Mark 10:32-45
"The Road to Greatness"

V.32-34 Why were the disciples astonished and afraid?

1. They were heading to ___________________________

John 11:7 Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea" 8 "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"

2. They had ____________________ everything to follow Jesus

“This is not how we planned it.”

V.35-37 Matt 20:20 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21 "What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
V.35 “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

Does God grant us whatever request we make of Him?

Matt 21:22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

John 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Why wouldn’t we get what we ask for?

1. Wrong ________________________
James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

2. __________________ Sin
Ps 66:18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened Prov 21:13 If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.

Husbands...

1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

3._____________________________________
James 1:6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

4. It’s not God’s______________________________________________
1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him.

V.38-40 “Can we have the two greatest seats?”

1. “Can you be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” = “Are you ready to die?”
2. “Can you drink the cup I drink?”

Isa 51:22 This is what your Sovereign LORD says, your God, who defends his people: "See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again. 23 I will put it into the hands of your tormentors

Jer 25:15 This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: "Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. 16 When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them."

Matt 26:36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." 39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

Rev 14:9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.

V.41 What you’re most angry with may be what you’re most guilty of
V.42 “lord it over” - katakurieuo- to lord against, to control, subjugate: to overcome with might

Greek and Roman cultures considered humility weakness.

V.43-44 “Not so with you.”
“Great” megas (meg'-as); big (literally or figuratively, in a very wide application):
“Servant”- Diakanos- One who runs errands; an attendant, i.e. a waiter (at table or in other menial duties)
“slave” doulos (doo'-los); Slave; either willing or unwilling
Phil 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Rom 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

V.45 The Greatest Example of All
•See Isaiah 52:13