Humility - True Greatness

0 · Mahaney frames the sermon by reading the entire passage from Mark 10:32-45, establishing the text as the foundation for the message and preparing the congregation to enter the narrative of the disciples' selfish request and Jesus's radical response

Please turn with me in your Bibles if you would to Mark chapter 10. Mark chapter 10. And I will begin reading in verse 32.

And they were on the road going up to Jerusalem and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed. And those who followed were afraid.

And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, See, we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him. And after three days, he will rise.

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you. And he said to them, What do you want me to do for you? And they said to him, Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left hand, in your glory. And Jesus said to them, You do not know what you are asking.

Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? And they said to him, We are able. Jesus said to them, The cup that I drink, you will drink. And with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized.

But to sit at my right hand or my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared. And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant. And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.

1 · Mahaney prays for divine assistance, acknowledging his weakness and inadequacy while expressing dependence on God's Spirit to proclaim the word faithfully and serve the congregation

Let's pray. Lord, once again, we find ourselves on holy ground this morning as we consider your word.

And once again, I find myself in this position of responsibility. And once again, I encounter my weakness. And once again, I feel my inadequacy.

And once again, I call out to you and I ask for mercy. I ask for divine assistance. I ask for divine assistance to serve those I love with this unique passage about your Son.

A passage filled with implications for each and everyone gathered here this morning. So, kind Father, assist me now as I attempt to proclaim your Son, to glorify your Son, to serve your people. Assist me now by your Spirit so that I might please you in the proclamation of your word, so that you might perform your word as I proclaim your word, so that your people might be edified, so that you might be ultimately pleased and glorified.

I pray and I proceed with confidence in your character and in your promises. And I thank you in Jesus' name, Amen.

2 · Mahaney introduces the sermon's three-part structure and begins exposition by establishing the disciples' recurring pattern of selfish ambition following each announcement of Jesus's death, using Mark 9 as a parallel example to demonstrate that their pursuit of personal greatness was pronounced and persistent

I don't think there is a more appropriate passage to begin this series on serving than the passage before us that will occupy our attention this morning.

The title of the message this morning is True Greatness. True Greatness. And I have three points to bring to your attention from this text.

Greatness desired. Greatness defined. And greatness demonstrated.

And we begin with greatness desired. Greatness desired. For the disciples, the pursuit of personal greatness was a pronounced passion.

Their desire for greatness wasn't subtle and it doesn't appear to be occasional either. Three times in Mark's Gospel, three times he informs the disciples of his impending death. And after informing them of his impending death, following each announcement of his impending death, there is some display, some overt display of selfish ambition by the disciples.

In Mark chapter 9, if you just turn with there briefly please. In chapter 9 verse 31, he was teaching his disciples saying to them, the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men and they will kill Him. And when He is killed, after three days, He will rise.

Verse 33, they came to Capernaum and when He was in the house, He asked them, what were you discussing on the way? But they kept silent for, listen, on the way, on the way, they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He announces His death. They begin to argue among themselves about who was the greatest.

3 · Mahaney exposes the dynamics behind James and John's approach to Jesus, noting their separation from Peter and the other disciples, suggesting possible jealousy over Peter's recent commendation, and highlighting that Peter's role as Mark's source means this moment was memorable and significant

Now, obviously, as we encounter the disciples in Mark chapter 10, the Lord's example and teaching didn't resolve the previous argument so described in chapter 9. James and John, it would appear, are apparently in agreement with each other about their greatness. And they approach the Savior. They approach the Savior with a special request.

They approach the Savior with a special request apart from the other ten disciples. And you'll also notice apart from Peter. This will be the first time in Mark's Gospel that you will see James and John identified without Peter being identified as well.

There is a clear separation taking place. Possibly we could speculate some jealousy for in just a few chapters previous, the Savior has commended Peter as he declared of the Savior that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. So a separation now has taken place.

And James and John approach the Savior apart from Peter and apart from the other ten. Also, interesting note that probably the main source for Mark's Gospel, the main source for this narrative for Mark's Gospel was Peter. So no doubt he didn't forget what took place here.

4 · Mahaney examines James and John's bold request, highlighting their presumption, self-confidence, and expectation that Jesus would establish a political and military kingdom in Jerusalem where they deserved prominent positions, revealing their fundamental misunderstanding of both Jesus's mission and their own greatness

They appear here to have assumed that the Savior shared their assessment of their greatness. There's no lack of confidence. No lack of confidence evident.

In verse 35, they boldly say to the Savior, we want you to do for us whatever we ask. In verse 37, the request is made. We want to sit one at your right and the other at your left in your glory.

You can make the final determination, Lord, as to who sits where. We don't have any preferences there. We just want to occupy the right and the left.

And then when he asks them if they can drink the cup, the cup that he would drink, in verse 39, they said to him without any hesitation, we are able. Now just examine for a moment the content. Examine the tone.

They expected that as they were proceeding to Jerusalem, that upon arrival in Jerusalem, the Savior would establish his kingdom. He would establish it militarily. He would establish it politically.

They would, in effect, enter his glory. He would enter his glory upon arrival in Jerusalem, and they would enter his glory with him when they arrived in Jerusalem. And they wanted a prominent place when this all came down.

They wanted a prominent place and they assumed, James and John assumed, that a prominent place for them was appropriate in light of their greatness.

5 · Mahaney exposes the other ten disciples as equally captive to selfish ambition, noting that their indignation at James and John reveals not moral superiority but the same sinful ambitions combined with self-righteousness

Now the other ten were no different. In verse 41, we are informed that when they are informed, they become aware of this special request by James and John.

They became indignant. And so their indignation reveals that their ambitions are no different. And it also reveals the presence of self-righteousness.

So sadly, they are no different.