Lent 5 Series B

Lent 5 Series B

21 March 2021

Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your People that that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ... 

Jeremiah 31:31–34

Hebrews 5:1–10

Mark 10:32-45

In the Holy Sacraments, We Share the Glory of the Cross of Christ

Jesus catechizes His disciples in the way of the cross, revealing that He will be condemned and put to death “and after three days he will rise” (Mark 10:33–34). But the Twelve do not understand. Instead, they argue among themselves about who will be the greatest, with James and John requesting the places of honor on either side of Jesus in His glory. However, Jesus has come to make Himself the “slave of all” and “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43–45). He shares the true glory of His cross with all who are baptized with His Baptism and with those who drink His cup of salvation, the New Testament in His blood (Mark 10:39). By these Holy Sacraments, the Lord makes Himself known to all His people, forgiving their sins “from the least of them to the greatest” (Jeremiah 31:33–34). Though He is the very Son of God, “he learned obedience through what he suffered” and so became our great High Priest, that we may enter His glory by the way of His sacrifice (Hebrews 5:8–10).

Ransom For (The) Many

Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege

The Son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.  (Mark 10:45)                                                                        

Did Christ really die for all, or, as the verse before us seems to indicate, did He give His life as a ransom for only many?  The Apostles of our Lord indicate that Christ Jesus paid the atoning cost for the entire world.  

Thus the Apostle Paul would be inspired to write, He died for all, and again, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them [2 Cor 5:15,19]. Likewise the Apostle John would clearly explain Christ’s universal purchase: He is the propitiation [atoning sacrifice] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world [1 Jn 2:2].  So is there disagreement between Jesus and the Apostles Paul and John?  Did Christ die for many or for all?

Again the Lord Jesus seems to indicate a limited atonement when He institutes the Holy Supper by declaring of the chalice of wine, …this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins [Mt 26:28].  So is Jesus’ blood shed for many or for all?  Scholars of Old Testament Hebrew indicate that the Hebrew word for “many” does not mean the same as our English word.  In common English “many” conveys “most” or a “large number”.  Thus if we say that during a catastrophe many died, we mean most of them or a large number died.  However for a Jew to say in Hebrew that many died, he could mean that all died!  A good way to understand this is to put the word “the” in front of the word “many,” because in English “the many” often refers to “all”.  Of the word “many” in the instituting words of Lord’s Supper, famed theologian Joachim Jeremias would write: “Whereas it [the word “many”] occurs relatively rarely in the Old Testament, it appears no less than five times in Isaiah 53; it is virtually the link word of this chapter.” Then Jeremias almost seems to exaggerate when he concludes, “Without Isaiah 53 the Eucharist words remain incomprehensible.”[1] 

From what Jeremias writes, a logical extension would be that if the Lord’s Supper wording (especially the use of the word “many”) is incomprehensible without Isaiah 53, this would seem to indicate that the verse before us, in which Jesus predicts that He will give His life as a ransom for [the] many, is also made comprehensible by Isaiah 53. 

How wonderfully unified is Holy Scripture!  In Isaiah 53:12 God the Father says of His Son:  He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many… In what is called the “prophetic past tense” this verse predicts of the coming Savior by stating, He bore the sin of (the) many.  Indeed this is the same usage of the word “many” employed by the one who fulfills this prediction:  The Son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for (the) many [Mark 10:45].  And again in His institution of the Holy Eucharist Jesus says,…this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for (the) many for the forgiveness of sins [Mt 26:28].  Not only do the prophecies of Isaiah and of Jesus correspond in their use of “many,” they also correspond perfectly as the word “many” is employed by both to refer to the Lord’s universal payment for sin upon the cross. 

Jesus truly died for the many…for all!  He died for the sins of the most disgusting and foul criminal, as well as for those who commit the grave sin of claiming self-righteousness.  Jesus fulfills what He and Isaiah predicted, that He would give His life as a ransom for the many, for the world.

[1] Jeremias, New Testament Theology, 291. Actually it is not in Isaiah 53 alone, but from Isaiah 52:13-53:12 the word “many” is used five times.

The request of James and John

-the context, Jesus predicts his death for the third time...

Ἦσαν δὲ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἀναβαίνοντες εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, καὶ ἦν προάγων αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἐθαμβοῦντο, οἱ δὲ ἀκολουθοῦντες ἐφοβοῦντο. καὶ παραλαβὼν πάλιν τοὺς δώδεκα ἤρξατο αὐτοῖς λέγειν τὰ μέλλοντα αὐτῷ συμβαίνειν

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, - Mark 10:32

Jesus is leading them to Jerusalem, for the third time. He's in charge. They follow begrudgingly, there is fear and confusion in the ranks. They know what is happening...they want to die with Him. He's leading them to their death. He's talking about it. He will not allow them to amuse themselves by throwing dice. This is the message of the cross.

