They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was going to happen to him. 33 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles 34 who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise.”
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 He replied, “What do you wish [me] to do for you?” 37 They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 They said to him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. 42 Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. 43 But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; 44 whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus and His disciples are “on the way, going up to Jerusalem” (v. 32). Jerusalem is the place where His suffering, death, and resurrection will soon unfold. Mark says that Jesus “went ahead of them” (v. 32). He leads the way with full knowledge of what awaits Him. They are amazed and afraid because Jesus is deliberately leading them toward Jerusalem, where opposition to Him is growing and where He has already said He will suffer, be killed, and rise again.
Jesus then takes the Twelve aside and tells them, for the third time, what will happen to Him. This prediction is the most detailed. He says that the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, condemned to death, handed over to the Gentiles, mocked, spat upon, scourged, and killed. Then He adds, “but after three days he will rise” (vv. 33-34). Jesus knows the suffering and death that await Him, but He accepts the Father’s saving plan. Luke expresses this same resolve when he says that Jesus “resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem” (Lk. 9:51).
The words Jesus speaks here will be fulfilled in the Passion narrative. He will be brought before the Jewish leaders, handed over to the Roman authorities, mocked, scourged, crucified, and raised from the dead (Mk. 14:53-65; 15:1-20, 24, 37; 16:6). Mark is showing that the death of Jesus is part of God’s saving work. Jesus goes to Jerusalem to give His life for the salvation of the human race.
Immediately after this solemn prediction, James and John come to Jesus with a bold request. They say, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you” (v. 35). When Jesus asks what they want, they answer, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left” (v. 37). They believe Jesus is moving toward glory, but they still imagine that glory in terms of honor, rank, and position on earth.
Jesus answers, “You do not know what you are asking” (v. 38). His glory will pass through suffering and death. In Mark’s Gospel, the places at Jesus’ right and left will soon be occupied by two men crucified with Him (Mk. 15:27). James and John ask for honor, but Jesus directs them toward His Passion, where He will obey the Father, suffer, and die for the salvation of sinners.
Jesus asks, “Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” (v. 38). The “cup” points to the suffering Jesus will accept in obedience to the Father. In the Old Testament, the cup can refer to the destiny God permits or assigns, including judgment and suffering (Ps. 75:9; Is. 51:17; Jer. 25:15). Jesus will later pray in Gethsemane, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will” (Mk. 14:36). The “baptism” He speaks of here points to His immersion in suffering and death.
James and John answer, “We can” (v. 39). They do not yet grasp the full cost of their words, but Jesus tells them that they will indeed share His cup and baptism. James will later be killed for his witness to Christ (Acts 12:2), and John will suffer exile “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 1:9). Following Jesus can require real sacrifice. The disciple follows a Lord who gave Himself completely for our salvation.
Jesus then says that the places at His right and left are “for those for whom it has been prepared” (v. 40). Honor in the kingdom belongs to God’s wisdom and preparation. The disciples are called to faithfulness, not to the control of rank or reward.
When the other ten hear about the request, they become indignant at James and John (v. 41). Their reaction shows that the same desire for status is present among them too. Jesus summons them all and teaches them how authority must be lived among His followers.
He points to the rulers of the Gentiles, who “lord it over” others and make their authority felt (v. 42). Then He gives the rule for His own community: “whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all” (vv. 43-44). Jesus teaches a new way to understand greatness. In His kingdom, greatness is measured by humble service, not by the power to command others.
This teaching reaches its center in His own mission: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (v. 45). Jesus does not only teach service; He reveals it in His own life. His service is His Passion and death. He gives Himself to free sinners and bring them into the life God intended for them.
The word “ransom” points to deliverance. Jesus gives His life on behalf of others. His words recall the suffering servant in Isaiah, who “bore the sin of many” and gave his life as an offering for sin (Is. 53:10-12). The word “many” carries the sense of a multitude. Jesus’ saving death is for the world, for Jews and Gentiles alike. As John writes, Jesus Christ is “expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world” (1 Jn. 2:2). Paul says the same truth in another way: “one died for all” (2 Cor. 5:14).
This passage brings the disciples face to face with the full meaning of following Jesus. He is going to Jerusalem to suffer, die, and rise. Those who follow Him are drawn into His way of life: obedience to the Father, humble service, and trust even when faithfulness brings suffering and sacrifice. Christian service begins in ordinary acts of charity, patience, forgiveness, and care for those in need. These acts become Christian when they are joined to Christ, who served us and gave His life for many.
Lord Jesus Christ, You went ahead of Your disciples on the road to Jerusalem and gave Your life for our salvation. Teach us to follow You with humble hearts. Free us from the desire for honor that separates us from others, and give us the grace to serve in the spirit of Your love. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Mark 10:32-45; Psalm 75:9; Isaiah 51:17; Isaiah 53:10-12; Jeremiah 25:15; Mark 14:36; Mark 15:27; Luke 9:51; Acts 12:2; 2 Corinthians 5:14; 1 John 2:2; Revelation 1:9.
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Notes on Mark 10:38 and 10:42-45.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. Page 85.
- Casciaro, José María, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. Page 202.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. Pages 618-619, paragraphs 65-67.
- Aguilar Chiu, José Enrique, et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. Pages 1007-1008.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid OP, and Donald Senior CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition. London: Bloomsbury, 2022. Pages 1268-1269.
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