Matthew 20:20-28

“Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of Him. “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.” “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. Jesus 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.” When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over to them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — 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.”

As we continue to consider the kingdom of God, we will consider particular principles of God’s kingdom that set it apart from the many earthly kingdoms we are surrounded by today. In light of this, our actions and livelihood within the kingdom of God should be drastically different from those living in only earthly kingdoms. Knowing of the kingdom of God and truly living within the kingdom of God are two completely different concepts. As we study Matthew 20:20-28, we will read of an experience between Jesus and the disciples that will serve as a helpful reminder of what kingdom living should look like in our lives.

READ Matthew 20:20-28.

  1. How do you interpret the request made by James and John’s mother?

  2. How was their understanding of the kingdom of God by James, John and their mother incorrect?

    1. Does this still happen in our world today? How so?

  3. Who has the ultimate authority in the kingdom of God and how does this impact the way we live as its citizens?

    1. How do you see this take place in Matthew 26:36-39?

  4. How does Jesus compare worldly kingdoms to God’s kingdom in v.26-27?

    1. What does this tell us about God’s kingdom?

    2. What does this tell us about worldly kingdoms?

    3. Where else do we hear Jesus speak this type of language?

  5. What does it mean that Jesus came to serve?

    1. How does this verse impact the way we live as citizens?.

REFLECTION: read over a.w. tozer's seven marks of a spiritual man and see how you are measuring up.

  1. A Kingdom minded man a desire to be holy rather than happy. The truly Kingdom man knows that true contentment comes from being right with God not from having perfect circumstances and material possessions here on earth.

  2. A Kingdom minded man may be considered Kingdom minded when he wants to see the honor of God advanced through his life, even if it means that he himself must suffer temporary dishonor or loss. This is the position of a man who so desperately wants God's glory to be made manifest through his life that he will pray, "Lord, whatever it takes, make me what you want me to be for your own glory, not for mine.”

  3. A Kingdom minded man wants to carry his cross — This cross is not forced upon us, it is not a burden we grudgingly bear, it is something we take up as we follow Christ, it is the instrument which will bring death to self. Carrying a cross means to be attached to the Person of Christ, committed to His Lordship and obedient to His commands. The man who is so attached, so committed, and so obedient, is a spiritual man.

  4. A Kingdom minded man is one who sees everything in this life and the life to come from God's point of view. God, looks at and through at the same time. His gaze does not rest on the surface but penetrates to the true meaning of things. The carnal Christian looks at an object or situation, but because he does not see through it he is elated or cast down by what he sees. The spiritual man is able to look through things as God looks and think of them as God thinks.

  5. A Kingdom minded man would rather die right than live wrong. A true mark of a spiritual man is that he is not careless about the way he lives. He will never be willing to purchase a few extra days of life on earth at the cost of compromising his eternal relationship with God. He wants most of all to be right in God's eyes, even if that puts him at odds with those around him. Again, his desire is to be right with God, whatever it costs.

  6. A Kingdom minded man desires to see others advance at his own expense. This is the mark of a true servant. He is willing and desirous of seeing others get the spotlight and receive the accolades of men, rather than advancing himself. As a servant he realizes that all glory belongs to God and it is His to give to whom He will, it is not ours to gain.

  7. A Kingdom minded man makes decisions based on eternity, instead of basing them on the temporary reality we know as earthly life. By faith he is able to rise above the tug of earth and the flow of time and has learned to think and feel as one who has already left the world. He is living in the spiritual realm, not merely the material world.