Mark 10:38 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Mark 10:38

Comments

Christ tells them that they didn't understand what they were asking. There would be no earthly kingdom, for one thing, with Christ reigning over a prosperous Israel. It was a heavenly kingdom, and these things were high and mysterious. ‘Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of?’ and Christ foresees his suffering and dying on Calvary's cross, and having the guilt of millions of sinners put upon him, and bearing away the eternal weight of punishment compressed into six hours, on behalf of millions of people. ‘Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of?’ Is it not likely that after Calvary and after the resurrection, James and John would be almost consumed with shame that they ever thought, for a moment, they could share the sufferings of Christ. ‘And be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with?’ – tasting death for every man, and experiencing separation from the Father, and terrible inner spiritual agony of soul. No, of course they couldn’t, but they didn’t realise what they were saying, and they didn’t understand what Christ was saying.

Application

It is interesting: there is good and bad here. They are still blind to what Christ is going to do, and yet you have got to admire them. They are ready to fight. They are ready to suffer and be injured. Well are we? We do understand these things, we have been saved, we have come to Christ, our sins have been forgiven, we have got a new life. But are we ready to fight for him, and to suffer need for him, and to do difficult things for him? They were willing for physical suffering but they did not understand his spiritual mission. We understand his spiritual mission, but very often we are not willing for sacrifice and physical commitment and suffering. At least they were willing to fight and to be involved in what they thought was his great mission.

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Mark 10:38 Commentary and Bible Study