Sermon Outline for Mk. 10:35-45, First Sunday before Lent
Theme: JESUS, OUR SAVIOR AND EXAMPLE
INTRODUCTION:
St. Paul says at Gal. 5:26: "Let us not be conceited, challenging
each other to rivalry, jealous of one another." Satan tempted
Adam and Eve to try to become Gods. He caused them to be proud
and stubborn. They broke the first commandment: "Thou shalt have
no other gods before Me." Ever since that time all people are
conceited, proud, vain-glorious, jealous of others, causing other
people to sin. Jesus' disciples were that way too. Jesus saved
them and taught them.
I. WHY JESUS IS OUR SAVIOR AND EXAMPLE
When Jesus became a man He did not find a world of loving people.
Herod was jealous of Him and therefore wanted to kill Him. When
Jesus healed a lame man on the Sabbath Day the Jews sought to kill
Him because He said that He was God. Jn. 5:18. King Saul hated
David because he knew that David would become king. The chief
priests and Pharisees plotted Jesus' death because the people were
following Jesus. Jn. 11:48. And even the disciples broke the
first commandment by their arrogance and self conceit both on the
occasion or our text and on other occasions. Mk. 8:34-38; Mk.
9:33-37. It has rightly been said that if we could keep the first
commandment we would not need the other nine. All sin, in one way
or another, is an attempt by man to become or be god. We must
confess that, in this respect, we are like Adam and Eve, King
Saul, King Herod, the Jews and the disciples. We would like to
have positions next to Christ in His kingdom of glory because we
think that we are worthy of it or have earned it. Jesus came to
save us from ourselves.
II. WHAT JESUS HAS DONE ABOUT THIS SITUATION
Sometimes, like James and John, we pray for things that are not
good for us. Sometimes we act like government officials who rule
other people by force. But then we look into God's Word and begin
to realize our sins and what Christ has done in our stead. He
came not to be served but to serve. Even in heaven He will still
serve us. Lk. 12:37. But how did he serve us here on earth? By
giving His life as a ransom for us. This is a constant theme in
the Bible. I Pet. 1:18.19; I Cor. 6:20; I Cor. 7:23; Gal. 3:13;
Gal. 4:5; I Tim. 2:5.6; II Pet. 2:1; Rev. 5:6.12; 13:8; 14:3.4; I
Jn. 2:2; Rom. 3:25. God loved this sinful, arrogant, proud,
conceited world so much that He gave His only Son as a ransom to
pay for the world's sin and sinfulness.
III. HOW WE PROFIT FROM JESUS' SERVICE FOR US
When Jesus came into this world He said: "Repent for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand." Saul, King Herod and many of the Jews did
not profit from Jesus' service because they did not confess their
sins. They continued in and died in their arrogance. Only if we
confess our sins can we profit from Jesus' service for us. "If we
confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I Jn. 1:9. When we
confess our sins and believe in Jesus, our ransom, we become new
creatures. "If any man is in Christ he is a new creature." II
Cor. 5:17. Paul adds: "Old things have passed away, behold, they
have become new." Such a person has become renewed. He becomes
God's servant, not his own master. He becomes like Jesus Who came
not to be served but to serve. He becomes like St. Paul. First
he wanted to be his own master and dictate to others. But he was
converted. By the grace of God Paul labored more than all others.
I Cor. 15:9-11.
CONCLUSION: If we wish to be great or first in the kingdom of God,
like Christ we must become servants to all people. That is
possible only by the grace of God. By His grace we confess our
sins, believe in His promises, become united to Him by faith and
thus begin to be like him.
Sermon Notes on Mk. 10:35-45, First Sunday before Lent
1. Prov. 13:10 says: "By pride comes only contention, but with
the well-advised is wisdom." Because of the fall into sin, all
people are proud, selfish and want to be gods. Christians, too,
because of their sinfulness, are proud. Jesus gives them a lesson
in humility.
2. Three times Jesus foretold His suffering, death and
resurrection. Mk. 8:31-33; 9:30- 32; 10:32-34. The disciples did
not understand. After each of these predictions Jesus gave
lessons in humility and told the disciples that they would have to
suffer. Mk. 8:34-38; 9:33-37; our text, 10:35-45. The disciples
were cold and selfish. But Jesus was patient with them. He
taught them again and again. He is patient with us and wants us
to be patient with others.
3. In the evening when Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, just
before His suffering and death, Jesus again gave lessons in
humility. Read Jn. 13:4-17 and Lk. 22:24-30. The disciples were
weak and proud. Jesus was patient and kind.
4. The Jews at Jesus' time wanted the kingdom of glory without
suffering. The disciples thought the same way. Even on Ascension
Day they still looked for an earthly kingdom. Acts 1:6. That's
why James and John asked to be seated at His right and left in His
kingdom, in His glory. They wanted glory without suffering. But
Paul tells us: "We must through much tribulation enter into the
kingdom of God." Acts 14:21. Jesus said: "If anyone wishes to
follow after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and
follow Me."
5. At Mt. 19:28 Jesus said: "Verily I say to you that you who
have followed Me in the regeneration when the Son of man sits on
His glorious throne, you too will sit on twelve thrones judging
the twelve tribes of Israel." It is true that Christians will
reign with Jesus forever in glory. But that comes only after they
have faithfully and humbly followed Him in this life. We must be
very careful not to twist the Word of God to suit our own tastes
and desires.
6. Our text is paralleled at Mt. 20:20-28. According to that
account the mother of James and John, Salome, incited her sons to
approach Jesus with this request. There is no conflict or
disagreement between the two accounts.
7. The request of James and John was not only wrong but also was
asked in the wrong spirit. They did not say: "if it is Your
will." It was an arrogant request. But Jesus was patient with
them.
8. To drink the cup and to be baptized with a baptism in vss. 38
is figurative language for suffering. It has nothing to do with
the means of grace, baptism and the Lord's Supper. Read Acts 12:2
and Rev. 1:9. Jesus' prophecy was fulfilled. By that time James
and John had learned their lesson well.
9. The parallel at Mt. 20:23 explains Mk. 10:40. It was the
Father in heaven Who assigns places in heaven, not Jesus. This
does not deny Jesus' divinity. It shows His deep humiliation.
10. Vs. 41 shows us that the ten were as selfish as the two.
Jesus now teaches the twelve a lesson: In this life, earthly
rulers in the kingdom of power rule others. Jesus is not
condemning them. It is a fact of life. But in the kingdom of God
in this life whoever wishes to be great or first must be servant
and slave. He must be like Jesus. He came to be a servant. His
greatest service for all was to give His life as a payment for the
sins of the world. Jesus is our Savior and our Example.
11. Just as at Rom. 5:29 in Mk. 10:45 "the many" are compared to
"the One." This is an expression used by the Hebrews. It does
not mean that Christ did not die for all. We know that He died
for all. II Cor. 5:15. 12. This is a very fitting text just
before Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent. Lent is the season
in which we recall our sins and sinfulness which caused the
servitude, suffering and death of our Lord.
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