Verse by Verse

1 Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.

² Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.

³ And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

⁴ Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.

⁵ And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.

⁶ Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

⁷ But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

⁸ So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.

⁹ “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.

¹⁰ Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

¹¹ This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

¹² And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.

Also found in Matthew 21:33-46 and Luke 20:9-19.

The chapter division here is unfortunate, since the parable arises out of the challenge of the chief priests. Its scope is remarkably comprehensive, covering the centuries of Israel’s past history, depicting the present situation of conflict, and pointing to its future issues. As a national symbol of Israel, the vineyard was familiar from the Old Testament (e.g. Isaiah 5:1-7) and would quickly be so understood. The hedge to give protection from wild animals, the pit for the wine press, a vessel or trough to gather the juice of the pressed grapes, and the tower, a wooden booth on a high platform for a watchman (all of them words represented in the LXX of Isaiah 5), are all necessary elements in the story exhibiting collectively the care bestowed by the landlord. — Guthrie, page 876.

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Our Lord was accusing the spiritual leaders of Israel of being the future murderers of the Messiah, and this in the presence of the crowd. His purpose was to expose the true character of the hostility of the Sanhedrin. The vineyard was a recognized symbol of Israel itself as the covenant people, and both the members of the Sanhedrin and the better-taught among the crowd, could not but understand the symbolism. The wine vat referred to the receptacle into which the wine ran after it had been pressed out of the grapes. The man who planted the vineyard is God, the vinedressers, the spiritual leaders of Israel. The hedge speaks of God’s protecting care over Israel and His blessings upon the Chosen People. — Wuest, page 228.

receive some of the fruit (v.2) — The payment of the lease was to be with wine.

servant (v.2) = bondslave

The servants sent by the vineyard owner are the Old Testament prophets sent to Israel.

They threw stones (v.4) — not in the best manuscripts, but the abuse heaped upon the second servant in the rest of the verse is.

The Greek text [of v.5] reads, “Yet he had one,” that is, one person to send, after all his bondslaves were either maltreated or killed. He reasons that the vineyard men would not dare to harm his son. … But to the owner any other result was inconceivable, and the parable sets forth the improbability from the human point of view, of such an issue as the incarnation actually had. All of which means that mankind does not have any proper conception of the utter and complete depravity of the fallen race, nor to what lengths it will go to hold on to its sin. In using the words “beloved son,” our Lord may have had in mind, the words of the Father at His baptism, “This is My Son, the beloved One, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). — Wuest, page 229.

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They really knew who [the Son, Jesus] was. They felt, at the very least, that into His hands should pass all the authority and power they had so long monopolized; “This is the Heir; come let us kill Him and the inheritance shall be ours.” — Chadwick, page 322.

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The “casting out” [v.8] speaks of the act of Israel’s leaders excommunicating our Lord. He was treated as excommunicate when He was condemned as a blasphemer and handed over to the Romans for punishment. Our Lord’s crucifixion outside of the walls of Jerusalem symbolized this expulsion from the community of Israel. — Wuest, page 230.

give the vineyard to others (v.9) — Of course, my commentaries all say that the “others” here are the Church, the Body of Christ. But that can’t be right because Paul clearly says that the Church was a mystery (Colossians 1:24-27) which God didn’t reveal until He revealed it to Paul. Therefore, Jesus did not refer to it in His ministry. So, the “others” can only be the “little flock” of Luke 12:32 — the kingdom saints, or Jews trusted Christ as the Messiah. See my notes on the Matthew passage.

The quotation [vs.10-11] is from Psalm 118:22-23. It is quoted again in Acts 4:11, and 1 Peter 2:4, 7. The stone is the Messiah, the builders, the spiritual leaders of Israel. The word “rejected” is apokokimazo. The simple verb means “to put to the test for the purpose of approving.” The prefixed preposition means “off, away from.” This tells us the story of Messiah’s rejection by Israel. Israel was looking for its Messiah. Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be Messiah. The leaders of Israel investigated His claims, found them to be true, substantiated by the miracles He performed (John 3:2), yet with all this evidence, rejected Him as Messiah because He did not meet their specifications. They were looking for a Messiah who would deliver Israel from the despotism of Rome, not from the dominion of sin. But this Messiah will some day become the King of Kings and Lord of Lords over the earth as the Head of the Millennial empire. — Wuest, page 230.

