Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Passages like this are very heavy.
The average person is in favor of giving to help people in need.
I have no doubt that many of us in here have recently given money and/or time to help those who are suffering loss because of hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, or because of the wildfires raging in California.
We’re in favor of giving money to a charity, volunteering time, or helping someone.
But if we honestly look at this passage, the kind of giving that Jesus is talking about is frightening.
It strikes fear in our hearts.
That’s because his primary call here is not self-preservation, but self-sacrificial service.
That is life in the kingdom of God, especially among those who are called to lead.
Who rescued these brothers?
It wasn’t Jeremy.
It was Jesus.
How’d he choose to do the rescuing?
He did it by using people he has transformed into self-sacrificial disciples.
That’s the way of God’s kingdom, and it’s upside down.
We are naturally inclined to protect ourselves at all costs.
Most people are not opposed to giving, whether it’s giving money to a charity, or volunteering time, or helping someone.
The average person doesn’t really have an issue with any of that.
But what strikes fear in our heart is the type of living and giving that Jesus describes in our passage.
That’s because the primary call is not self-preservation, but self-sacrificial service.
That is life in the kingdom of God, especially among those who are called to lead.
Who rescued these brothers?
It wasn’t Jeremy.
It was Jesus.
How’d he choose to do the rescuing?
He did it by using people he has transformed into self-sacrificial disciples.
That’s the way of God’s kingdom, and it’s upside down.
We are naturally inclined to protect ourselves at all costs.
Most people are not opposed to giving, whether it’s giving money to a charity, or volunteering time, or helping someone.
The average person doesn’t really have an issue with any of that.
But what strikes fear in our heart is the type of living and giving that Jesus describes in our passage.
That’s because the primary call is not self-preservation, but self-sacrificial service.
That is life in the kingdom of God, especially among those who are called to lead.
We naturally think:
“If I give too much of my resources, I won’t have enough for myself.”
“If I give too much of myself, I may get hurt.
I may be taken advantage of.
I may not be appreciated.”
Tonight I want all of us, especially John, to hear Jesus’ voice summoning us out of those fears and into his service.
I love the gospels.
Because what helps us out is that Jesus’ disciples are jacked up just like us.
We’re not given a picture of twelve guys who had their act together and were in lock step with everything Jesus did and taught.
I want to talk about three things from this text, The Suffering of the Son in vv.
32-34.
Then, The Self-serving Sons in vv.
35-40.
And lastly, The Summons of the Son.
The Suffering of the Son
We want to hear Jesus’ voice summoning us out of those fears and into his service.
I love the gospels.
Because what helps us out is that Jesus’ disciples are jacked up just like us.
We’re not given a picture of twelve guys who had their act together and were in lock step with everything Jesus did and taught.
Our text divides easily into three paragraphs.
So our message Summoned to Serve, will follow those three paragraphs.
We’ll look at The Son’s Suffering in vv.
32-34.
Then, The Self-serving Sons in vv.
35-40.
And lastly, The Son’s Summons.
Our text is the third time in the Gospel of Mark that Jesus, the Son of God, predicts his suffering.
He is making it more and more evident that you cannot separate his message and his mission from his suffering.
These verses fall within the section of Mark’s gospel, from 8:22-10:52 where Jesus’ identity and mission are clearly revealed to those who are following Jesus and to the readers of the gospel.
It becomes more and more evident that you cannot separate his message and his mission from his suffering.
Vv. 32-34 are the third time in this section that Jesus predicts his suffering, death, and resurrection.
He did it in 8:31 and 9:31.
In this third prediction of his suffering, he includes the most detail.
Mark sets the scene in v. 32…
Even before Jesus says anything, the condition of everyone else with him are describe by two words, amazement and fear.
They are traveling on their way up to Jerusalem.
Jesus is going “up” to the suffering that’s awaiting him in Jerusalem.
And don’t miss the contrast and the difference between Jesus and everybody else.
He’s not lagging in the back of the group like a prisoner who’s being led away to his execution.
He’s not even pictured as being among the group, walking on the road together.
He is leading the way.
Even before Jesus says anything, the condition of everyone else with him are describe by two words, amazement and fear.
They are traveling on their way up to Jerusalem.
They’re going “up” literally, because Jerusalem is 3,500 ft higher in elevation than Jericho, their first stop along the way.
But he’s also going “up” to the suffering that’s awaiting him in Jerusalem.
And don’t miss the contrast and the difference between Jesus and everybody else.
He’s not lagging in the back of the group like a prisoner who’s being led away to his execution.
He’s not even pictured as being among the group, walking on the road together.
He is leading the way.
In our Scripture reading from , the Servant of the Lord says in v. 7,
ISAIAH
Jesus has set his face like a flint towards Jerusalem.
He has willingly embraced the sufferings that await him there, and he moves in that direction with a single-minded and unwavering determination.
The disciples are lagging behind.
The disciples are astonished by Jesus’ determination and resolve.
They don’t understand the mission.
The other folk who were following are just described as being afraid.
Jesus has set his face like a flint towards Jerusalem.
He has willingly embraced the sufferings that await him there, and he moves in that direction with a single-minded and unwavering determination.
The disciples are lagging behind.
The disciples are astonished by Jesus’ determination and resolve.
They don’t understand the mission.
The other folk who were following are just described as being afraid.
What does Jesus do?
He takes the twelve and he responds to their astonishment and the fear of the other followers by telling them what’s about to happen to him.
“I am going to suffer.”
These are the things, Jesus says, that are about to happen to me.
But we are going up to Jerusalem.
You’re linked up with me.
To follow me means to follow me into my suffering.
Who wouldn’t be amazed?
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