CI.
FORETELLING HIS PASSION. REBUKING AMBITION.
(Peræa, or Judæa, near the Jordan.)
aMATT. XX. 17-28; bMARK
X. 32-45; cLUKE XVIII. 31-34.
b32 And they were on the
way, going up to Jerusalem [Dean Mansel sees in these words an evidence
that Jesus had just crossed the Jordan and was beginning the actual ascent
up to Jerusalem. If so, he was in Judæa. But such a construction
strains the language. Jesus had been going up to Jerusalem ever since he
started in Galilee, and he may now have still be in Peræa. The parable
of the vineyard which [553] closed the preceding
section was likely to have been spoken before he crossed the Jordan, for
Peræa abounded in vineyards]; and Jesus was going before
them: and they were amazed; and they that followed were afraid. [When
Jesus turned his face toward Jerusalem, his disciples dropped behind and
hung back. The outer circle of his disciples knew enough not to be fearful
of the consequences, and the inner circle, fully acquainted with the dangers,
were amazed that he should dare to go thither. A short while before this
they had despaired of his life when he had proposed to go even into Judæa
(John xi. 7-16), and his going at that time had not bettered the situation,
but had, on the contrary, greatly increased the enmity and danger (John
xi. 47-57). Notwithstanding all this, Jesus was now on his way to Jerusalem
itself, and was speaking no reassuring word as he formerly had done--John
xi. 9, 10.]
a17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took bagain
cunto him athe twelve disciples apart [He separated
them from the throng of pilgrims on the way to the Passover, and from the
outer circle of the disciples, for it was not expedient that these should
hear what he was about to reveal concerning his death. Such a revelation
might have spurred his Galilæan friends to resist his arrest, and
might have resulted in riot and bloodshed], band began
to tell them the things that were to happen unto him, aand on
the way he said unto them,
18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered
unto the chief priests and bthe ascribes; and they
shall condemn him to death, 19 and shall
deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify:
b34 and they shall mock him, and shall spit upon, and shall
scourge him, and shall kill him; and three days he shall rise again. {aand
the third day he shall be raised up.} cand all the things that
are written through the prophets shall be accomplished unto the Son of
man. 32 For he shall be delivered up
unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and shamefully treated, and spit
upon: 33 and they shall scourge and kill
him: [554] and the third day he shall
rise again. [This was the third and by far the clearest and most circumstantial
prophecy concerning his death. For the other two see pp.
415 and 427. The details
are minute even to the complicated arrangement by which the Jewish authorities
pronounced sentence (Matt. xxvi. 66) and forced Pilate to confirm the sentence
(Luke xxiii. 24). Since the evangelists honestly record an actual prediction,
we may well pause to note how remarkable it is in that it gives seven details
as follows: 1. Delivery or betrayal by Judas. 2. Condemnation. 3. Delivery
to the Gentiles. 4. Mocking and the manner of it. 5. Scourging. 6. Death
by crucifixion. 7. Resurrection on the third day. The announcement of these
sufferings was made for the purpose of checking any materialistic hopes
which the apostles might entertain as to the glories, honors, and offices
of the Messianic reign. That such hopes were present is shown by the ambitious
request which immediately follows. Moreover, to prepare them that they
might not be crushed either by the announcement or the accomplishment of
his death he gives them the clear promise of his resurrection.]
34 And they understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from
them, and they perceived not the things that were said. [So fixed and
ineradicable was their false conception of the Messianic reign that they
could not believe that what Jesus said could be literally true (Matt. xvi.
22). Only later did the full significance of his saying dawn upon them--John
xii. 16-xiv. 26.]
b35 And there a20 Then came {bcome}
near unto him athe mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons,
bJames and John, aworshipping him, [giving
him homage as a coming ruler, not worshiping him as a divine being],
and asking a certain thing of him. bsaying unto him, Teacher,
we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall ask of thee.
[Zebedee's wife was named was Salome. See note on p.
225. They were ashamed of the selfish ambition of their request, and
betrayed that fact by desiring Christ to grant it without hearing it. For
a similar petition, see I. Kings ii. 19, 20. They asked [555] through
their mother, thinking that Jesus would be more likely to favor her than
themselves.]
a21 And he said unto her, {bthem,} aWhat
wouldest thou? bWhat would ye that I should do for you?