This was the second time (Mark 11:18) that the leaders wanted to arrest Jesus in the Temple but their fear of the people prevented them.

²⁷ Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.

²⁸ And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

²⁹ But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:

³⁰ The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

³¹ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

³² But if we say, ‘From men’ ”—they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.

³³ So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Also found in Matthew 21:23-27 and Luke 20:1-8.

Representatives of three orders approached Him, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. The definite article is used in each case, which fact indicates that those who came, represented their own group. This united action was probably agreed upon during the night. Their questions were in themselves reasonable ones from their point of view. They were the custodians of the Temple. Our Lord, by forcibly ejecting those who were engaged in business in the Temple, was claiming a superior jurisdiction. — Wuest, pages 225-226.

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They sought to trap Him fatally. For Him to claim divine authority would, so they thought, amount to blasphemy; to claim authority as Son of David would be treason against Rome; to disclaim all authority would prove Him an imposter. — Guthrie, page 876.

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Our Lord … says that He has one question to ask them. The one question is not contrasted to the two questions asked Him, but points to the simplicity of the issue. The answer to our Lord’s one question should clear the air. He refers to John the Baptist. The latter had testified to the divine source of His mission. The question of the Sanhedrin resolved itself into a question as to the source of the Baptist’s teaching. In demanding an answer from them, our Lord was claiming an answer as from authorized teachers who were acquainted with the facts. — Wuest, page 226.

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John the Baptist had borne testimony to Jesus as the Messiah. If they acknowledged him to be a prophet with divine authority, the answer to their question was plain, and they would see that the authority of Jesus was derived from the same source. The ministry of John was one of high public importance upon which men in their position should be competent to pronounce. When therefore they pleaded ignorance on a matter of such magnitude they virtually abdicated from their office as teachers of the nation, and had no further right to question the authority of Jesus. Our Lord, therefore, did not reply to their question directly. Instead, He provided the complete answer in the parable that follows [Mark 12:1-9]. — Guthrie, page 876.

The leaders would not answer according to their own convictions. Their only consideration was how their answer would be received.

¹⁵ So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

¹⁶ And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.

¹⁷ Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

¹⁸ And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.

¹⁹ When evening had come, He went out of the city.

Also found in Matthew 21:12-13 and Luke 19:45-48.

The state of things Jesus saw in the temple yesterday has been in His mind ever since: though the night watches in Bethany; in the morning, killing appetite; on the way, the key to His enigmatical behavior towards the fig tree. He began the day’s work by ejecting the traffickers, making no distinction between sellers and buyers. The market was within the precinct of the Temple, and had already attracted the attention of Jesus at the first Passover of His ministry (John 2:14). It was a recognized institution, under the protection of the chief priests, and known in Rabbinical writings. The sales were limited to the Temple requisites, victims for the sacrifices, and the wine, oil, salt, etc., used in the ritual. As to our Lord prohibiting any from carrying a vessel through the Temple, the explanation is as follows: Persons carrying goods or implements, used the Temple as a short-cut when going between the city and the Mount of Olives. This had been forbidden by the Jewish authorities at one time, but the order was not being enforced. The word “vessel” referred to an “implement, household utensil, domestic gear.” The Greek or Roman money which the Passover visitors from Gentile countries brought with them was changed into Jewish half-shekels, so that the Jew could pay his Temple-tax. A large profit was made in this way. To have their tables over turned and their money thrown all over the floor on the eve of the Passover, was to deal their business a serious blow at a time when the money traffic was at its height. — Wuest, pages 220-221.

The quote in v.17 is from Isaiah 56:7.

thieves (v.17) — should be “robbers.” … The robber, conducting his operations on a large and systematic scale, and with the aid of bands, is thus to be distinguished from the thief who purloins or pilfers whatever comes to hand. A den would be appropriate to a band of robbers, not thieves. — Wuest, page 222.

Jesus’ clearing of the Temple was the last straw for the Jewish authorities. From this point “they went to seeking” a way to do away with Him. But the crowds in the city for Passover were largely from Galilee and the Gentile countries. These people were fans of Jesus, at least on the surface, and were expecting Him to take the throne. Any attempt on His life could have caused a riot.

astonished (v.18) = struck out of one’s senses. Jesus’ teaching was very different from the teaching the people heard from the Jewish leaders.

When (v.19) = Whenever. The Lord left the city each of the first three evenings of the week.

¹² Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.

¹³ And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

¹⁴ In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.

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²⁰ Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

²¹ And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

²² So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

²⁴ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

²⁵ “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

²⁶ But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Also found in Matthew 21:18-22.

the next day (v.12) — Monday

not the season for figs (v.13) — I found several different interpretations.

According to Williams, it means that the fig harvest hadn’t begun so there should have been fruit.

According to Guthrie (pg. 875), “The fig tree in Palestine bears an early crop of immature fruit, like green knobs, which appears before the leaves. These are known as Taksh and are the common food of the peasants. Their absence was clear indication of the barrenness of the tree.”

According to Thomas (pg. 179), “Jesus knew that Passover time was not the season for figs, but He used His own hunger and this leafy fig tree as an object lesson for the disciples. In the Old Testament the fig tree is often a symbol for Israel (Jeremiah 8:13; 29:17; Hosea 9:10, 16; Joel 1:7; Micah 7:1-6). Such is the case here. The ritualism of national worship was hiding the absence of genuine piety among the people. Hence Jesus’ cure of this fig tree was emblematic of God’s judgment that was going to fall on Jerusalem.”

According to Chadwick (pg. 304), “It is that figs would not be in season for two months, but yet they ought to present themselves before the leaves did; and since the tree was precocious in show and profusion of luxuriance, it ought to bear early figs. … Retribution fell upon it not for its lack of fruit, since at that season it shared this with all its tribe, but for ostentatious, much-professing fruitlessness.”

According to Wuest (pg.220), “The tree was prematurely in leaf, growing in some sheltered spot, and it was reasonable to expect a premature crop of figs. The Lord condemned the tree, not only because of its fruitlessness, but because of its fruitlessness in the midst of a display which promised fruit.”

in the morning (v.20) — Tuesday

dried up (v.20) = withered away, dead

Our Lord’s answer to Peter, on the surface so unrelated to Peter’s words [can be explained as] the lesson to be learnt from the prompt fulfillment of His prayer. … Our Lord exercised faith in the cursing of the fig tree. He presses home the lesson of the necessity of faith to the disciples. The word “God” is in the genitive case, showing here the object of faith … “be constantly having faith in God.” — Wuest, page 224

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this mountain (v.23) — The Twelve were crossing the Mount of Olives; below them, between the mountains of Judaea and the mountains of Moab, lay the hollow of the Dead Sea. Faith, cooperating with the Divine Will, could fill the basin with the mass of limestone beneath their feet … Faith is regarded as the normal attitude of the heart, not a sudden emotion or isolated act. Faith contemplates the effect as potentially accompanying its exercise, though the actual fulfillment may be delayed. — Wuest, page 224.

doubt (v.23) = lit. “to judge between two,” so, a divided judgment, a wavering doubt

whatever he says (v.23) — not in some manuscripts.

[Verse 24 speaks of] the kind of faith that sees the fulfillment before it happens. “Faith is the title deed of things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1).” Just as a title deed guarantees to the one whose name appear son it, the ownership of the property, even though he may not have it in his actual possession, so faith is the title deed that guarantees to the one exercising it, the answer to his prayer, even though that answer may be delayed, and the thing asked for not in his possession. — Wuest, page 225.

stand praying (v.25) — a common practice among Jews

trespasses (v.25) = a fall from the right course, a false step

Verse 26 does not appear in most manuscripts, although I wonder if this is simply due to an effort to reconcile the dispensations of Law and Grace.

⁸ And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

⁹ Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

¹⁰ Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

¹¹ And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Also found in Matthew 21:8-17, Luke 19:36-38, and John 12:12-19.

Matthew, Mark,and John each use a different word for “branches.” Matthew speaks of a young slip or shoot, a twig; Mark, of a mass of straw, rushes, or leaves beaten together or strewed loose, so as to form a bed or carpeted way; and John, of palm-branches, the feathery fronds forming the tufted crown of the tree. Each group contributed its own road-decorations. … The deliberate conduct of Jesus here could have but one meaning, namely, that this was His formal presentation of Himself as the Messiah. The crowds realizes this and entered into the spirit of the occasion. The people, however, expected the Lord to set up His rule in opposition to that of Rome, and deliver the Jews from the yoke of their oppressors. — Wuest, page 218.

those who went before (v.9) — probably the crowds that came out from Jerusalem to meet Jesus

those who followed (v.9) — probably the crowds that followed Him from Bethphage and Bethany where He had spent the previous night. The two groups met, merged, and moved together back toward the city.

The quote in vs. 9-10 is from Psalm 118:25-26.

Hosanna (vs.9-10) = “save now,” “grant salvation”

blessed (v.9-10) = speak well of, praise, eulogize

temple (v.11) — the temple with its porches, courts, and outbuildings, not the inner part where the Holy Place and Holy of Holies were.

looked around (v.11) — likely for the purpose of judging, assessing the situation

What concerned Mark was that now, at last, Jesus openly and practically assumed rank as a monarch, allowed men to proclaim the advent of His kingdom, and proceeded to exercise its rights by calling for the surrender of property, and by cleansing the temple with a scourge. … After this heroic fashion did Jesus present Himself to die. Without a misleading hope, conscious of the hollowness of His seeming popularity, weeping for the impending ruin of the glorious city whose walls were ringing with His praise, and predicting the murderous triumph of the crafty faction which appears so helpless, He not only refuses to recede or compromise, but does not hesitate to advance His claims in a manner entirely new, and to defy the utmost animosity of those who still rejected Him.

After such a scene there could be no middle course between crushing Him, and bowing to Him. He was no longer a Teacher of doctrines, however revolutionary, but an Aspirant to practical authority, Who must be dealt with practically. — Chadwick, page 302.

1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples;

² and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it.

³ And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.”

⁴ So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it.

⁵ But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?”

⁶ And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go.

⁷ Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it.

Also found in Matthew 21:1-7 and Luke 19:29-35.

Matthew tells about two animals, a donkey and a colt, while the other writers mention only the colt. … Matthew adds this detail to tie the event more closely with Zechariah 9:9 which mentions two animals. Jesus apparently rode on the colt only. … The mother of the colt was probably led in front to make the cold more at ease in carrying its first rider. — Thomas, page 176.

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Bethphage and Bethany were villages just on the opposite side of the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem. Bethphage was larger and better known, but Bethany was where the colt was.

sent (v.1) = sent on a commission to do something

on which no one has sat (v.2) — relates to a custom from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 21:3; 1 Samuel 6:7), which specifies that animals to be used for certain religious rites must not have previously been ridden, burdened, or harnessed for labor. — KJBC, page 1252.

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His choice of an animal not ridden by anyone before Him, is another of those claims to uniqueness which contrast forcibly with His usual condescension to the circumstances of an ordinary human life. — Wuest, page 216.

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The disciples found the colt exactly as the Lord had said. For other examples of this supernatural knowledge of circumstances compare Mark 14:13, Matthew 17:27, John 1:48. The cold was outside the house and fastened to the door. The better class of houses were built about an open court, from which a passageway under the house led to the street outside. It was at this outside opening to the street that the colt was tied. — Wuest, page 217.

Some commentaries believe that the Lord supernaturally knew of the colt and supernaturally inclined the owners to surrender it. Others believe that Jesus had prearranged that the colt be available. Wuest has a third view, one which makes sense to me.

Those that stood by were idlers; Luke says they were the owners; they had tied up the animals while they took part in the street gossip. The fact that they were satisfied with the answer of the disciples, is explained by the consideration that the Lord was well-known in the neighborhood (John 11). They knew that this Prophet could be trusted, and its owners did not need the colt just at that time. They probably were proud of the fact that it would be used by Him. — Wuest, page 217.

