This pericope shows that the disciples did not understand what Jesus had said (cf. Luke 18:34).
"Despite Jesus' repeated predictions of his passion, two disciples and their mother are still thinking about privilege, status, and power."743
20:20 Evidently James and John approached Jesus with their mother who voiced the request for them (cf. Mark 10:35). The reason they took this approach was not significant to the Gospel writers though it suggests some reticence on the part of James and John. Evidently they believed Jesus would be more favorable to their mother's request than to theirs perhaps because Jesus had been teaching them to be humble. Their kneeling implied respect but not necessarily worship.
20:21 The request evidently grew out of what Jesus had said about the Son of Man sitting on His throne of glory and the disciples judging the 12 tribes of Israel (19:28). The right and left hand positions alongside Jesus suggest positions of prestige and power in His kingdom. Note that the disciples viewed the messianic kingdom as still future. The fact that they would make this request shortly after Jesus had again announced His death shows how little they understood about His death preceding the establishment of the kingdom. They did not understand the need for the Cross much less Jesus' resurrection, ascension, and an inter-advent period.
20:22 The disciples and their mother did not realize that the Cross must precede the crown. To share the crown they would have to share the Cross. Since they did not know what that involved for Jesus they could hardly appreciate what it would mean for them (cf. 5:10-12; 10:37-39). The "cup"in Old Testament figurative usage refers to judgment or retribution (cf. Ps. 75:8; Isa. 51:17-18; Jer. 25:15-28). Jesus used this figure to represent the divine judgment that He would have to undergo to pay for the sins of humanity. The disciples evidently thought that all He meant was popular rejection.
20:23 Jesus answered the disciples on their own terms. They would experience popular rejection. James would become the first apostolic martyr (Acts 12:2) and John would suffer exile (Rev. 1:9), but Jesus would not determine who will sit on His right and left in the kingdom. The Father, under whose authority Jesus served, had already determined that (cf. Mark 10:40).
20:24-27 James and John's request evidently offended the other disciples because they were hoping for those positions. Greatness in the kingdom was still much on their minds despite Jesus' teaching on humility and childlikeness (cf. 18:10).
"The fact that the other disciples were angered at James and John shows that they were in heart and spirit no better than the two brothers. . . . They all wanted the first place."744
Jesus proceeded to contrast greatness in the pagan Gentile world with greatness in His kingdom. He did not criticize the abuse of power that is so common in pagan governments. Rather He explained that the structure of power that exists in pagan governments would be absent in His kingdom. In pagan governments people who promote themselves over others get positions of leadership. However in Jesus' kingdom those who place themselves under others will get those positions. In pagan governments those are great who get others to serve them, but in Jesus' kingdom those who served others will be great. To make His point even clearer Jesus used "servant"(Gr. diakonos) in verse 26 and then "slave"(Gr. doulos) in verse 27.
20:28 Jesus presented Himself, the Son of Man, as the supreme example of a slave of others. He would even lay down His life in the service of others, not just to help them but in their place. As Messiah, Jesus had every right to expect service from others, but instead He served others.
"To be great is to be the servant (diakonos) of many; to be first is to be the bond-servant (doulos) of many; to be supreme is to give one's life for many."745
The Greek word lytron("ransom") was a term used frequently in non-biblical Greek to describe the purchase price for freeing a slave.746This word connotes a purchase price whenever it occurs in the New Testament.747"For"(Gr. anti) indicates the substitute nature of Jesus' death.748The "many"for whom He would die could be the elect or all mankind (cf. Isa. 52:13-53:12). Other passages seem to favor the interpretation that by His death Jesus made all people savable. However only the elect experience salvation and enter the kingdom (e.g., John 3:16; Eph. 1:4-7). This is one of the great Christological and soteriological verses in the Bible. It is also the first time that Jesus explained the reason He would die to His disciples.
"The implication of the cumulative evidence is that Jesus explicitly referred to himself as Isaiah's Suffering Servant . . . and interpreted his own death in that light . . ."749
