Following the Man of Sorrows – part 4

Aug 16, 2026 • Rory Mosley

063 Following the Man of Sorrows – part 4

Mark 10:32-45 (38-45)

August 16, 2026

It felt to me like we had to end a little abrupt this morning,

So I want to jump back into the conversation that we were having.

We are talking about the wrong attitudes of the disciples,

Especially regarding their understanding of following Christ.

#1 FEARFUL AMAZEMENT

Mark 10:32-34

· They were wrong to be amazed that Jesus was obedient.

· They were wrong to fear God’s sovereign plan for it all.

#2 MISGUIDED FOCUS

Mark 10:35-38

This is where we were THIS MORNING.

James and John came asking for the most prestigious seats in the coming kingdom.

Many have pointed out the problem with their ambition.

· Indeed, selfish ambition has no place among the body of Christ.

· They were certainly wrong to assume they deserved those seats above any other believer, including the rest of the disciples. And Jesus will reveal that.

But the other problem, and one that is commonly overlooked,

Is that their request revealed that their focus was all wrong.

They had signed up to follow Jesus,

But their mind wasn’t on following, their mind was on compensation.

I’ve heard it many times today from employers and managers

As they talk about this latest generation to hit the workforce.

They say, “These kids don’t want to work they just want a paycheck.”

Do you see the similarity in what James and John just asked Jesus?

They signed on to follow.

· Jesus hasn’t even been to Jerusalem yet.

· Jesus hasn’t been betrayed yet.

· Jesus hasn’t been condemned yet.

· Jesus hasn’t been scorned or mocked yet.

· Jesus hasn’t been crucified yet.

· Jesus hasn’t been raised yet.

· They have not been sent out yet.

But James & John stopped in bright and early to ask for a raise.

Talk about NOT understanding their calling.

As we closed this morning we noted that the disciples had yet to grasp the fact that they were following the “Man of Sorrows”.

He was going to be rejected and die.

Their focus on reward is premature.

BUT NOT ONLY THAT,

Why would one expect to receive a reward

When there had yet to be any labor accomplished?

NOW THIS IS WHERE IT GETS TRICKY FOR US

For, on one hand, we realize that everything God gives us is totally by grace.

· We even know that eternal rewards are given by His grace.

· We heard Jesus reveal that “the first will be last and the last first”

· We remember that parable in Matthew’s gospel about the man hiring workers

and paying them all the same.

When God compensates His followers

He does out of extreme generosity and out of immeasurable grace.

WE SEE THAT TODAY, even in the temporal compensation we enjoy through the church.

· Not every member does the same work.

· Not every member does the same amount of work.

· Not every member does the same type of work.

· But we all enjoy the blessing of the church.

So we know that even eternal reward is measured out by grace.

Jesus even suggests that later to James and John in verse 40

When He says, “But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

So even the position James and John coveted,

Jesus reveals that it is a position

Divvied out by God’s sovereign electing grace.

So we understand that even eternal reward is given by grace, not merit.

SO WHY ARE WE NOW TALKING ABOUT WORKS?

Why did Jesus tell James and John that the pathway to such a position would come through drinking His cup and sharing His baptism?

This gets a little more confusing

When we consider all the passages in Scripture

That highlight the importance of Christian labor.

1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”

· Overseeing the church is called work.

1 Timothy 5:17 “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”

· Preaching is called work.

2 Timothy 4:5 “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

· Evangelism is called work.

1 Corinthians 16:10 “Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without cause to be afraid, for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I also am.”

1 Peter 1:17 “If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;”

· Peter says that God judges according to your work.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 “constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,”

Ephesians 4:12 “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;”

Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

· There Paul calls for work and then mentions the reward that comes with that work.

You see it over and over and over.

Not only that, but clearly God’s judgment is according to works.

Matthew 16:27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.”

Or do you remember that parable of the talents, how the one man did nothing with the talent which was entrusted to him?

Matthew 25:24-30 “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. ‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. ‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. ‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. “Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

· Clearly his works (or lack of them) affected his judgment.

Even consider Christ and His reward before the Father.

John 9:4 “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.”

John 17:4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”

And who could forget the great passage in Philippians about Christ’s humiliating incarnation and death on the cross?

Then we read:

Philippians 2:9-11 “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Christ was rewarded “for this reason”.

SO HOW DO WE RECONCILE SUCH TRUTHS?

ON ONE HAND that God rewards out of generosity and grace where the first are last and the last are first.

AND ON THE OTHER HAND where God rewards as a result of our works and labors.

WHICH IS IT?

Is God going to freely give rewards by grace,

Or is God going to pass them out according to labor and merit?

And like so many other puzzling doctrines in Scripture,

The answer is once again, “YES”.

YOU ARE NO STRANGER TO SUCH REALITIES.

We know that God foreknows, elects, regenerates, calls, saves, sanctifies, seals, and glorifies His elect.

But at the same time those same elect must also hear, repent, believe, and persevere to the end.

They are not contradictions, both are true.

SO IT IS WITH OUR ETERNAL REWARD.

No one will receive reward in heaven and boast to others about having earned it.

At the same time, no one who refused to work on earth ought to think that they have any reward coming.

Every follower of Jesus will receive an eternal inheritance

By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And every follower of Jesus will also follow Him faithfully on earth.

The two truths are not in conflict.

THIS TEXT FOCUSES ON the reality that

True followers of Christ should be more focused on the labor before them

Than the payment they will receive for it.

AND THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO US.

Who wants to call a preacher to come and preach or officiate a funeral or a wedding, or to hold a counseling session;

And the first thing the preacher says is, “How much will you pay me?”

· You don’t really want that preacher.

· You want the one who will minister for free,

· And that is the one you will gladly compensate graciously.

What James and John needed to realize is that their focus was wrong.

All they could think about was what they were going to receive,

When now was the time for them focus on how they were going to follow.

AND AGAIN CHURCH, I LAY THAT FOCUS AT OUR FEET.

· I’m not saying it is wrong to fix your eyes on heaven…it is not.

· I’m not saying it is wrong to contemplate your eternal inheritance…it is not.

· I’m not saying that such truths should not motivate you…they should.

But you are not in heaven today.

Today you are on earth.

And as long as you are here

Your chief focus must be on following faithfully.

When this life is over and you stand before the Lord,

Then you can start thinking how you want to decorate your mansion.

Right now focus on following.

The Son of Man is about to go to Jerusalem and be betrayed, arrested, condemned, mocked, and executed.

And we have been called to follow Him there.

· Do not skip the mission and expect to share in the spoils.

· Do not skip the job and expect to share in the payment.

· Do not skip the struggle and expect to hold the trophy.

Right now is the time to serve and work and labor and follow

And even suffer for Christ.

James and John had the wrong attitude.

Fearful Amazement, Misguided Focus

#3 PRESUMPTUOUS OUTLOOK

Mark 10:38-40

It’s not difficult to see how presumptuous James and John were here.

The very fact that they approached Jesus with the question

Makes it obvious.

It was incredibly presumptuous to assume

They deserved those two spots and that Jesus would give it to them.

But here their presumption approaches a level that shocks us even more.

After they came asking for the two best seats Jesus asked,

“Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”

We already discussed that this refers TO HIS DESTINY.

· The destiny that He has revealed now 3 times to the disciples (4 to James and

John).

· He is going to Jerusalem to suffer and be killed.

We even further understand the concept of the cup as the full wrath of God which Jesus will drink on behalf of sinners.

The cup that Jesus is about to drink is beyond any human.

And the shocking answer to us comes when they say, “We are able.”

Now in fairness

· James and John did not yet understand the full aspect of that cup.

· What they likely understood was Jesus’ prediction of suffering and death.

It is more likely they understood the question to be:

· Can they go and suffer with Him?

· Can they go and die with Him?

AND THEY SAY, “We are able.”

· If You can do it, we can do it.

· We can handle whatever You can handle.

I don’t know if presumptuous is a strong enough word.

NOW, LET’S BE HONEST.

There is coming a day when they will boldly go and drink this cup.

And that’s what Jesus says:

“The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.”

They are going to suffer.

And they are going to suffer well.

James will be the most hated of all the apostles and consequently the first to be killed.

Acts 12:1-2 “Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword.”

· James would be the first of the apostles to die.

John would be the last.

· He would suffer imprisonment and exile,

· It is even recorded that he would survive being dipped in boiling oil.

And that doesn’t even include

All the other persecutions they would endure.

You remember that it was Peter and John who were arrested in the temple after curing the man crippled in his feet.

Later the Jews arrested all of the apostles and threatened them. Before they released them we read:

Acts 5:40-42 “They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”

Suffering for them was coming.

They were going to suffer persecution for the name of Christ.

AND THEY WOULD FACE IT AND ENDURE IT WELL ON THAT DAY.

BUT ON THIS DAY THEY ARE PRESUMPTUOUS

We know what’s coming.