Also, according to Luke 22:8, Peter was one of the disciples. He was often the spokesman for the disciples, and would most likely also have been well known in the area as an associate to the Lord.

Unless they were challenged they should simply bring the animals away; but if anyone remonstrated, they should answer, “The Lord hath need to them,” and thereupon the owner would not only acquiesce, but send them. In fact they are to make a requisition, such as the State often institutes for horses and cattle during a campaign, when private rights must give way to a national exigency. And this masterful demand, this abrupt and decisive rejoinder to a natural objection , not arguing nor requesting, but demanding, this title which they are bidden to give to Jesus, by which standing thus alone, He is rarely described in Scripture (chiefly in the later Epistles, when the remembrance of His earthly style gave place to the influence of habitual adoration), all this preliminary arrangement makes us conscious of a change of tone, of royalty issuing its mandates, and claiming its rights. But what a claim, what a requisition, when He takes the title of Jehovah, and yet announces His need of the colt of an ass. It is indeed the lowliest of all memorable processions which He plans, and yeet, in its very humility, it appeals to ancient prophecy, and says unto Zion that her King cometh unto her. The monarchs of the East and the captains of the West might ride upon horses as for war, but the King of Sion should come unto her meed, and sitting upon and ass, upon a colt, the foal of an ass. Yet there is fitness and dignity in the use of “a cold whereon never man sat,” and it reminds us of other facts, such as that He was the firstborn of a virgin mother, and rested in a tomb which corruption had never soiled. — Chadwick, page 200.

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The Messianic significance of this event [riding the colt and entering Jerusalem, which followed] is clear … It represented, first, a fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9; secondly, an open and deliberate assertion of Messiahship: the hour was approaching when He would be rejected and the issue must now be made plain. Either He is King, or He … must be rejected as Messiah-King. It seems doubtful, however, whether this was understood either by the disciples or by the crowd at the time. … Furthermore John tells us (John 12:16) that at first the disciples did not understand, but realized the significance of these vents only after the resurrection. The manner of His entry expressed the character of His Messiahship, for here was in fact no military conqueror upon a war-horse, or political revolutionary of the kind the Jews expected. — Guthrie, page 874.

⁴⁶ Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.

⁴⁷ And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸ Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹ So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”

⁵⁰ And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

⁵¹ So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”

⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

Also found in Matthew 20:29-34 and Luke 18:35-43.

As in an earlier case, Matthew describes two victims while Mark and Luke write about only one. The second and third gospels single out the more vocal of the pair. The miracle was apparently performed as Jesus left the city though He first [passed] the men when He approached the city (Luke 18:35). — Thomas, page 170.

One of my commentaries pointed out that Matthew was an eyewitness to this healing and so remembered the second man. Mark and Luke were not eyewitnesses, and so only related (and were perhaps only told of) the man who cried out. That makes sense to me. Others suggest that one man was healed as Jesus entered the city and another as He left. That doesn’t seem likely. A third theory suggests that the men were begging along the road as Jesus entered the city but didn’t cry out until He passed on the way out. That also strikes me as a possible explanation.

Bartimaeus calls Jesus “Son of David” because Jesus was now on Judaean soil. At Jerusalem all the Jews thought of David as their father, and of Messiah as the Son of David in a special sense. The Greek construction indicates that Bartimaeus kept on crying out to Jesus. The imperative is aorist, speaking of the fact that Bartimaeus asked the Jesus heal him at once. — Wuest, page 213.

warned (v.48) = rebuked, censured severely

called (v.49) = calling out loud in an audible voice that can be heard at a distance

rose (v.50) = leapt up, sprang up

garment (v.50) = large, upper garment common in the middle east, so large that a man would sometimes sleep in it.

Rabboni (v.51) = my Master, a term of reverent respect

receive (v.51) = recover. The blind man had probably been able to see at one time. Injuries to the eyes, caused by flying ash, were common the area, affecting as much as 50% of the men.

made you well (v.52) — The word is used either of physical healing or of spiritual salvation. The perfect tense speaks of a permanent cure.

After he was healed, Bartimaeus joined the crowd.

