Exposition of Matthew (Matthew 20:17-28)

November 26, 2021 

(Jesus’ last days of earthly ministry)

Questions to be answered in this study

1. For reference, what does the word LORD in caps in the Bible signify?
2. What was the first thing Jesus promised the twelve disciples concerning rewards in the kingdom?
3. In context, what are some of the rewards included in the treasures of heaven?
4. There will be degrees of rewards in heaven; what determines those rewards?
5. All believers will stand in judgment before Christ and give an account of how they used their time to serve Him in this life; what is the name of that judgment?
6. Jesus and the disciples had the last supper shortly before the crucifixion; how did Jesus fulfill the meaning of the Passover?
7. The Sanhedrin falsely charged Jesus with a crime that carried the death penalty; what was that charge?
8. Why did Jesus deny the Pharisees a part in the Kingdom of Heaven?
9. What is the primary reason that all mainline denominations label specific religious organizations as cults?
10. Even though James and John could bear the same cup as did Jesus, what was the one thing they could not bear?
11. John the Baptist had the right attitude for becoming the person Jesus taught His disciples to become; what was it?
12. The American dream is all about getting; how does the Spiritual vision of believers differ?
13. What is God’s way of receiving honor?
14. There is a classic entitled “In His Steps,” and the assertion is “what would Jesus Do”? What is the one true answer to that question?

Introduction

In the previous studies, we talked about rewards and how Jesus assigns rewards to faithful believers in the kingdom. Just for reference, the word in caps LORD is translated from the word Jehovah. The first thing Jesus promised the twelve disciples concerning rewards in the kingdom was that they would set on twelve thrones over the tribes of Israel. In context, the treasures of heaven include possessions such as wealth, homes, land, and other things to enjoy throughout eternity. It is true that in heaven, we will constantly live in the attitude of worship toward God our Father, but isn’t that also the way it should be now in the present. Every true and faithful believer will share in the heavenly rewards. However, there will be degrees of rewards depending on opportunity, talents, and dedication in serving the Lord in this life.

All believers will stand before Jesus at the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of how they used their time in this life, which will take into account Spiritual gifts and the opportunities to serve the Lord. God has a purpose for each believer that differs from person to person. The responsibility to fulfill that purpose is ours alone. We are not expected to achieve the same goal as someone exceptionally gifted with the ability and opportunity to share the gospel as was Billy Graham. God does have a purpose uniquely designed for each believer that no one else can fulfill, not even a person like Billy Graham.

The widow in the New Testament an example of one who gave all she had even though it was the smallest denomination of money, and Jesus commended her for what she did to His disciples. As I said in the previous study, it is not the quantity of service to the Lord that counts; it is the quality of service. Not only that, but also the opportunity, length of time to serve, resources, and ability to serve are factors. Some are saved earlier; others have more to give in resources and talent than some others. Just as the widow that Jesus referred to, we are only expected to give from what we have received. Those who have received much are also required to provide much. Ironically, that is not what we commonly see in the church today. It seems that it is often the less qualified and those with the fewer resources which give the most. If every church member gave as they have been prospered, the church would never have a financial problem and could do much more in their mission efforts.

If everyone were dedicated to serving, there would never be a shortage of workers in the church, and the pastor would never have to beg for help to fulfill various positions. Would to God, each of us were to do as the Bible says in Hebrews 12:1 (KJV): “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” The author of Hebrews says that we are to set aside sinful practices that hinder and run the race God has set before us as best we can.

I must confess that I often think about this concept of serving our Lord, wondering if I am entirely using my time and resource to the fullest extent. How am I organizing my time and talent to serve our Lord? Is there much more that I could do if I were more conscious of the benefit of serving God. God’s rewards far exceed anything this world has to offer? There is no excuse for ignorance when it comes to serving God; that is why He gave us the Bible so we could know. Yes, I’m aware that according to statistics, most Christians, in general, spend very little time reading the Bible; therefore, it is no wonder that the church struggles at times for finances and people willing to serve.

The Bible makes us aware that there is a much greater life awaiting those who dedicate their lives to serving Jesus now while there is time. We read in Ecclesiastes 9:10 (KJV): “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” This is not to be taken that the grave is the end; it is God’s incentive for us to make the most of the life He has given us. I hope that not only I but that you also will reevaluate your life carefully to see if you are anywhere near serving God as He expects. Most save for retirement, but how much more is earned off the treasures of heaven that last through all eternity?

