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Matthew 20:17-34 ESV

And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “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 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 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.” 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.” 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.” And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 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. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

I. OFTEN COPIED, NEVER DUPLICATED (17-19)
A. Many have tried to copy the leadership style of Jesus.
B. Everybody wants the long-term success of Jesus. Few willing to endure the suffering of Jesus.

II. A MOTHER’S REQUEST (20-24)
A. James and John seek positions of power.
B. They are willing to face the same fate as Jesus and do but who got what position in the kingdom was not up to Jesus.

III. LEADING IN THE KINGDOM (25-34)
A. Must lead like Christians, not Romans.
B. Serve in secret not to become celebrities.
C. Be a servant that leads, not a leader who serves.
D. Never get so busy serving others that you forget to serve others.

IV. JESUS, MORE THAN OUR EXAMPLE
A. Our example: Jesus serves first, leads second.
B. Our example: Following Jesus means following Him into a life of selfless, sacrificial, & conspicuous service to others.
C. Our ransom: Jesus pays our ransom by being our ransom.
D. Our redemption: Jesus secures our redemption by being our Redeemer.

CLOSING: As a church shaped by the Gospel, we see the world through an others first lens and rejoice that we get to join Jesus in selfless service