오직 예수안에서

Let me introduce one man who lived a selfless life. He is Count Zinzendorf (1700 – 1760) who lived in 18^th century Germany. One day he came to see this picture at a museum (Ecce Homo by Domenico Feti). It changed his life. He didn’t live for himself anymore. He started to live for God and for others. He gave away all he had. Zinzendorf, a leader of Moravian Church, motivated many Christians into devotional life and ignited the great evangelism in 19^th century.

Every year we keep the Easter season. Is the story of Jesus touching or mundane?

As we don’t know the meaning of the cross, we don’t want to hear it again and again. it was same for Jesus’ disciples.

³² They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him.

 ³³ "Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles.

 ³⁴ They will mock him, spit on him, flog him severely, and kill him. Yet after three days, he will rise again."

This is the third announcement of the crucifixion. Why three time? It is because they didn’t understand the cross neither pay attention to it. They didn’t want to hear it again and again. But they needed to understand why Jesus was going to be crucified. That’s why Jesus kept saying about the cross.

As the disciples kept hearing the cross, they were anxious and afraid even though Jesus was with them. Even though we come to church every Sunday and are exposed to God’s message regularly, we won’t have peace if we refuse to listen to the message of the cross. For Jesus would confront us with the message again and again.

The message of the cross is hard to accept for us, even for the disciples. Therefore, we should willingly meditate it. Let’s see what Jesus’ disciples did.

 ³⁵ Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

 ³⁶ He said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"

 ³⁷ They said to him, "Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory."

Do you understand this? Their teacher is going to be crucified. Now they are seeking own benefit! They didn’t care about Jesus’ pain. They didn’t have any interest on why the Son of God was going to be crucified.

Their selfish business pursuing own benefits blinded their eyes. They didn’t care about their teachers’ suffering and the message of the cross.

Let’s hear Jesus’ reply to them.

 ³⁸ But Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I experience?"

 ³⁹ They said to him, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience,

 ⁴⁰ but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been prepared."

Beneath the selfish mindset lies this assumption: I can earn glory through my labor and effort. But, remember glory belongs to God. It is not even for Jesus to decide who will get glory. As in the Lord’s prayer, “for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.” As we realize this truth, we would stop our addiction to human glory.

One more observation here is this. Jesus didn’t explain the meaning of His crucifixion when He announced the crucifixion. Why? Jesus must have wanted the disciples to ask about the cross. But they were indifferent about the meaning of the cross. Instead, they asked for the selfish ambitions.

Nevertheless, our merciful Savior explained the meanings of the cross.

 ⁴¹ Now when the other ten heard this, they became angry with James and John.

 ⁴² Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them.

 ⁴³ But it is not this way among you. Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,

 ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all.

 ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Seeking greatness is not bad. Only their understanding about greatness was wrong. In the kingdom of God, the greater serves the lesser. Jesus repeats this (v43, v44).

How could the serving person is greater than the one who is served? We are a family of God. God is our Father. He provides everything we need. We are delivery person. Grace, mercy, and life flow down from Father to us. We handed it down to others. This is how we serve others and why server is greater than being served. If we don’t deliver the food of the soul, they will starve.

Jesus also explained why Jesus was going to die. Verse 45 is the key verse of entire book of Mark. Jesus didn’t say this at public speech. In more private setting, when their selfishness and sinfulness was disclosed, Jesus announced His sacrifice for their sins. The redemption story can be understood properly when it came as personal and individual encounter. Only those who have interest about Jesus’ crucifixion will be touched by this statement, “I died for your sins.”  

Do you want to hear Jesus’ saying, “I died for you”? Don’t be too busy with your selfish ambitions. Meditate the cross. He will let you know about the cross, the deeper and personal meaning of your Savior’s sacrifice.