RETURN TO SYLLABUS
MARK 10:32-52
LESSON #15
THE BURDEN BEARER WILLING TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE
- JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES WERE ON THEIR WAY TO JERUSALEM. HE INFORMS THEM OF HIS COMING DEATH AND RESURRECTION.
- NOTICE THAT THEY ARE AMAZED BECAUSE “JESUS WENT BEFORE THEM”. (32)
- IN OTHER WORDS, HE SEEMS TO EAGERLY ANTICIPATE ARRIVING IN JERUSALEM WHERE HE KNOWS HE WILL DIE.
- NOTICE THAT THE DISCIPLES ARE AFRAID.
- THEY DONT FULLY UNDERSTAND IT ALL, BUT THEY ARE FEARFUL OF THE UNKNOWN.
- NOTICE THE PROPHETIC DETAILS JESUS REVEALS:
- FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE LOCATION OF HIS DEATH IS REVEALED.
- THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND SCRIBES IN HIS DEATH.
- FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE JEWISH BETRAYAL OF JESUS TO DELIVER HIM TO THE GENTILES FOR DEATH.
- FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE MOCKING AND THE SCOURGING IS MENTIONED.
- THE THIRD DAY RESURRECTION IS REVEALED AFTER JESUS HAD PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED THE SIGN OF JONAH. (MAR 8 MAT 12:39).
EVENTS IN JESUS PROPHECIES | MAR 8:31 | MAR 9:31 | MAR 10:33-34 | SUFFERING |
BETRAYAL AND DELIVERANCE TO CHIEF PRIESTS AND SCRIBES |
X |
X |
X |
MAR 14:53 |
REJECTED AND CONDEMNED BY CHIEF PRIESTS AND SCRIBES |
X |
X |
MAR 14:64 | |
HANDED OVER TO THE ROMANS |
X |
MAR 15:1 | ||
HUMILIATED AND BEATEN |
X |
MAR 14:65 MAR 15:1-20 |
||
THE LOCATION FOR HIS DEATH IN JERUSALEM |
X |
|||
EXECUTED |
X |
X |
X |
MAR 15:24 |
RESURRECTED |
X |
X |
X |
MAR 16:9 |
- READ MAR 10:31, 35-45
- THIS SECTION OF SCRIPTURE CONTINUES WITH JESUS TEACHING ABOUT DISCIPLESHIP. OBSERVE THE CONTEXT:
- IN OUR LAST LESSON WE ENDED WITH THE THOUGHT THAT THE DISCIPLES SACRIFICED MANY THINGS TO FOLLOW CHRIST.
- THEN JESUS GAVE TWO KINGDOM PRINCIPLES WHEN HE SAID:
- THAT THE FIRST SHALL BE LAST AND THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST (10:31).
- HE WHO LOSES HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE WILL FIND IT. (8:35)
- WITH THESE TWO PRINCIPLES, HE INDICATED THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD OPERATES ON A DIFFERENT VALUE SYSTEM.
- THEN HE TALKED ABOUT HIS OWN COMING SACRIFICE IN JERUSALEM.
- AS THE BURDEN BEARER, HE WILL DEMONSTRATE WITH HIS OWN LIFE HOW TO BE A DISCIPLE.
- THE BROTHERS, JAMES AND JOHN, EVIDENTLY DISCUSSED AMONG THEMSELVES THE FUTURE OF THEIR LITTLE GROUP WHEN JESUS WOULD NO LONGER BE WITH THEM. THEY DECIDE TO MAKE A FINAL REQUEST.
- REMEMBER THAT JAMES AND JOHN WERE COUSINS TO JESUS
- READ ALSO MAT 20:20-21
- THEIR REQUEST:
- THEY WANT TO BE ONE ON EITHER SIDE OF JESUS WHEN HE IS IN HEAVEN. THEIR CONCERN IS ONE OF PERSONAL SUCCESS WITHOUT PERSONAL SACRIFICE.
- THE PROBLEM WITH THEIR REQUEST:
- THEY FORGOT THE TWO PRINCIPLES THAT THE FIRST SHALL BE LAST AND THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST, AND THAT YOU MUST LOSE YOUR LIFE FOR JESUS.