Mark 14:27-31 “And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.’ “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times.” But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also.”

· James and John were right there with Peter and the rest.

However in the garden when Jesus was arrested:

Mark 14:50 “And they all left Him and fled.”

And we are reminded of Paul’s warning to the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 10:12 “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.”

There would come a day when James and John

Would endure much suffering.

But on this day, they were merely arrogant man,

Presuming they deserved what they had not earned,

Presuming they could handle whatever it took to obtain it.

The picture here reminds us of that young man

Running to enlist in the military so he can go to war and obtain glory

And having no idea what he is actually signing up for.

How many times have we heard the Lord tell us to “count the cost”?

· Did He not warn us about the shallow soil that would fall away when the sun got hot because it was not prepared to handle the heat?

THERE IS DANGER THERE,

And we must guard against this faulty attitude too.

It does us no good to ignore the reality of suffering,

Or to ignore the fact that apart from Christ’s help

We cannot overcome it.

TAKE SPECIAL NOTICE THAT

Jesus does in fact remind James and John that they will drink the cup.

And are we not told the same?

· I mean, we actually share in His cup every time we take the Lord’s Supper.

Think about the calling to the churches that we read:

Philippians 1:29-30 “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”

We love the first part of that verse.

· That it has been granted for us to believe.

· We love to talk about foreknowledge, and election, and regeneration.

· We love to discuss how God chose us, awakened us, and called us.

· We love to use the word “elect” and discuss how God granted us faith to

believe.

But don’t overlook what Paul says next.

“It has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake…”

Just as God has granted us faith, He has also granted us suffering.

Paul told Timothy:

2 Timothy 1:8 “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,”

Or Peter:

1 Peter 4:1-2 “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

Or Paul to the Romans:

Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

It will do us no favors to ignore or overlook such truths.

2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

THIS IS A FACT.

· We are following the “Man of Sorrows”

· We are following the One whom the world rejected.

· The world hates Him, if we follow Him they will hate us too.

But it also does us no good to refuse to recognize our weakness

And our need for Christ in order to overcome.

Why do you suppose Paul tells us to “put on the full armor of God”?

Why do you suppose he reminded Timothy:

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”

James and John are about to follow Jesus into Jerusalem

And they are totally unprepared for what they are about to witness.

They are only thinking about the glory.

They are totally overlooking the difficulty of the path.

They are filled with presumption and arrogance and ambition.

· They are not deny themselves

· They are not taking up the cross

· They are not following Jesus

When Jesus reminds them that suffering comes first,

They nonchalantly blow it off. “We are able”.

“Don’t you worry about us.”

The exact same attitude you’ll see in the garden

When they are sleeping instead of praying.

WE MUST REMEMBER

· That in our flesh is no good thing.

· That the flesh is weak.

· We are dependent upon the strength which Christ supplies if we are to follow Him where He has commanded us to go.

SO THINK ABOUT IT.

If you were about to be sent to the beaches of Normandy to storm up the sand into enemy lines…

· Would you want to go over your training one more time?

· Would you want to check your weapon again?

· Would you want to make sure your helmet fit properly?

Only a fool would jump in the boat in flip-flops and Bermuda shorts

And say, “Ah, whatever it is, I’ll be fine.”

THAT IS A DANGEROUS ATTITUDE.

Pay attention to what Christ has promised and what is required.

Remember again the headwaters passage?

Mark 8:34-35 “And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

And then run to Christ for help and strength and armor and guidance.

The problem that continually shows up in the American church is:

We don’t even realize we are in a battle

So we aren’t that concerned about preparing for it.

We don’t even realize we are on a mission

So we don’t spend much time in training to complete it.

WE TEND TO THINK The only goal of Christianity is to keep me healthy and comfortable and prosperous.

“I call on Jesus to make sure I can stay as comfortable as possible until He finally comes back and I can go to heaven and really experience comfort.”

Any promises of suffering or persecution we read in the Bible

Are often met with the same presumptuous arrogance as James & John.

Either it won’t happen or we can handle it.

What a shock was waiting for James and John in Jerusalem.

We cannot have that type of attitude.

You see the wrong attitudes of the disciples:

· Fearful amazement

· Misguided focus

· Presumptuous Outlook

#4 LINGERING SEFLISHNESS

Mark 10:41-45

Well this was bound to happen.

“Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John.”

I’ll be they did!

I’ve heard it many times in my office when people come in to complain about another person.

“They’re just so selfish!”

