Do you ever catch yourself wanting God’s power, but in a way that lets some of the glory land on you as well? That is exactly the request James and John bring to Jesus, dreaming of thrones at his right and left hand (Mark 10), and Jesus answers by joining two images no one had dared to join before: the victorious King from the book of Daniel and the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. This sermon, opening with a scene from a Kansas youth group that is funny and bitter at once, shows that in God’s kingdom we are not interns who must earn their place. Listen and hear why to reign like Christ means to make your life a gift for others.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Jesus has just predicted his death in Jerusalem, and James and John ask for the seats at his right and left. What does their request reveal about how they pictured the Messiah's kingdom?
- Jesus brings together the victorious king of Daniel 7 and the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. How does seeing the cross not as an obstacle on the way to glory, but as glory itself, change the way you understand Jesus?
- The speaker admitted that he wants God's power as long as it can be linked to him. In what situations do you catch yourself wanting something from God that would boost your own reputation?
- The sermon spoke of quiet miracles: generosity when you barely have enough, not insisting on your rights, choosing forgiveness over what you are owed. Which of these is hardest for you, and why?
- The speaker warned against treating the Christian life like an internship where you earn a future reward. How does already belonging to the royal family in Christ change your motivation for serving?
- Whom can you serve this week, at home, at work, or in church, by asking not what they can do for you but what you can do for them?