- CAN THEY DRINK THE CUP THAT JESUS WILL DRINK FROM, OR BE BAPTIZED WITH THE SAME BAPTISM AS JESUS? (38)
- WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY THE CUP ?
- IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, THE PHRASE, “TO DRINK THE CUP” ALWAYS REFERS TO LIVING THROUGH SOMETHING THAT GOD HAS ORDAINED.
- OFTEN IT IS USED TO REFER TO ENDURING SUFFERING AS A RESULT OF GODS JUDGMENT. (ISA 51:17 JER 25:15)
- JESUS IS REFERRING TO HIS OWN SUFFERING AND CRUCIFIXION THAT WILL BE GODS JUDGMENT ON SIN.
- WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY THE BAPTISM HE IS BAPTIZED WITH?
- HE IS REFERRING TO A BAPTISM OF SUFFERING.
- REMEMBER THAT THE WORD BAPTISM MEANS = TO BE FULLY IMMERSED INTO.
- THEREFORE, JESUS IS ASKING WHETHER THESE TWO DISCIPLES CAN ENDURE PERSECUTION AND MARTYRDOM JUST AS HE WILL ENDURE.
- THE DISCIPLES QUICKLY AND EASILY ANSWER, YES, WITHOUT FULLY REALIZING THE EXTENT OF THAT SUFFERING.
- IN REALITY, ALL THE DISCIPLES WERE EVENTUALLY MARTYRED EXCEPT JOHN.
- WHAT MADE THEM STRONG BELIEVERS ABLE TO EVENTUALLY ENDURE THE SUFFERING THAT JESUS SPOKE ABOUT? IT WAS THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THEIR HEARTS THAT PROVIDED STRENGTH AND GUIDANCE.
- JESUS INDICATES THAT IT IS GOD, THE FATHER, THAT REWARDS DISCIPLES WITH POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY.
- GODS CRITERIA FOR DISPENSING REWARDS IS WORKS.
- REMEMBER THAT GETTING INTO HEAVEN IS A FREE GIFT BY THE GRACE OF GOD, BUT YOU WORK FOR YOUR POSITION IN HEAVEN.
- (LUK 19:11-27 1COR 4:2 1PET 4:10 2TIM 1:6 2COR 5:10)
- THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE WORLDS STANDARDS AND THE KINGDOMS STANDARDS:
- THE OTHER DISCIPLES ARE UPSET WITH JAMES AND JOHNS REQUEST. (41) THEREFORE, JESUS TEACHES THE DISCIPLES THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY THE WORLD CHOOSES AND REWARDS LEADERS AND THE WAY GOD CHOOSES AND REWARDS LEADERS.
- A CONTRAST OF LEADERSHIP STYLES:
RULERS OF THIS WORLD | SERVANTS OF THE LORD |
1. IN RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE THEY LEAD
THE RULER IS ‘OVER’ BY POSITION OF RANK | THE SERVANT IS ‘AMONG’ AS A BROTHER 1THE 1:5 |
2. IN THEIR EXERCISE OF AUTHORITY
HE LEADS BY ‘COMMAND’ AUTHORITY | HE LEADS WITH THE ‘GENTLENESS’ OF CHRIST 2COR 10:1 |
3. IN THEIR LEADERSHIP MODE
HE’S AUTOCRATIC, ‘TELLING’ OTHERS WHAT TO DO | HE ‘SHOWS’ OTHERS WHAT TO DO BY EXAMPLE 1PET 5:3 1TIM 4:12 |
4. IN THE EFFECT OF THEIR LEADERSHIP STYLE
ACHIEVES BEHAVIORAL ‘CONFORMITY’ | ACHIEVES HEART ‘COMMITMENT’ 1TIM 1:5 |
5. IN THEIR USE OF POWER
USES ‘COERCION’ TO ENFORCE | APPEALS WITH GENTLE ‘INSTRUCTION’ AND RESPONDS IN TRUTH 2TIM 2:24 |
6. IN THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHERS
LEADS FROM A ‘SUPERIOR’ POSITION | LEADS IN ‘MEEKNESS’ AND LOWLINESS 1THE 2:7-8 |
7. IN THEIR CHARACTER AND LIFESTYLE
MORALITY IS ‘PRIVATE’ AND DIVORCED FROM LEADERSHIP | MORAL CHARACTER IS THE ‘FOUNDATION’ FOR TRUE LEADERSHIP TIT 2:1-7 |
- WHAT ARE JESUS STANDARDS FOR GREATNESS? (43-44)
- THE ONE WHO HAS A POSITION OF AUTHORITY MUST BE A SERVANT AND NOT A DICTATOR.
