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Matthew 20:17-28

The parable of the day laborers shows that men will receive eternal life based on when they are ready to put
their trust solely in God’s provision for their redemption: His Son, Jesus. The redemption of the church, in
glorified bodies, will be completed before that of Israel, because the church first trusted in Christ to be
saved.

This is what Jesus had revealed to His disciples - those who were the very first to believe in Him, now that
He had come. Having left all to follow Jesus, they would have a rich inheritance, at a future time. But as
Matthew continues his account, we find that Jesus is once again reminding His disciples of what lay ahead
in the more immediate future - that which must be accomplished, in order for the disciples’ inheritance to be
secured.

Jesus had been ministering mainly in the regions of Samaria and Perea, gradually making His way with His
disciples toward Jerusalem.

We’re continuing in verse 17.

20:17-19 By this time, Jesus and His disciples had most likely crossed the Jordan River and entered the
region of Judea, indicated in Matthew’s comment that Jesus was now going “up to Jerusalem”. Jerusalem
was in the hill country, so that to approach it was generally said to be going “up”. The time is likely early
spring; nearing the Passover.

This would explain why it is that Jesus took His twelve disciples aside on the road, to have a private word
with them. First of all, Jesus had many who were accompanying Him - some from Galilee, some from
other regions He had passed through.

But in addition to that, the roads were beginning to fill with pious Jews, who were making their way to
Jerusalem, for the feast - as required in the Law. These religious pilgrims hailed from everywhere in the
Roman Empire.

The private word that Jesus had with His disciples appears at first to be one He already spoke to them,
concerning His pending suffering and death - twice before. But upon closer scrutiny, we find that Jesus
was once again revealing more detail about what awaited Him - bringing it into sharper focus.

In fact, the disciples are now implicated in the prediction of Jesus; they will be accompanying Him into
Jerusalem, where He will be betrayed - to the rulers of His own people - the chief priests and the scribes.
The statement that they will condemn Jesus to death specifically secures their identity as the judicial
council of the Jews, the Sanhedrin.

The prediction continues with the deliverance of Jesus to the Gentile authorities - the Romans. This
clarifies how the death of Jesus would be obtained, for the Sanhedrin was not allowed the authority to
execute the death sentence, by Rome. Somehow, the council would see to it that the Romans did it for
them.

And Jesus disclosed the form that His death will take - a Roman form - crucifixion - along with the dreadful
scourging that usually preceded it. Although Jesus had spoken of His death before, and even of the cross,
this is the first time He was overtly stating that He would be crucified. And He would be openly mocked
by the Gentiles. Suffering; shame; and a horrific death awaited Jesus, in Jerusalem.
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This statement of Jesus is recorded in Mark and in Luke, as well. Now in the past, when Jesus spoke of His
suffering and death, the disciples reacted quite strongly - first, they were in denial (16:22); the second time,
they were exceedingly sorrowful (17:23). What is their response, in this case? We read of no response, nor
does any appear in the other gospels. But Luke says something quite interesting. Turn to Luke chapter 18.

[Luke 18:31-34]

v. 31-33 So Luke brings out more details, concerning the mockery of the Gentiles, and adds that all will be
in fulfillment of the prophets concerning the Son of Man - Jesus, in His first coming.

But then there is this comment.

v. 34 They didn’t know; they didn’t understand; it was hidden from them. Would you say the words of
Jesus are difficult, here? Are they vague? Jesus couldn’t have been more explicit, or stated things in a
simpler manner.

So what is the problem? The problem is that the disciples had that preconceived notion of Messiah and His
kingdom. Judaism had taught them that Messiah would come as a conquering King, and deliver His people
from their oppressors, defeat those enemies, and set up His kingdom, with Israel as the head nation.

Is that true? It is true - it is prophesied in the Scriptures - but there are other prophecies, as well. Before
the people can enter Messiah’s kingdom, first they must be delivered from sin and death - through their
Messiah suffering in their stead. So until they are ready to receive Messiah as their Savior, they cannot
receive Him as their King.

Jesus was showing His disciples that He must suffer this death, before deliverance can come - including
deliverance into His kingdom. But this didn’t fit into their selective mindset concerning Messiah - so their
own wrong thinking is what hid the meaning from them; it generated a complete disconnect.

[Return to Matthew 20]

It is notable that the three statements that Jesus makes, predicting His suffering and death, always follow a
revelation that He made, concerning His coming Kingdom (Mt 16:17-19, 21; 17:1-5, 22-23; 19:28-30,
20:17-19). Each time, Jesus was intent on reminding His disciples of what must first take place, before the
Kingdom could be established. It is only following the resurrection of Jesus that the disciples of Jesus
actually obtained this understanding - opened up to them by the risen Jesus Himself (Lk 24:44-45).