Even though Matthew has not dropped the topic of rewards completely, he now takes up the subject of the coming death of Jesus as we continue our study today: 

Matthew 20:17-19, “And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, 18Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.”

Keep in mind that Jesus at this time has journeyed south from Capernaum to the area east of the Jorden River. At Perea, he stopped and preached on marriage and again on the awards of the kingdom as he continued his journey toward Jerusalem. Jesus is now approaching Jerusalem for His final time in His earthly ministry, where He and His disciples will observe the Passover and prepare for the last supper. Jesus wanted the disciples to know what to expect as they drew near to Jerusalem. However, it will only be after His crucifixion and resurrection that they fully comprehend.

It is interesting, indeed, that Jesus and the disciples observed the last supper during the time of the Passover celebration. We call it the Lord’s supper today. It was at this time that Jesus would fulfill the meaning of the Passover. The blood over the doorposts in Egypt foreshadowed the shed blood of Jesus on the post or cross. Those today whose sins are covered by the blood of Jesus escape spiritual death and receive eternal life. When we observe the Lord’s supper, we do so in remembrance of the broken body and shed blood of Jesus.

In these verses, Jesus gives for the third time a detailed explanation as to what will happen when they reach Jerusalem. The religious leaders, the Pharisees, will arrest Him and take Him to an unfair trial to be falsely accused. The Pharisees were offended when Jesus claimed that He and the Father equated Himself with God. So, they accused Him of blasphemy, which carried the penalty of death. In John 10:33-36 (KJV), the Jews were about to stone Jesus and gave the reason why: “The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” The Pharisees denied the deity of Jesus; therefore, Jesus denied them. 

There are religious cults today who also deny the deity of Jesus, yet they, like the Pharisees, believe that they are part of God’s kingdom. I cannot judge anyone’s relationship with God because I do not know their heart, but I do know, according to the Bible, that Jesus denied the Pharisees who refused to accept His deity.

Jesus tells the disciples that He will be tried, tortured, convicted, and sentenced to death by crucifixionby the Gentiles, which refers to the Romans, and then on the third day, he will rise again. Even after Jesus explained His impending death for the third time, the disciples still don’t get it. They still don’t understand that the window of opportunity for Israel to receive the kingdom has closed and that the kingdom is now far in the future.

The hope of the disciples probably rose as Jesus was greeted as a king when He entered Jerusalem and as the people lay down palm branches before Him. But Jesus is not going to Jerusalem to rule and reign in His kingdom; He is going there to die a shameful, ignominious death on the cross for the sins of man; this should not have surprised the disciples because it was foretold in Genesis 3:15 and the prophecies of the Psalms and Isaiah and other places in Scripture.

The disciples were like many today who refuse to accept Scripture but instead superimpose their thoughts and plans. The Scripture bears this out in Luke 18:34 (KJV): “And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.” It was in God’s purpose that they did not understand because the time was not right. If  they had known the crucifixion lay ahead, they might have tried to interfere. So, when Jesus was crucified, they went away to hide in despair, believing their mission was a failure. After the crucifixion, they still had not figured it out and would not until they saw the resurrected Christ eye to eye. 

At the given time, God would open their eyes, and they would understand as we see in Luke 24:36-45 (KJV): “And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. 41And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43And he took it, and did eat before them. 44And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.”

Nevertheless, at present, these disciples remain in the darkness of understanding, as we see in the following verses:

Matthew 20:20-24, “Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 21And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 22But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. 23And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. 24And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.”

The two apostles mentioned in these verses, James and John, were the sons of Zebedee; this is not the James who wrote the eponymous epistle of the New Testament, the half-brother of Jesus. The John mentioned here is John the author of the Gospel, and the other three epistles that bear his name, and the book of revelation. As revealed in the gospels, their mother comes to Jesus, whose name is Salome, with an unusual request that her sons sit to the right or left of Jesus’ throne in His kingdom. Salome was related to Mary, the mother of Jesus; James and John, therefore, were cousins of Jesus.

To sit at the right or left of Jesus in His kingdom would certainly be a position of great honor, the right hand being the highest honor with the left hand in second place; it would also be a position of authority. This mother requested that her sons hold the highest positions in the kingdom next to Jesus the Lord. This request was not unusual in those days, nor would it be today since mothers want to advance their son’s careers as much as possible.

