The Price of Glory (Matthew 20:17-28)

Jesus was determined to teach his disciples about the cross. He had been doing so ever since Peter’s great confession of his deity at Caesarea Philippi. Why did Jesus want to do this, since obviously it would be a distressing event? An obvious reason would be that the ignorance of the disciples had to be rectified. Among many other reasons, there are at least four that we can remind ourselves of.

First, the death of Jesus by crucifixion was part of the eternal plan of God. That plan was conceived lovingly and wisely. It was not an impulsive response to an unforeseen disaster. The cross was where the Father and the Son had decided together in eternity as the place to which they would travel together after the Son was conceived in the womb of Mary.

Second, it was what the Scripture predicted would happen to the Messiah. The list of predictions began early, right from the beginning when it was announced to the devil, in the ears of our first parents, that a Rescuer would come and suffer in the process of delivering his people from the serpent’s grip. We can see how the details were added to down the centuries so by the time we come to Isaiah he gave a marvellous prophecy that described the sufferings of Jesus on the cross (Isaiah 53).

Third, the journey to the cross was the path that Jesus had chosen when he humbled himself at his baptism and identified himself with sinners. Why did he do that? Because he knew that he had to provide a life of obedience that would be for the benefit of his people. How thankful we should be that he taught lovingly and patiently and repeatedly.

Fourth, Jesus went to the cross because he knew that it was the only way for his disciples to get to glory. They had their own ideas about how to get to glory, and as always is the case when disciples have their own ideas they were wrong. What glory would they have now if they had got their way. None. The Saviour knew he must go to Calvary.

Jesus also taught that he would be resurrected on the third day. He revealed this detail for several reasons as well. First, his resurrection would reveal that the cross was not the end of his activities because he would perform other actions after he rose from the dead. Of everyone else who went to the cross it can be said that their activities ended there. That was not the case with Jesus.

Second, the disciples would know how to respond during the three days between the death and resurrection of Jesus. We can easily see how different it would have been for them had they listened carefully to what Jesus had said would happen. Imagine how different it would have been for Peter and the other disciples if they had been waiting in faith for the resurrection to occur. But since they did not listen, they lost out on a blessing that they could never recover.

Third, the disciples could have searched the Scripture to see what it said about his resurrection. Earlier we mentioned Isaiah 53 in connection with his death. Yet that passage also mentions various features of the exaltation of the Messiah that would happen to him physically after he was raised from the dead.

Fourth, if the disciples had listened to Jesus and had asked him to teach them about the resurrection they could anticipate real glory when the resurrection of their Master would take place on the third day. How little they grasped they were missing when they refused to listen to the words of their Master.

Desire of James and John

There is some evidence that the mother of James and John is Salome and that she was a sister of Mary the mother of Jesus. If that was the case, we can see why she wanted a prominent place in the coming kingdom for her sons - they were related to Jesus.

What can we say about this request? First, it was selfish; second, it was proud; third, it was divisive; fourth, it was ignorant. Of course, we cannot point the finger at them. Instead, we should realise that they are a picture of what we can be like at times.

Rather surprisingly they affirmed that they were able to drink the cup that Jesus was about to drink and which he had been explaining to them. His description of the cup was very detailed and not at all attractive. Yet they must have realised that glory would be preceded by some form of suffering. But since they were wrong on what the glory meant, so did they not understand what the suffering would involve.

Yet the occasion became an opportunity for Jesus to teach his disciples. He taught at least three truths at this time. First, he informed James and John that they would drink his cup. James would be martyred by Herod and become the first of the true apostles to die whereas John would live for another seven decades and towards the end of his days be banished to a prison island. It is interesting that Jesus regarded their sufferings as part of his cup, an idea that is similar to Paul when he writes that he with others is completing the sufferings of Jesus (Phil. 3:10). He does not mean that the sufferings of the disciples had an atoning effect, but they were connected to Jesus because the disciples were united to him.

Second, he taught them that there would be a great occasion when the Father would give places of prominence to his people who have served Jesus well. Calvin summed up what it means when he commented, ‘these words do not imply that there will be equality among the children of God, after they have been admitted to the heavenly glory, but rather that to each is promised that degree of honour to which he has been set apart by the eternal purpose of God.’ 

Third, Jesus taught the disciples that the place they should covet is that of service. There is no other way to contribute to the reward that they will receive from the Father. Yet it is not so much a focus on action but on attitude. His disciples should want to be slaves of one another.

This was an important moment for the disciples because the discovered three things: suffering would be normal for believers; rewards are dependent on service; and it must be service from the heart.

Intention of Jesus

Jesus mentions two details about himself and they summarise his life on earth. He served others and he then died. But in this brief description we can see that he said a great deal. What does he mention?

First, he mentions his dignity, as stated in the title he chose to use of himself. The title ‘Son of Man’ comes from the prophecy of Daniel which predicts his universal kingdom.

Second, he mentions his pre-existence – he ‘came’ from somewhere else. We know that the place he came from was heaven, from the throne of God.

Third, he mentions his lifestyle, which was one of service. Because of who he had eternally been and because of the great glory he would yet have as King, it would have been expected for him to be served by all he came in contact with. Yet it turned out to be the opposite. He engaged in a life of loving service. Of course, we need to ask what kind of service he was engaged in. He came to serve God by providing a perfect life to give to sinners as their permanent righteousness. This was a constant service, given when he was a child, a teenager and an adult. It was complete service, because it involved his mind and heart as well as his actions. And it was a consecrated service, because every moment of it was devoted to God.

Fourth, Jesus mentions his death, which he describes as a ransom. He had to pay a price that would set his people free from the place of condemnation. The price for him was his death, but it was not an ordinary death. His death was one in which he became a curse, was one in which he suffered the judgement of God, and was one in which he paid the penalty due to his people. He had to pay an incredible price. We are accustomed to reading about deals in business in which the price paid can be in billions of dollars. Such deals are the equivalent of less than nothing compared to what the Son of God had to pay.​