The Motley Crew – September 29, 2010

Matthew 20:17-28

The Questions

Read Matthew 20:17-19

1. Can Jesus be any more specific?

2. How many times has He told them this now?

3. Don't you wish you would have been there so you could have straightened out their thinking?

4. What does this tell us about Jesus?

Read Matthew 20:20-28

5. Aren't mother's wonderful?

6. Do we need to ask what they still have in mind for Jesus?

7. To what does the cup refer?

8. How would you have felt if you were one of the 10?

9. What were they all missing?

The Motley Crew – September 29, 2010

Matthew 20:17-28

The Questions

Read Matthew 20:17-19

Jesus Again Predicts His Death

 17Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, 18"We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"

1. Can Jesus be any more specific?

Nope. In fact, of all the predictions that He has made, this is the most specific, and is the first prediction to mention crucifixion.

Previously, He had said that “he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” or words to that effect (except one of Luke's versions which said that He “would be betrayed”, Luke 9:44). In these accounts the Greek word was αποκτεινο  (Apokteino), meaning to kill in any manner whatsoever (Strong's Number 615).

2. How many times has He told them this now?

This is at least the third, possibly as many as six times now, but they still don't get it.

3. Don't you wish you would have been there so you could have straightened out their thinking?

Yes and no. Honestly, I'm not sure that I'd have done any better than the 12 that were there. They were in serious denial; they just didn't want to hear this news.

4. What does this tell us about Jesus?

He communicated clearly and He cared deeply.

Compassion, care courage, communicator. His great love, with them and us!

He shows us how to deal with others, as an example of love, patience, etc., including our teenagers. Question: Does the Triune God consider us His teenagers?

Our churches should be a place of love, not pain. They must be places of inclusion, not an exclusive (and excluding) club.

Read Matthew 20:20-28

A Mother's Request

 20Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

 21"What is it you want?" he asked.
      She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."

 22"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"
      "We can," they answered.

 23Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."

 24When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

5. Aren't mother's wonderful?

Usually. They want what is best for their cubs. And watch out if you get between her and her cubs. Notice that she asks nothing for herself.

6. Do we need to ask what they still have in mind for Jesus?

An earthly kingdom. Jesus tries to straighten them out again, but without luck.

7. To what does the cup refer?

His suffering. See:

John 18:11: Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"

Matthew 26:39-42.

 39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

 40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

 42He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."

In particular, “the cup” refers to His suffering for the sins of the world. While all of the disciples suffered, and all but John died as martyrs, only Jesus died for us all.

Verse 28: “... just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The Lutheran Study Bible observed, concerning “but to serve” that “Jesus' service is complete. He gave His very life for the salvation of the world.” (LSB, p. 1626, note 20:28)

Concerning “ransom” the LSB refers us to the definition for “redeem” in a list of definitions in the book of Psalms.

Redeem: Translates two terms. Hebrew ga'al, “to ransom, deliver, buy back”. Hebrew padah, “to ransom,” used especially by Moses for the ransoming of the firstborn from sacrifice (cf Ex 13:13). The Lord redeemed Israel by rescuing them from slavery. In the New Testament, “redeem” and “ransom” describe Jesus' work (Eph. 1:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19). LSB, p. 843.

Ephesians 1:7. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.”

1 Peter 1:18-19. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

There is also a full-page discussion on page 1178 titled “The Suffering Servant King,” especially as this relates to Isaiah, Chapter 42. Verse 1:

"Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
       my chosen one in whom I delight;
       I will put my Spirit on him
       and he will bring justice to the nations.

8. How would you have felt if you were one of the 10?

Put out. The thought is that the brothers and their mother missed the idea of what greatness really is.

9. What were they all missing?

As Dr. Lenski put it: “Greatness is measured by service & not by the power and authority abrogated and assumed.”

• Jesus wants us to be givers.

• Jesus gave first and best.

Luther, in the Small Catechism: “Jesus purchased and won me from all sin, from death and from the power of the devil. Not with silver or gold, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.”

Dr. Lenski, on pages 790-792, discussed Jesus' explanation of greatness in verse 24. He wrote, in part,

With all calmness Jesus gives the explanation which the Twelve needed. All of them were misconceiving his kingdom and following a wrong principle in regard to greatness in this kingdom. They were degrading it to the level of heathen kingdoms. So Jesus points out the vast difference. He points to what we all know: that heathen rulers of all kinds oppress their subjects and thus maintain their rulership; come down on them with great authority and thus maintain their greatness.

But while he thus allows it [greatness] to obtain its own secular sphere, he confines it to that. In fact, “not thus shall it be among you,” demands the very opposite.

Now the Gentile idea of greatness is inverted, turned upside down, the pyramid resting on its apex, the great man not sitting atop the lesser men, but the great man bearing the lesser men on his back. “Let him be your διακονος [diakonos], your ready servant.” … Thus greatness in the kingdom is measured by the readiness and the amount of blessed service rendered to Christ's people. It makes no difference whether they reward and exalt us for this service or not.

This idea is carried to its climax. One wills with a holy will to be “first,” above even those who are “great” in the kingdom. The way in which to attain this height is to be “your slave,” δουλος [doulos], the humblest and lowest of all servants who actually slaves for others in the kingdom and who, despite all his slaving, is ready to remain without praise or honor.

Because this true spirit of the kingdom is absent, the Gentile spirit has often entered, and we have the Roman papacy with its lordship and authority, and among Protestants little popes who dictate instead of serving or slaving. Yet, strange and paradoxical as this principle of Jesus seems, it is literally true. Greatness is measured by service and not by the power and authority arrogated and assumed.