We, therefore, cannot blame this mother for her desire to advance her sons. She also was a devoted follower of Jesus who followed Jesus in His Galilean ministry. She was at the foot of the cross at the crucifixion of Jesus and with the two Mary’s when they brought spices to anoint the body of Jesus at the tomb. She was among the first to discover that the Lord had resurrected from the dead. In the gospel of Mark, we learn that it was the brothers who put their mother up to asking Jesus for this lofty position.

The reason they asked for such a high position is revealed in Matthew 19:28: “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” So, they wanted to put their request in as soon as possible for the highest position. This displeased the other disciples as we see in verse 24: “they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.”

Peter probably thought these two were trying to usurp his authority since Jesus had already said that he, Peter, would be the rock and hold the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. The disciples, no doubt, we’re anxious to hear Jesus’ response. So, in verse 22, Jesus said, “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the same baptism that I am baptized? They again show their ignorance by replying that they could. In a sense, James and John could indeed share in Jesus’ cup in that they would know persecutions and suffering as did Jesus and die for their faith. James would be the first of the disciples to die because of his stand for Jesus. Although they did not understand to bear the cup of Jesus meant to bear God’s wrath on sin, paying the price of man’s sins through death on the cross, this they in no way could do. Secondly, Jesus tells them that to bestow such an honor was not His to give but given it by the Heavenly Father’s authority.

We need to acknowledge that these men were dedicated to Jesus, for they were willing to bear His cup even though it would mean persecution and suffering and ultimately cost them their lives just as it did Jesus. We may not have to experience the things James and John did, but we should be willing and have the heart to face whatever is necessary for the service of our Lord. Our rewards do not depend so much on what we do as it does on our willing heart to do whatever we are called to do. Our very goal in life should be to strive to be more like Jesus and be ready to make whatever sacrifice we need in our service to Him. Let your goal become the person Christ created you to be.

In the following verses, Jesus sums up what it means to become the person Jesus created us to be; it is not hard to figure out; it is becoming more like Him: 

Matthew 20:25-28, “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

John the Baptist had the right attitude for becoming the person Jesus is talking about in the verses above: John said, “I must decrease so that He may increase.” Before we can increase in the attributes like those of Jesus, we must decrease in the fleshly attributes. It is not self-improvement as the world teaches; it is Jesus in us changing us from the inside out. Jesus is our model who said in verse 28, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”The American dream is all about getting, but the spiritual dream is about what we can give. If that sounds opposite to all you have heard from the world perspective, it certainly is, but it is God’s way to becoming the person He wants you to be.

Honor is something for which we are to qualify by the way we treat others. Jesus used a negative example in verse 25 to show us how to minister to others: “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.” That is still the world’s standard today. It is the opposite of what Jesus is teaching His disciples. In verses 26-27, Jesus said, “But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” Jesus demonstrated this by washing the feet of the disciples at the last supper. Foot washing is not an ordinance, but there is nothing wrong with showing your humility.

The Pharisees took advantage of their position to Lord it over others. They served themselves instead of those under them and enriched themselves at the expense of others. That is the general trend of the rich and famous in the world today. The main appeal to money and power is getting what you want and doing what you want without considering those who need your help, helping them instead of them serving you; that was the opposite of the Caesars and great men of the time of Jesus who made it hard on the poor and sometimes enslaving them. We see that very same thing today as leaders in government are trying to have their way while the poor and middle class who suffer the results by paying higher prices for everything while losing personal freedom and depending on government assistance. 

The world’s way of honor is found through wealth and power, and it seemed to be the way the disciples thought because that was the example they saw in the Pharisees. However, Jesus is teaching them that is not the way to receive the honor in the kingdom.

Today we are not to strive to be recognized as one of the great leaders of the church but to humble ourselves to serve others and help them even above helping ourselves. Jesus said, “He who is the greatest in the body is the one who seeks to serve others.” The most significant person is the person who acts most like Jesus. He is that person who is trying to see that the needs of others are being met. In verse 27, Jesus said the honor is to go to those whose goal is to honor others by serving their needs and not for attention or personal reward. Jesus sets that example in verse 28: “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Paul sums it up well in Philippians 2:3-11: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.”

The flesh thinks of its desires as more important than the needs of others. Still, Jesus, who was God in the flesh, did the opposite, thinking of our needs and willing to humble Himself to become a servant and suffer the agony and suffering of the cross that we might be redeemed from the bondage of sin. Jesus is our example though we are not expected to die but to live to serve Him and the needs of others. There is a classic entitled “In His Steps,” and the assertion is “what would Jesus Do”? If you want to know what Jesus would do? There is one answer: He became a servant. The question now is, what shall we do?