As we continue, we find just how completely hidden this understanding was, from the disciples at this time.

20:20-21 This is the first indication we have in Matthew’s gospel of women within the disciple group.
These women ministered to Jesus in Galilee during the three years He was there, and some were now
accompanying Him as He traveled to Judea, and Jerusalem, for the Passover feast.

One of these was the mother of Zebedee’s sons - her name was Salome. Do you remember who Zebedee’s
sons were? James and John.

They were two of the first followers of Jesus, along with Andrew and Peter. Jesus had then called them to
follow Him, when He came to Galilee - to become fishers of men. And they immediately left their fishing
nets and their father, and they began to follow Jesus (4:21-22). Well apparently, their mother also became a
follower of Jesus, at some point in time.
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Salome approached Jesus with an inquiry - showing Jesus appropriate respect, in kneeling before Him; then
she waited, hoping to gain His favorable attention. And she got it; Jesus asked what it was she desired.

Her response was to ask Jesus to grant - the idea is to give His word - that her sons may sit on His right
hand and His left, in His kingdom. And we are inclined to think, what presumption! Here’s a mother, who
is ambitious for her sons! But wait a minute. Who was with her, as she made her request? Salome’s sons -
James and John.

What’s curious is that Mark in his gospel mentions James and John alone being present, and indicates that
it was they who asked this question of Jesus - to sit on His right hand and on His left, in His glory (Mk
10:35-37). Yet Matthew, whom we know by now tends to be scant on detail in such accounts, specifically
mentions it was their mother who made the request.

What this suggests is that Salome actually voiced the request - but the ones who were really doing the
asking were her sons, James and John. They were having their mother ask Jesus, for them.

Why would they do this? James and John were very close with Jesus - along with Peter, they were part of
His inner circle; they were His intimate friends. But they sought a different basis for making this request,
than their friendship.

In that day, in both Jewish and Roman circles, the indirect intercession of a motherly woman was often
more effective than a man’s direct petition for himself. That is to say, James and John thought their request
had more chance of success if they had their mother ask for them!

But Mark’s gospel cuts right to the chase, and expresses it as the petition of the sons - which is was.
Remember, Mark recorded Peter’s recollection, of events - and that was likely how Peter viewed it.

The request was as audacious as it was callous - as it was, directly following the prediction of Jesus
concerning His suffering and horrific death.

But if we consider that the disciples could not reconcile those things that Jesus said with what they adhered
to, about Messiah as the conquering king, we understand that they were only hearing Him in a selective
way - and what they were selecting to pay attention to were His statements concerning His glorious
kingdom.

They knew Him to be the Messiah (16:16); He had said He would come in the glory of His Father with His
angels, to take His kingdom (16:27-28); and it was James and John, along with Peter, who had been
privileged to see Jesus transformed on the mountaintop, in glory (17:1-2). Jesus kept saying He would rise
again the third day; perhaps right then He would take His kingdom; and they wanted to be ready for it.

After all, Jesus had just told them that when He sits on the throne of His glory, they all would be sitting on
twelve thrones, with Him (19:28). So they thought, doesn’t hurt to ask; let’s put in our request, for the best
of those thrones - right and left of Messiah.

Although the right hand was traditionally the place of highest honor and authority, when two people are
involved, the left would not be considered inferior. Well, at least James and John were willing to
acknowledge each other as equals - that is, equally preeminent over the other disciples.

Notice that the answer that Jesus gives appears to be directed to them, and not to their mother. It would
seem Jesus also recognized that Salome was just posing the question for them.
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20:22-23 It is not immediately apparent why Jesus answers by saying that they did not know what they
asked; that becomes evident as Jesus concludes His statement.

But first, Jesus asked the sons of Zebedee about drinking a cup - the cup He was about to drink. Clearly,
the cup is meant metaphorically. The statements concerning baptism here, which aren’t in the oldest
manuscripts, are also meant metaphorically.

In the OT, a cup could reflect blessing, or it could reflect judgment from God. The cup that Jesus was
about to drink was the divine judgment of God upon mankind, concerning sin. Jesus would drink that cup
to the dregs - as man’s substitute - suffering in man’s place. Drinking the cup, then, represents Jesus’
suffering.

Baptism completes the picture, with immersion under the water, which would bring - what? Death. So
between the two metaphors, Jesus was alluding to His suffering and His death.

Now, no one could suffer and die in men’s stead, but Jesus - but He was asking the sons of Zebedee if they
were ready to suffer and die - for His sake; and what was their ready answer? “We are able”.

There’s a note of sincerity there; they really did believe they were ready to suffer and die, for Jesus. Do
you think they truly were? No; not at this time; at this time, they had not even learned to deny themselves.
Within one week of entering Jerusalem, the Shepherd would be struck, and the sheep would scatter (26:31)
- the disciples would go into hiding.