And I love to respond, “And if you weren’t selfish you wouldn’t notice.”

· The only reason their selfishness bothers you is because you are also selfish.

· If you were only about loving sacrificial service then their selfishness wouldn’t

bother you.

The reason James and John irritated the rest of the disciples

Is because they also wanted those top two spots too.

“I can’t believe they asked for those spots when clearly I deserve one of them!”

“But I wanted to sit there…”

The whole scene is almost comical.

Jesus now leaving Perea and headed toward Jerusalem.

1. First they are shocked that He would actually go to Jerusalem.

2. Then they are afraid to go for what they might face there.

3. Then they put aside their fear to ask for a favor.

4. Then they are oblivious to what they are about to face.

5. Now they are all angry because they all wanted the glory spot.

Could you imagine leading such a group?

They went from shocked and afraid to ambitious and angry

In the span of about 30 minutes.

They are totally self-absorbed.

They are absolutely clueless of what it means to follow Jesus.

THE DISCIPLES’ ATTITUDE IS JUST TERRIBLE.

So Jesus rises up to disciple them again.

You are familiar with the lesson.

(42) “Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them.”

It’s very similar to the lecture He gave them in Peter’s house after they were arguing who was the greatest.

Mark 9:35 “Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

When Jesus talks about “Gentiles” He is merely referencing the world.

And we can understand that.

· We have all seen the politician whose power went to their head.

· We have all seen the manager whose authority puffed them up.

· We have all seen the leader who put their entitlement on display.

People aspire to a position of leadership simply so that they can get their way and flex their muscle and have people do what they want.

AS JESUS PUT IT,

· They “lord it over them”.

· And they “exercise authority over them.”

In one sense this can be a little confusing

Since God clearly established order and authority in the world.

We see words like “authority” and “submission” all over the Bible.

· We are told about the authority of the government.

· We are told about the authority of the husband.

· We are told about the authority of the parents.

· We are told about the authority of the elders in the church.

· And we are told to submit to such authorities in our lives.

But at the same time those who are placed in authority

Are also clearly instructed not to exercise that authority.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

Paul said that the governing authority is:

Romans 13:4a “for it is a minister of God to you for good.”

When Paul spoke about husbands he didn’t tell them to dominate their wives.

Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,”

Colossians 3:19 “Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.”

Peter added:

1 Peter 3:7 “You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.”

When Paul spoke about the authority that a father has over his children, he didn’t tell him to lord it over his kids, he wrote:

Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

Colossians 3:21 “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.”

When Peter wrote about the authority of shepherds or elders over their congregation, he wrote:

1 Peter 5:2-3 “shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”

The authority is real.

And submission to such authority is commanded.

But those in that authority are also clearly told not to “lord it over” them

Or even “exercise” it in some sort of domineering way.

Every one of those verses we just read

Condemn the attitude of the disciples here.

They all wanted power.

James and John specifically asked for the two highest places of power.

Not only did they want to reign with Christ,

They wanted to reign over the rest of the disciples too.

That is not a Christian attitude.

(43-44) “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.”

Christian ambition looks absolutely nothing like worldly ambition.

If it is your objective to get to a place of authority

So that you can get your way, you have no place in the church.

We DON’T assemble so I can get everyone to do what I want.

We assemble so that I can serve my brothers and sisters in Christ.

We recognize that God has gifted us each individually and uniquely

And that the gifts He has given me are beneficial to the body.

So I use my gifts as a service to the rest of the flock.

And when a person does that, greatness emerges!

· Do you love it when Peggy and Marcella play those instruments?

· Do you love it when Leo leads in song?

· Do you love it when Carrie gives you a clean place to sit?

· Do you love it when Tommy fixes the AC or Ronald wires up the lights?

· Do you love it when Pam asks you how you are doing?

When people use their gifts to serve they achieve a status of greatness.

We love them and lean on them and they are great in our eyes.

THE POWER MODEL THE DISCIPLES WANTED

EXPRESSES THE WRONG ATTITUDE.

James 3:13-18 “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

James recognized it didn’t he?

He grew up with Jesus.

· He continually saw the most important person in his family act like the least.

· He continually saw the most powerful person in his family walk in meekness.

· He continually saw the wisest person in his family walk in humility.

The greatness of Jesus is not measured by the armies He led,

Or the budgets He oversaw, or the projects He managed,

Or the people He ruled.

The greatness of Jesus is measured by His sacrifice.

(45) “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

We’re going to talk more about that verse next time,

But the simple point is that the disciples were not thinking like Jesus.