Note 20:28 in the Lutheran Service Book :

Jesus continues to convince His disciples that in His kingdom, humility and service, not acclaim and power, are most highly valued. Just as it was among the Twelve, so also today the lust for power and control over others continues to be a problem in the Christian community. Though many things make J3esus great – among them His role in creating and preserving all things – it is His sacrificial death that is most wonderful for us. Page 1626.

When we look at the Church Calendar for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the men and women whose feasts we celebrate, and those who are commemorated, are those who served with greatness, not those who ruled as great lords. For example, none of the Medici Popes made the list. Those who would seek greatness in this world might consider who history considers great, and who history despises.

We closed with prayer.

Parallel Verses

Death of Christ foretold

A Mother's Request / The Request of James and John

For Additional Study

Online Resources

Book of Concord in PDF Format, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod <http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/LCMS/TrigBOC.pdf> (2MB file)

These texts are in the public domain and may be copied and distributed freely. The source of these translations is Triglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921).

A number of important Lutheran texts can be found in the Belief and Practice section of the website of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod: http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=112

John S. C. Abbott and Jacob Abbott, Illustrated New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/ain/

Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/bnn/

Harold F. Buls
http://www.pericope.org/buls-notes/index.html and
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/wittenberg-bul.html
Adapted from Exegetical Notes, Series A, Festival Season Sundays, Gospel Texts, by Harold H. Buls, Concordia Theological Seminary Press: Ft Wayne IN, 1980

The Adam Clarke Commentary
http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/

Burton Coffman, Commentary on the Whole Bible
http://www.studylight.org/com/bcc/

John Darby, Synopsis of the Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/darby/matthew1.htm

The Greek Interlinear Bible,
http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/Greek_Index.htm
Based on NA26/27. A word-by-word translation of the Greek New Testament.

David Guzik, Commentaries on the Bible
http://www.studylight.org/com/guz/

The Geneva Study Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/geneva/matthew1.htm

John Gill, Exposition of the Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/gill/matthew1.htm

Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete)
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/mh/matthew1.htm

Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/mhc/matthew1.htm

Jamieson, Faussett and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/jfb/matthew1.htm

B.W. Johnson, People's New Testament
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/johnson/matthew1.htm

John Lightfoot, Bible Commentary
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/light/matthew1.htm

Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians
http://www.studylight.org/com/mlg/

J. W. McGarvey, Original Commentary on Acts
http://www.studylight.org/com/oca/

J. W. McGarvey and Philip Y. Pendleton, The Fourfold Gospel (also known as "Harmony Of the Four Gospels")
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/four/matthew1.htm

Alexander Maclaren's commentaries on the books of the Bible (various titles)
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/m#a2330

The NET Bible. <http://bible.org/netbible/> A completely new translation of the Bible with 60,932 translators’ notes. It was completed by more than 25 scholars – experts in the original biblical languages – who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Excellent notes, citing both the Greek and Hebrew, as needed. Greek and Hebrew fonts available without cost.

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures of the New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/rwp/

C. I. Scofield, The Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)
http://www.studylight.org/com/srn/

Charles H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David
http://www.studylight.org/com/tod/

R.A. Torrey, The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
http://www.studylight.org/com/tsk/

W.E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
http://www.antioch.com.sg/bible/vines/

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/wesley/matthew1.htm

Other Additional Resources:
http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/SPLC/Motley%20Crew%20Research%20Resources.html

Other Resources

Barker, Kenneth L., ed., TNIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006)

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions. Readers Edition. (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006)

Davies, Benjamin, ed., Baker's Pocket Harmony of the Gospels (Baker Book House, 1975). Formerly printed as Harmony of the Four Gospels.

Goodrick, Edward W. and John R. Kohlenberger III, eds., The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999). This is the second edition, originally published as the Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance. It was originally published as The NIV Exhaustive Concordance. It should be distinguished from The NIV Complete Concordance by the same authors.

Green, Jay P., ed., The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament. Vol. IV. Second Edition. (Hendrickson Publishers, 1985)

Halley, Henry H., Halley's Bible Handbook. New Revised Edition (24^th Edition). (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1965)

Hickie, W.J., Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1977). This is a reprint of an older edition, originally published by Macmillan, August. 1893. A contemporary review described this as "A handy little volume, compiled on sound principles from trustworthy authorities." The 1911 edition is available online and for download at http://openlibrary.org/b/OL17866849M/Greek-English_lexicon_to_the_New_Testament

Hoerber, Robert G., ed., Concordia Self-Study Bible. NIV (Great Rapids, Zondervan: 1973, 1984).

Lenski, R.C.H., The Interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943, reprinted 1964)

The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2009).

Nave, Orville J., ed., Nave's Topical Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1979)

New Bible Dictionary. Second Edition. (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1962)

Nicoll, W. Robertson, The Greek Expositor's Testament. Vol. 1. Five Volumes. (New York: George H. Doran Co., ca. 1910). Excellent notes on the Greek text and summaries of commentators. Available at Google Books ( www.books.google.com ) and the Internet Archive ( www.archive.org - easier to find here than at Google Books).

NIV Archeological Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005)

Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (Text from Project Gutenberg)

Robertson, A.T., Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Holman Reference, 2000). This “Concise Edition” is derived from the six-volume work by Robertson published in 1933. Robertson was also the author of 45 books, including numerous commentaries, a Harmony of the Gospels, etc. Also available online

Rogers, Cleon L. Jr., and Cleon L. Rogers III, eds., The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998). This is the second edition of the excellent work by Fritz Rienecker, A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, translated and edited by Cleon L. Rogers, Jr.

Strong, James, ed., The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990)

Vine, W.E., Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Original Greek Words with their Precise Meanings for English Readers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, no date). Originally published circa 1940.