³⁵ Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

³⁶ And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

³⁷ They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”

³⁸ But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

³⁹ They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;

⁴⁰ but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.”

⁴¹ And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.

⁴² But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

⁴³ Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.

⁴⁴ And whoever of you desires to be first shall 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 a ransom for many.”

Also found in Matthew 20:20-28.

Matthew agrees with Mark in the dialogue, but represents the mother of James and John (i.e., Salome) as the actual petitioner; she was in the company, and though the sons were certainly to some extent, responsible (Matthew 20:20, 22), it is more than probably that maternal ambition, prompted their application to our Lord. According to Matthew, Salome approaches with her sons, prostrates herself, and intimates that she has a request to make. Mark, who for once lost the pictorial details, preserves the words, putting them however, into the lips of the sons. Both the homage offered and the terms of the petition, suggest that the Lord is approached in the character of a King who can gratify the desires of His subjects without limitation, as in another sense He afterwards declared Himself able to do.

The mother spoke for the sons. But they try to commit Jesus to their desires before they tell what they are, just like spoiled children. The contrast between the self-0abnegation and self-sacrificial heroism of our Lord, and the utter absence of any ambition self-ambition, stands out vividly with the petty self-interest and ambition of the disciples. … He was going to the Cross. They had their thoughts centered on self-advancement in the Kingdom. — Wuest, pages 209-210.

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Our Lord asks, “Are ye able to be drinking the cup which I am drinking?” The personal pronoun occurs with the verb, showing emphasis. It particularizes the cup which our Lord is drinking, from all other cups, and makes it stand out as a special one, an unusual one. … The cup is the one to which our Lord refers in His Gethsemane prayer (Matthew 26:39), its ingredients, our Lord being made sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), and being abandoned for the time being by God the Father and the Spirit (Matthew 27:46). As to the use of the figure of baptism here to speak of our Lord’s sufferings, we might say that the metaphorical use of the word is common in Greek, and is found in the Old Testament (Psalm 18:16, 42:7, 59:1). … Our Lord is referring to the sufferings into which He will be plunged at the Cross and which will overwhelm His soul, wringing from His broken hear that desolate cry, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” — Wuest, page 210.

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We are able (v.39) — A lighthearted and eager reply, which reveals the absence even in a disciple like John of any clear understanding of the Master’s repeated warnings, and at the same time the loyalty of the men who were ready to share the Master’s lot, whatever that might be. The “we can” of the disciples, is a mere profession of moral courage, not a claim to spiritual power. The words of our Lord came true in the case of these two disciples. James died by the sword of Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:2), and John was exiled to Patmos, where, tradition says, he died at hard labor. [Tradition, in other words, means that we don’t know.] — Wuest, page 211.

displeased (v.41) = felt pain, grieved, were indignant

The sons of Zebedee wanted to be first and the Ten were unwilling to be last! Such was the energy of the carnal nature in all Twelve. Jesus as the Servant of Jehovah came to be the Servant of all and to give His life to save “many.” — Williams, page 738.

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It was pomp and circumstance, privilege and power, position and authority in the Gentile world, which was esteemed great, and the greatness of the individual came from his place in the system. But in the kingdom of God, the greatness of the individual comes from the lowly place he takes as a servant of all. Even the resplendent beauty of the Son of Man came from the fact, that He as Very God of Very God, became incarnate in human flesh and a servant to mankind. — Wuest, page 212.

servant (v.44) = a servant seen in his activity of serving

slave (v.44) = the most servile term for a slave (2 Corinthians 4:5).

The word “ransom” (v.45) [means] “the price for redeeming, the ransom paid for slaves.” The word “for” [means] “instead of.” It is the preposition of substitution. Our Lord paid the ransom money for slaves of sin who could not pay it themselves, namely, His own precious blood (1 Peter 1:18-19). — Wuest, page 212.

³² Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:

³³ “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles;

³⁴ and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

Also found in Matthew 20:17-19 and Luke 18:31-34 (in which we learn that the twelve understood none of what He said).