- THE ONE WHO HAS A POSITION OF AUTHORITY MUST BE WILLING TO MINISTER TO OTHERS.
- JESUS HOLDS UP HIS OWN LIFE AS THE EXAMPLE: (45)
- HE WAS WILLING TO BECOME A BURDEN BEARER FOR US.
- HE CAME TO MINISTER TO PEOPLE.
- HE WAS WILLING DIE FOR US.
- THIS STORY OCCURS IN MATTHEW AND LUKE WITH A FEW DIFFERENCES.
- THE MOST OBVIOUS DIFFERENCE IS THAT MATTHEW MENTIONS 2 BLIND MEN AND MARK AND LUKE MENTION ONE.
- THERE WERE PROBABLY TWO BUT MARKS FOCUS IS ON ONE NAMED BARTIMAEUS.
- IT WAS THE CUSTOM FOR A RABBI TO TEACH AS HE WALKED ALONG. BARTIMAEUS EVIDENTLY HEARD JESUS TEACHING AS HE SAT BY THE ROAD. HE SEIZED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE NOTICED WITH JESUS PASSED.
- PEOPLE PRESSURED HIM TO BE QUIET, BUT WE HAVE ALREADY LEARNED THAT FAITH IS PERSISTENT.
- BARTIMAEUS CALLS JESUS, “SON OF DAVID”.
- WE HAVE ALREADY LEARNED THAT THIS TITLE MEANT HE WAS THE MESSIAH WHO WOULD COME AS A REIGNING KING.
- FAITH IN THE SON OF DAVID GAINED HIM HIS HEALING.
- OUR LESSON BEGAN WITH JESUS TELLING OF HIS COMING DEATH AS AN EXAMPLE OF A SERVANT WHO LAYS DOWN HIS LIFE FOR OTHERS.
- THEN JESUS TAUGHT THE DISCIPLES THE MEANING OF BEING A SERVANT IN ORDER TO HAVE POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
- THE DISCIPLES WERE BLIND TO THE COMING SUFFERING AND VIOLENT DEATH IT WOULD COST THEM TO SERVE CHRIST.
- FINALLY WE SEE JESUS HEAL BLIND BARTIMAEUS.
- JESUS IS THE EXAMPLE OF A SERVANT WHO MINISTERS TO OTHERS WITH COMPASSION.
- JESUS SHOWS HIS DISCIPLES THE WAY TO ENDURE THE SUFFERING AND VIOLENT DEATH OF A SERVANT OF CHRIST.
- JESUS IS THE ONE WHO OPENS OUR EYES TO THE TRUE VALUES IN GODS KINGDOM.
HOMEWORK
MARK 11:1-11
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.
- APPLICATION OF MAR 10:32-52
- EVALUATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO BE A SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST.
- ON A SCALE OF 1-10 (10 BEING PERFECT), HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR WORTH AS A SERVANT TO CHRIST?
- WHAT ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS DOES YOUR LIFE LACK THAT WOULD MAKE YOU AN EVEN MORE VALUABLE SERVANT TO CHRIST?
- PREPARATION FOR MAR 11:1-11 TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
- READ MAR 11:1-11
- WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JESUS ENTERING JERUSALEM ON A DONKEY AT PASSOVER?
- WHAT WAS THE MAIN INGREDIENT NECESSARY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF PASSOVER?
- WHAT WERE THE PEOPLES EXPECTATIONS?
- MEMORY VERSE: MAR 11:9