[Though Jesus knew what they wished, he required them to state it plainly
and specifically, that their self-seeking might be clearly exposed and
properly rebuked.] aShe saith unto him, Command that these
my two sons may sit, one on thy right hand, and on on thy left hand, in
thy kingdom. b37 And they
said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and
one on thy left hand, in thy glory. [In the previous section
Jesus had spoken about the thrones to be occupied by the apostles. The
sons of Zebedee, presuming on their high standing among the apostles, and
their near relationship to Jesus, were emboldened to ask for special seats
of honor among the promised thrones--the seats to the right and left of
the sovereign being next to his in dignity and consideration; thus Josephus
represents Saul as seated with Jonathan on his right hand and Abner on
his left. The terms "kingdom" and "glory" are here used synonymously. Despite
the fact that Jesus was now telling them plainly of his death, these apostles
could not rid their minds of the delusion that he was about to ascend the
earthly throne of David.]
a22 But Jesus answered and said, bunto them, Ye know
not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I drink? {athat
I am about to drink?} bor to be baptized with the baptism that
I am baptized with? [The word "cup" among the Hebrews meant a portion
assigned (Ps. xvi. 5; xxiii. 5), whether of pleasure or of sorrow.
But the idea of sorrow usually predominated (Matt. xxvi. 39, 42; Rev. xiv.
10; xvi. 19; xviii. 6; Ps. lxxv. 8; Isa. li. 17; Jer. xxv. 15). To be baptized
with suffering means to be overwhelmed with it, a metaphorical use of the
word arising from the fact that it means an immersion. This metaphorical
use of baptism aids us to understand the meaning of that word, for neither
sprinkling nor pouring could have suggested the overpowering force which
the metaphor implies. Alford distinguishes [556] between
cup and baptism, making the former refer to inward spiritual suffering,
and the latter to outer persecution and trial.]
39 And they said {asay} unto him, We are able. bAnd
Jesus said {asaith} unto them, My {bThe} cup that
I drink aindeed ye shall drink: band with the baptism
that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized [They probably thought
that Jesus referred to some battle or conflict which would attend the ushering
in of the kingdom, and as they were not wanting in physical courage, they
were ready enough to pledge themselves to endure it. They spoke with unwarranted
self-confidence, but Jesus rebuked them very gently, as he foreknew what
suffering they would indeed endure. James was the first apostolic martyr
(Acts xii. 2), and John's spirit was sorely troubled with the conflict
of error, as his epistles show, and his last days were darkened by the
shadow of persecution--Rev. i. 9]: 40 but
to sit on my right hand or {aand} on my left hand, is
not mine to give; bbut it is for them for whom it hath
been prepared. aof my Father. [Future rewards are indeed
meted out by the hand of Christ (II. Tim. iv. 8; Rev. ii. 10, 17, 26, 28;
iii. 12, 21, et al.), but they are not distributed according to
caprice or favoritism, but according to the will of the Father and the
rules which he has established. Jesus proceeds to set forth the principles
by which places of honor are obtained in his kingdom.]
24 And when the ten heard it, they were {bbegan to be} amoved
with indignation concerning the two brethren. bJames and John
42 And {abut} Jesus called them unto him, and said {bsaith}
unto them, Ye know that they who are accounted to rule over {athe
rulers of} the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise
authority upon them.
26 Not so shall it be {b43 But it is not so} among you: but
whosoever would become great among you, shall be your minister;
44 and whosoever would be first among you, ashall be your servant:
bshall be servant of all. [The ten, sharing the same ambition
as the two, jealously resented their efforts to take unfair advantage of
[557] the Lord's known affection for them. To
restore peace among them, and to correct their false views, he draws the
distinction between the worldly greatness to which they aspired, and the
spiritual greatness which they ought to have sought. In an earthly kingdom
honor and authority measure greatness, but in Christ's kingdom it is measured
by humility and service. Jesus added power to his rebuke by showing them
that their spirit was not even Jewish, but altogether heathenish.]
45 For {a28 even as} bthe Son of man also came not
to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for
many. [He enforces this lesson by his own example in that he came to
serve men and not to have them serve him. Jesus could ever refer to himself
as the best example of the virtues which he taught. Since honor consists
in being like the King, the highest honor consists in being most like him.
The closing words state the vicarious nature of Christ's suffering as plainly
as language can express it. The ransom is offered for all (I. Tim. ii.
6), and will be efficacious for as many as accept it. The words are nearly
a reproduction of the words of Isaiah--Isa. liii. 12.]
[FFG 553-558]
