A Hard Road before Them

¹⁶ “Listen carefully: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves [have no self-serving agenda].^{(A) 17} Beware of men [whose nature is to act in opposition to God], for they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

²⁵ But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles have absolute power and lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them [tyrannizing them].^{(A) 26} It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your [willing and humble] slave; ²⁸ 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 [paying the price to set them free from the penalty of sin].”

⁵⁰ Jesus said to Judas, “Friend, do what you came for.” Then they came and seized Jesus and arrested Him.

⁵¹ And ^[a]one of those who were with Jesus reached out and drew his sword, and struck [Malchus] the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.^{(A) 52} Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place; for all those who habitually draw the sword will die by the sword.^(B)

³⁵ James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.”^{(A) 36} And He replied to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” ³⁷ They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit [with You], one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory [Your majesty and splendor in Your kingdom].” ³⁸ But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism [of suffering and death] with which I am baptized?” ³⁹ And they replied to Him, “We are able.” Jesus told them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. ⁴⁰ But to sit on My right or left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared [by My Father].”

⁴¹ Hearing this, the [other] ten became indignant with James and John. ⁴² Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their powerful men exercise authority over them [tyrannizing them]. ⁴³ But this is not how it is among you; instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wishes to be first and most important among you must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ^[a]ransom for many.”

Who Is Greatest?

²⁴ Now a dispute also arose among them as to which of them was regarded to be the greatest. ²⁵ Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles have absolute power and lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’^{(A) 26} But it is not to be this way with you; on the contrary, the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest [and least privileged], and the [one who is the] leader, like the servant. ²⁷ For who is the greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

²⁸ “You are those who have remained and have stood by Me in My trials; ²⁹ and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you [the privilege] ³⁰ that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

³⁶ Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world [nor does it have its origin in this world]. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting [hard] to keep Me from being handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this world.”

²⁰ But [we are different, because] our citizenship is in heaven. And from there we eagerly await [the coming of] the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

²⁰ So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us; we [as Christ’s representatives] plead with you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God.

¹⁷ If you address as Father, the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in [reverent] fear [of Him] and with profound respect for Him throughout the time of your stay on earth.

⁹ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.^{(A) 10} Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.^(B)