What does it really mean to follow Jesus? In Matthew 20:20-28, a mother approaches Jesus on behalf of her sons James and John, asking for seats of honor in His kingdom. The response Jesus gives cuts to the heart of what Christian discipleship actually looks like: no shortcuts, no easy paths, just the road of suffering and service that He Himself walked first.
This message digs into one of the most countercultural teachings in the New Testament. Jesus asks James and John whether they are able to drink the cup He is about to drink. Throughout Scripture, drinking the cup is a powerful image of suffering, seen in Isaiah 51, Jeremiah 25, and in Jesus's own prayer in Gethsemane in Matthew 26. Glory and suffering are inseparable in God's kingdom.
But suffering is not just something to endure. The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 1 that it has been granted to believers to suffer for Christ, using a word rooted in the Greek word “χάρις” (charis), meaning grace. Suffering, received in faith, is a gift. Here are five reasons why: it strengthens and matures your faith, it loosens your grip on this world and fixes your eyes on eternity, it gives you a powerful opportunity to display the worth of Christ to those around you, it equips you to comfort others with the same comfort God has given you, and it unites you to Jesus in a way that nothing else can.
Jesus also redefines greatness entirely. In His kingdom, greatness is not about accumulating power or climbing over others. It is about humble, consistent service. The motivation for that kind of life comes from the example of Jesus Himself, the King of Kings, who came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.
Topics covered include the meaning of drinking the cup in the Bible, why Christians suffer, how to find purpose in suffering, what true greatness looks like in God's kingdom, servant leadership according to Jesus, and how the gospel fuels a life of service.