We have a construction in the Greek text which speaks, not of a momentary going on ahead but of an habitual practice. Jesus often walked alone, ahead of His disciples. … The Lord walked in advance of the Twelve with a solemnity and determination which foreboded danger. His manner struck awe into the minds of the Twelve. The words “as they followed,” do not refer to the disciples, but to the accompanying crowds, the travelers going tin caravan to Jerusalem. The Greek text has, “and those who followed.” The crowd who usually  hung upon the Lord’s footsteps, or His fellow-travelers on their way to the Passover, were conscious of a vague fear. … These feelings must have been awakened by the manner of Jesus, as of one laboring under strong emotion. … Filled with the varied feelings excited by [His] sacred recollections and tragic anticipation, He walks alone by preference, step and gesture revealing what was working within and inspiring awe. — Wuest, pages 208-209.

He took the twelve aside (v.32) — more support for the interpretation that Jesus walked ahead, followed by the twelve, who were, in turn, followed by a crowd.

happen (v.32) = “to come together,” of things that happen with one another

For the first time it is made clear that both Jews and Gentiles are to have a hand in [Jesus’ death], the Jews to condemn and the Gentiles to execute. The latter, had the disciples understood it, is tantamount to a disclosure that His death would be by crucifixion. Matthew (20:19) so records it. — Guthrie, page 873.

²³ Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”

²⁴ And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!

²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷ But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

²⁸ Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.”

²⁹ So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s,

³⁰ who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.

³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Also found in Matthew 19:23-30 and Luke 24-30.

The disciples were astonished when Jesus pointed out how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom, for it was the prevalent opinion in Judaism that riches were a mark of divine favor, as with Job. — Guthrie, page 873.

Jesus (v.23) wasn’t saying that a rich person couldn’t be saved. He was saying that it was difficult for a rich person to be saved because that person would usually trust in riches for his well-being and see his wealth as evidence that God was already pleased with him.

Children, how hard it is (v.24) — [Jesus] repeats His hard saying, and this time removes His qualifying reference to the rich: “it is hard in any case, though specially hard for such.” The words “For them that trust in riches” are an addition to the text here [and not in the original manuscripts]. — Wuest, page 205.

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Hereupon the disciples perceived what was more alarming still, that not alone do rich men trust in riches, but all who confound possessions with satisfaction, all who dream to to have much is to be blessed, as if property were character. — Chadwick, page 283.

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eye of a needle (v.25) — Some teach that the needle’s eye here refers to a gate in the wall of Jerusalem through which by means of much pulling and pushing a camel could finally be taken. The Greek of Matthew 19:24 and of Mark speaks of a needle that is used with threat, and that of Luke 18:25, uses a medical term for the needle used in surgical operations. It is evident that the gate is not meant, but the tiny eye of a sewing needle. This was probably a current proverb for the impossible. … It is therefore impossible for anyone whose love or riches keeps him from trusting the Lord Jesus as Savior, to be saved. — Wuest, page 205.

greatly astonished (v.26) = struck out of self-possession

with men it is impossible, but not with God (v.27) — Take your stand beside man on the question of riches, and it is impossible to be saved. but, take your stand beside God on the matter, and the formerly impossible becomes possible. — Wuest, page 206.

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Peter said “We abandoned all.” The verb is aorist, speaking of a once for all act. The “we” of course are the Twelve. Peter and John left a lucrative fishing business, and Matthew, a rich source of income from his tax-collector’s office, to become the disciples of a poor itinerant preacher. Peter’s question was in effect, “What reward will we get for having become poor for your sake?” The spokesman of the disciples showed by his question that they were still thinking in terms of material rather than spiritual riches. — Wuest, page 206.

followed you (v.28) — Tense indicates a once-for-all, irrevocable decision.

now in this time (v.30) — in the Dispensation of Law

in the ages to come (v.30) — in the Millennial Kingdom

The Dispensation of Grace had not been revealed at this time (and would not be until God revealed it to Paul), so it is not treated in this passage in any way.

As for “many who are first will be last, and the last first,” my commentaries have nothing to say. I believe it means that many who hold positions of power and who seem to be big shots on earth will have no place in the Kingdom or will, at best, get in by the skin of their teeth, so to speak. While others, who live life of quiet, humble service to the Lord will receive many blessings in the Kingdom.