But once Jesus was raised in power, and baptized them collectively into His Spirit, they would be enabled -
and they would indeed taste of His sufferings. James would be beheaded, for His allegiance to Jesus (Acts
12:1-2). His brother John would suffer tribulation and then be exiled to the island of Patmos for the word
of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev 1:9).

Jesus had said, “he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” (10:38).
Willingness to suffer and die for the sake of Jesus, then, is the mark of a true disciple. It is the very thing
that qualifies one, to rule and reign with Jesus - to be enthroned with Him, in glory (19:28). That is why
Jesus posed that question to James and John, first.

But then Jesus indicated that to sit on His right hand and His left was not His to give, except to whom it was
prepared by His Father. Jesus was saying that in the Father’s foreknowledge, the believers who will be in
those positions had already been determined.

James and John did not know what they asked; they asked for something that had previously been decided;
those places were already prepared for the ones the Father had determined. There was no point in
requesting them.

But they had requested them, and in doing so, they evoked the ire of their fellow disciples.

20:24-28 The “great displeasure” of the other disciples is a jealous resentment. Notice that none of this is
directed at the mother, Salome; just at the two brothers. The other disciples were indignant that James and
John made this request of Jesus. Why? Because they wanted the best positions in the kingdom, for
themselves. They all desired prominence; they just didn’t express it outwardly, as the two brothers had
done.
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That’s why Jesus calls the Twelve to Himself, and speaks to all of them about the desire for greatness;
because all of them are afflicted with that disease. It’s a natural manifestation, of a sin-sick heart; at its
core, a desire to wield power; to exercise one’s will, and have it done, particularly over others.

And in the world system, that desire finds its natural home. Jesus spoke here of the rulers of the Gentiles,
but He singled them out as His example only because the world was currently under Gentile dominion - as
it still is. The Gentiles were the ones in power. But the desire to wield power, to exercise one’s will, is
present in all men - as we see it was in the Jewish disciples of Jesus.

We can see it in ourselves, can’t we? - in our personal relationships - in our places of work, and in our
homes. We may not think of it as the desire for greatness, but it is - the desire to put ourselves, before
others; to be esteemed, and recognized; to have our own will done. It’s really not much different than what
James and John were ambitious for.

So Jesus pointed out that in the world, the great impose their authority upon those under them. Those at the
top use the power availed to them to see to it that their own will is done - even at the expense of those
below them. That’s pretty much how the world does work, isn’t it? And ultimately, rulers exercise their
authority with a mind toward benefiting themselves; for their own gain.

But Jesus said, that’s not how it is to be among you; the sons in God’s kingdom. The kingdom of God
doesn’t work that way, at all; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. In God’s kingdom, greatness is not measured
by a person’s ability to wield power, but by a person’s ability to serve. The great ones are not at the top;
they’re at the bottom.

In God’s kingdom, you become great, not by exercising your will, but by denying it; denying any selfish
desires, in order to promote the welfare of others; putting yourself, not first, but last - like the slave, whose
will is completely consumed by the will of the Master - God. That’s the way God’s kingdom works -
because that’s the way Love works. This is to be our ambition.

And to ever-so-gently reinforce His point, Jesus used Himself as the example - referring to Himself as the
Son of Man, as He frequently did.

This title emphasizes the humanity of Jesus - the Son, who came in a body of flesh. But the title Son of
Man also bears witness to His Messianic grandeur, as the One who will receive the dominion from the
Ancient of Days, over the whole earth (Dan 7:13-14).

Jesus was intending both of these meanings to be in view, here, for His disciples to consider. He is the One
who will rule over all the earth, for an everlasting kingdom - the highest King; yet He did not come to be
served. He came instead, in that body of flesh, to serve - to lay down the life of that body in death, as the
sacrifice for the sin of mankind; as their Sin Bearer.

It is, and will always be, the ultimate and greatest act of service - of the One who did not consider equality
with the Father something to be held onto, but made Himself of no reputation, taking to form of a
bondservant (Phil 2:6-7). And it was as that Servant that Jesus was, with great intention, showing Himself
forth to His disciples.

In Matthew’s gospel, we have seen Jesus stating that He must die, and even relating how He would die; but
this is the first time He was explaining why He would die, in verse 28. Jesus would die in order to give His
life a ransom.
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This word in the Greek is related to a word for redemption, that we were looking at last week. A ransom is
the actual price paid in order to redeem captives; to loose them from their bonds, and to set them at liberty.
Jesus was saying that He was that ransom; His life would be given, in death, in order to set many free.

But we might notice something unusual, in what Jesus was saying here. Didn’t Jesus come to give His life
a ransom for all mankind? Didn’t He die, for everyone - the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the
whole world (Jn 1:29)? We know that’s true. So why is it that Jesus said here that He came to give His life
a ransom for many?

We might consider this a surprising choice of words - were it not that Jesus chose the word “many” very
intentionally - not to suggest that His redemption would be limited, to only certain men - but the word was
instead chosen as a prompt, for His disciples.

It would have brought to their remembrance the Servant Songs, of Isaiah, about the Servant of Jehovah -
and specifically, the song that prophesies of the Servant who would give His life as a vicarious sacrifice - a
ransom - for many. This is found in Isaiah 53. Let’s turn back and look at it, together.

The song actually begins in verse 13-15 of chapter 52, which act as a summary statement, of the Servant’s
accomplishment. Isaiah here begins as the voice of God the Father.

[Isaiah 52:13-15; 53:1-12]

52:13 Although Jehovah spoke of other servants (eg Israel) through Isaiah, there is only one Servant that
can fulfill this prophecy - His own Son, Israel’s Messiah.

This Servant shall deal prudently; that is, He would always act in wisdom, living by every word that comes
from the mouth of His Father. He would be obedient through life, unto death. The threefold lifting up of
the Servant - exalted, extolled, very high - reflect the Father’s honoring of His Servant in His resurrection;
His ascension; and His enthronement, at the Father’s right hand.

The next verses reflect the work that the Servant accomplished.

52:14-15 The imagery is first of a bloody death - resulting in the sufficiency of that blood to sprinkle many
nations. So the idea in the many is not that there are some, and not others; the many means, not just Israel.
The Servant’s blood is sufficient for all nations; they will learn of it through the hearing of the gospel - the
many will.

As Isaiah continues, he speaks of himself and his fellow prophets - those who all gave their report from the
LORD, to the nation Israel.

53:1 The arm of Jehovah is the strength of His doing - which his seen in His Servant, the Messiah. It was
revealed to Israel by the prophets, but did Israel believe the report? No.

53:2 Messiah would grow up before Jehovah as a tender plant - we have the idea of a fragile human baby,
that comes to maturity as a man. He came of the root of Abraham, out of the dry ground of the nation Israel
- those who would not take in the water of the word of God. Yet Messiah sprang forth from the hard soil - a
true and living son of Israel.
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To say that Messiah had no form or comeliness means that He was not naturally attractive. This does not
pertain to His human features, but instead His appearance. The idea is that He would appear lowly - not as
a royal king in his regal attire.

53:3 Messiah would be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; the Hebrew words pertain to sickness
and disease. This is saying that Messiah would experience the plight of humanity, in their sin-sick
condition, which brought to them sickness, disease, deformity and death. He would sympathize with them
in their weaknesses; have compassion on them, in their suffering. That would be His response to them. But
theirs, to Him? Isaiah says that Messiah would be despised; counted for nothing; and rejected. He would
come to His own, but His own would not receive Him (Jn 1:11).

53:4-6 Here is the Servant as the Sin-Bearer; suffering in the place of men - not just for His own nation,
but for the many nations - taking the sins of the world, upon Himself.

53:7-9 The Servant was led as a lamb to the slaughter - completely relinquishing His will, in order to do
the will of His Father. We see allusions to His trials, and beatings - and to the cross, and the grave. He was
cut off from the land of the living - giving His life, a ransom for many.

53:10-11 The statements of pleasing the LORD and the pleasure of the LORD do not refer to enjoyment - but
to the will of God - which is also called His good pleasure. It was Jehovah’s will to bruise His Servant,
who was His Son, and make His soul an offering for sin - His life, a ransom - in order to deliver mankind
from sin and death.

The sacrifice of the Servant would make it possible for Jehovah’s will to be accomplished, on behalf of
men - He would see seed, and prolong days - the Father would have righteous sons of God, in forever-
living bodies. Jehovah was well-satisfied, with the work of His Servant.

The last part of verse 11 is also translated, “By knowledge of Him My righteous Servant shall justify many”.
This knowledge would be brought to the many nations, through the preaching of the gospel.

53:12 The One who would come, not to be served but to serve would then be exalted, and extolled and be
very high - and given the name which is above every name (Phil 2:7); LORD; Jehovah. He would share the
throne of His Father, and reign as King over heaven and earth - a King who will serve His people, ensuring
their welfare - the Shepherd King.

[Return to Matthew 20]

What Jesus said to His disciples in verse 28 could serve as the perfect summary, of the Servant Song of
Isaiah that we just read. It would help them to make a connection between the purposes of God found in
their Scriptures with the words of Jesus, so soon to be fulfilled - why He had come. It is there that they
would discover the key to greatness in the kingdom of God - through the One who was the Servant of all.

Reading: Matthew 9:27-29; 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43