Matthew 20:17-28

17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time


Jesus again speaks of His impending suffering, death, and resurrection. He tells them with great detail what will happen to Him. His prophecy would be remembered by the disciples in just a few days after these things had taken place and be a huge reassurance and reminder that Jesus was God—the one who can predict and control the future.

But the disciples still don’t grasp the significance of Jesus’ death. They are still thinking in terms of an earthly kingdom. Jesus has just spoken of rewards and now the mother of James and John comes to Jesus to ask that her sons be given the places of honour on Jesus’ right and left hand. Mark wrote that the sons made the request (Mark 10:35). Perhaps the sons sent their mom to ask Jesus or they asked Jesus after their mom. Jesus turns to the two and asks them if they are able to endure suffering and death like He is about to. Their response was probably driven by the zeal to rule rather than their understanding of what Jesus was really asking. Jesus told them that they would suffer for him—and both did. But it is God who determines what rewards we all receive one day in heaven. The remaining ten disciples are indignant at the brothers’ request. They’re probably mad because they secretly wanted the highest honour and were irritated at James and John trying to take advantage.

Jesus reminds His disciples that His kingdom doesn’t work the way the world does. On earth, leaders lord their authority over others. But in the church, those who lead must be servants of others. Jesus was the prime example who came, not to be served, but to serve. Where would you place your life on the leader/servant spectrum? Are you driven to lead and be above others, or are you inclined to serve others? It’s not natural to want to serve. If we want to live like Christ, we must think like Christ, and to do that we must be changed by His word (Rom 12:1-2; 2 Cor 3:18).