ὅτι Ἰδοὺ ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδοθήσεται τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν καὶ τοῖς γραμματεῦσιν, καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτὸν θανάτῳ καὶ παραδώσουσιν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν

saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. - Mark 10:33

They don't need to reset their gaze. Look right now.  He is handed over twice. He will be jerked around, mocked, beaten, spat upon. But this is how he replaces fear with faith. He will yell at the rest of the disciples for being indignant but not John and James.

 καὶ ἐμπαίξουσιν αὐτῷ καὶἐμπτύσουσιν αὐτῷ καὶ μαστιγώσουσιν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν, καὶ μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀναστήσεται.

And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise." - Mark 10:34

Jesus is being specific with the spitting and scourging. He's said in 8:31, Luke 13:33, he would rise. 

James and John  know what they are asking but they don't...they are being sincere but not fully cognizant.  He's going the way of the cross not by means of glory. The kingdom is won by loosing. The leader goes and the troops flee. He does it backwards. The world says "come back with your shield or on it."  This is why the preaching task will never end until the Lord returns. Homiletically keep the tension within the text.  

Καὶ προσπορεύονται αὐτῷ Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωάννης οἱ υἱοὶ Ζεβεδαίου λέγοντες [g]αὐτῷ• Διδάσκαλε, θέλομεν ἵνα ὃ ἐὰν αἰτήσωμέν σε ποιήσῃς ἡμῖν.

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." - Mark 10:35

We request of you to do for us. They are taking Jesus at His word, "whatever you ask in My name I will grant it."  To wag our finger at James and John places us with the ten. The ten have false humility which is pernicious pride. Yogi Bera, "it ain't bragging if it's true," 

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς• Τί θέλετε ποιήσω ὑμῖν;

And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" - Mark 10:36

The unexpected answer, 'what do you want?' He responds to the request spoken in faith. 

οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ• Δὸς ἡμῖν ἵνα εἷς σου ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ εἷς ἐξ ἀριστερῶν καθίσωμεν ἐν τῇ δόξῃ σου.

And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." - Mark 10:37

Was this an ongoing discussion?  See Matt. 19:28; Mark 9:33-34 The ten are indignant but Jesus answers positively.

ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς• Οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε• δύνασθε πιεῖν τὸ ποτήριον ὃ ἐγὼ πίνω,ἢ τὸ βάπτισμα ὃ ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι βαπτισθῆναι;

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 with which I am baptized?" - Mark 10:38 

Jesus shows us the character of His kingdom. Wait until you see what I'm talking about. He alone will drink the cup and be baptized. So, no they can't but yes they will.  

Note the Sacramental overtones of drinking and baptism.  Where we participate also. 

 οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ• Δυνάμεθα. ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς• Τὸ ποτήριον ὃ ἐγὼ πίνω πίεσθε καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ὃ ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι βαπτισθήσεσθε,

And they said to him, "We are able." And 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, - Mark 10:39

Literally, "we have the power." You will suffer  these things passively. This will come to you. It will happen...

This will be fulfilled. James will be the first of the twelve to be granted martyrdom  John will be exiled. A fellow partaken of Christ's suffering. See 1 Peter 5.

See Jobs three friends...they had to offer sacrifices not the fourth friend. As children we can come to our Father and ask, "why?" 

Look at the lament psalms always asked in faith. 

This is also the battle within each of us.

τὸ δὲ καθίσαι ἐκ δεξιῶν μου ἢ ἐξ εὐωνύμων οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν δοῦναι, ἀλλ’ οἷς ἡτοίμασται.

but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." - Mark 10:40

Prepared is passive - the Father is the director of the Passion. He is the invisible hand. 

different word of "left"

 Καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ δέκα ἤρξαντο ἀγανακτεῖν περὶ Ἰακώβου καὶ Ἰωάννου.

And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. - Mark 10:41

The ten are indignant because James and John...not the question.  It's the Farris Buler sister's response. They are angry they asked.

καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτοῖς• Οἴδατε ὅτι οἱ δοκοῦντες ἄρχειν τῶν ἐθνῶν κατακυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ μεγάλοι αὐτῶν κατεξουσιάζουσιν αὐτῶν. 

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. - Mark 10:42

The one's considered chief lord it

This is how you are acting like...wanting to exercise authority.

οὐχ οὕτως δέ ἐστιν ἐν ὑμῖν• ἀλλ’ ὃς ἂν θέλῃ μέγας γενέσθαι ἐν ὑμῖν, ἔσται ὑμῶν διάκονος, 

But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, - Mark 10:43

Not thus among you. Who wants to be great shall be your deacon. The one great should be salve of all.

 καὶ ὃς ἂν θέλῃ ἐν ὑμῖν εἶναι πρῶτος, ἔσται πάντων δοῦλος•

and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. - Mark 10:44

καὶ γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἦλθεν διακονηθῆναι ἀλλὰ διακονῆσαι καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Mark 10:45

Christ came to be an atoning sacrifice for men. His death is payment for sin. The Orthodox don't see this. See Psalm 130 the last verse. 

-The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software

-ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

-Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts, ‘The Crucifixion’© WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use

-LCMS Lectionary notes © 2018 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

-Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis