unlocking the Christian life. Think about it. Jesus just called His disciples to radical discipleship – to be servants and slaves of all, to live totally different from the ways of this world. He called them to radical obedience. But then He followed that by saying, “I came to serve you” – which means that our radical obedience to Him is not a matter of us serving Him, it’s a matter of Him serving us. In other words, Jesus was teaching us that His calling to radical discipleship is totally impossible without Him giving us what we need. We can’t do this on our own. There’s no way we can live contrary to the ways of this world. We need Jesus to serve us and give us what we need to enable us, to empower us to live out the call that He has set before us.
Then how did Jesus serve us – how did He give us what we need? Jesus tells us: “To give His life as a ransom.” The second thing I want to point out is that Jesus came to save. Let me explain. The word “ransom” refers to a payment given to release someone from slavery – to buy their freedom. Then this is what Jesus was implying: each one of us is a slave to sin and it is humanly impossible for us to free ourselves from this captivity. But here’s the good news of the Bible: Jesus gave His life as a ransom for our freedom. It’s His death that brought us life. The payment was His life. He died so we could be free from the power of sin and finally be able to live the life God has created us to live. Jesus came to set us free from the slavery of sin. So, the next time the devil tells you that you will never overcome the sin that you’ve been struggling with and that you’ll never be able to break out of that sinful pattern of life, realize that it’s a lie. 1 John 4:4 says, “The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” He is no longer your master. Listen to Christ.
Jesus came to serve and save. Then the last thing I want to point out is from the last two words of the verse: “For many.” Jesus Christ came to be our Substitute. That word “for” is from the Greek word “anti” which means “instead of, in place of.” Then this is what it means. Jesus saw that you and I were under the weight of sin, under the wrath of God, deserving of eternal death. So, Jesus came to stand in our place, to take God’s wrath upon Himself instead of us, to pay our debt and satisfy the wrath of God that was against us. He took our spot, and His glory became ours which means that when Jesus looks at you and me, He will joyfully say, “I have paid the price for you; you were bought with a price.”
Then how should we respond to all this? First, we must be served by Jesus. Unlike other religions, Christianity doesn’t say, “Serve God and be saved.” Christianity says, “Stop trying to save yourself through serving. Confess that you cannot save yourself, that you cannot get rid of your sin. And let Christ serve you. Only He can cleanse you of your sin. Only He can transform you from the inside out.” This is the essence of the Christian life. Life must be given to us. Now, this truth made sense to me when I thought of my second, who is turning one in a month. Not once in his life did he serve me and Alicia. Day after day, he had to be served. We had to feed him, change him, wash him, clothe him, put him to sleep, carry him, make sure nothing harmful was around him. Why? Because the reality is that if he had resisted our service to him, he would not have survived. He would’ve died. He was utterly dependent on us to live. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that earlier in this chapter (Mark 10:15), Jesus said, “Anyone who comes to Me must come as a little child.” No matter how gifted or skilled you are, no matter how much you know or have or accomplished, the reality is that before the holy God of the universe, you need Him to survive. We need Him to serve us in every single way – not just at the moment of our salvation but every moment of our lives. We don’t grow out of this. Think about it. When we pray, Jesus is serving us. He’s leading and guiding our minds and hearts to be fixed on the glory of God. When we worship, when we sing songs of praise, Jesus is serving us. Of course, He is the One receiving honor but at the same time, He’s also gripping our hearts and minds with His greatness that causes us to surrender ourselves to Him. Even at this very moment, as we listen to the Word, Jesus is serving us. He is opening our ears, minds, and hearts to understand this. And it goes beyond this hour. For those who are married, when Jesus says for you to love your spouse even when it’s not easy, Jesus is saying to you, “Husbands, I’m going to give you everything you need to lay down your life for your wife – and wives, to respect and submit to your husband. I’m going to serve you by giving you everything you need to do this.” Parents, when Jesus says for you to love your child through a very difficult time, He is saying, “Trust Me to give you the wisdom, patience, discernment, and love to know what to say, when to say it. Trust Me to do these things for you.” When Jesus calls us to walk through a dark valley in this life (suffering, trials, losses) Jesus is saying, “Trust Me to serve you with the strength, hope, and life that can only come from Me.” In every moment of our lives, Jesus is saying to us, “I’m here to serve you by providing all that you need to help you live out the call that you have received.” Brothers and sisters, we must remember that the whole Christian life is Him serving us. Then let Him serve you today. Turn to Him and ask for help.
Now, what’s amazing is that if we truly taste His love for us, we won’t just sit back in passive posture – we will respond in active obedience. Friends, Jesus’ service to us is what enables our obedience to Him. Then the second thing I want us to remember is to honor Jesus by serving others. C.J. Mahaney wrote, “Ultimately our Christian service exists only to draw attention to this source to our crucified and risen Lord, who gave Himself as a ransom for all.” Whenever we serve others, we’re pointing them to the One who gave His life as a ransom for us. Our service honors Christ but also draws people closer to Him. Let this be your motivation for service.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, Jesus demonstrated true greatness by coming to serve us, save us, and be our Substitute. The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for us. Then let us humbly receive His life-giving service as we learn to serve others sacrificially, joyfully, intentionally in a way that will point them to the beauty of Christ.
Discussion questions
When Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” in verse 36, what does the answer given by James and John reveal about their character and motives? Now, if Jesus were to ask you the same question today, how would you answer? What will your answer reveal about your heart?
Jesus redefines true greatness this way: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (Mk. 10:43-44). What would be the application of this in your relationship with others today?
Why is Jesus’ statement in verse 45 so radical? What do we learn about the purpose of His death in this verse? What does it mean to be served by Jesus?