The Baptism of Persecution - Matthew 20 and Mark 10.
The Baptism of Persecution - Matthew 20 and Mark 10.
"But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? (38) And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized." - Mark 10:38-39
James and John had just asked the Lord if He would grant them permission to sit next to Him in His Kingdom (Mark 10:37). For them to have clung so tenaciously to their own righteousness in asking the Lord for the highest position, is a little surprising, to say the least! Knowing the future would test their faith to the limit is, no doubt, responsible for the gentle manner in which our Lord rendered His reproof. Such a presumptuous request was probably motivated partly by their closeness with the Lord. They, with Peter, constituted that select triumvirate, "the inner circle," and were the favored three. It was John who was found leaning on Jesus' breast; or sitting next to Him while eating.
Just preceding this request, while on the way to Jerusalem, Christ had just informed the Twelve of the persecutions He would shortly experience. You would think they would have been more concerned about the sufferings of their Savior, than the exaltation of themselves. In dealing with their request, our Lord is going to magnetize their attention to the fact that heavenly positions are determined by our faithfulness down here. It is easy to think of ourselves as great Christians when things are going good; but, the true test of a Christian's faith is in the midst of trials and persecutions. SO—our Lord challenges them with these Words...
"...can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" - Mark 10:38
Again, we call your attention to the Greek word "BAPTIZO" which is used here, and means "identification." In other words, He is asking them if they are willing to be identified with the same persecution He was going to endure. He is drawing their attention back to focus on what He had just stated a few seconds earlier. Here is the record in Mark 10:33-34.
"Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: (33) And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again." (34)
If they wanted one of the highest positions in the Kingdom, they would have to earn it down here! If they followed the Lord; they would be persecuted for the Lord. Our Lord previously stated in John 15:20...
"...If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you..."
Yes, Heaven is a free gift (Romans 5:15; Ephesians 2:8-9), but the position we occupy when we get there is determined by our faithfulness here. James and John lacked nothing in confidence, as they answered our Lord without hesitation in Mark 10:39...
"And they said unto him (Christ), WE CAN..."
What we, as Christians, do for the Lord usually depends upon what we think of the Lord; i.e., a positive attitude and our confidence in Him. We need to learn the words of James and John, "WE CAN!," claiming Php_4:13, " I CAN do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Yes, their claims of confidence did not go unjustified, as their lives did bear witness of their faith. As for James, he was the first of the apostles to be baptized with the blood of martyrdom, as was his Savior on the Cross...
"Now about that time Herod (Agrippa I) the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. (1) And he killed James the brother of John with the sword." - Acts 12:1-2 As for John, he remained faithful in going through all the persecutions that the early church was exposed to; thus, experiencing the struggles and sufferings from the Jews. In latter years, he would be the victim of a bitter persecution under the reign of Domitian (81-96 AD); and banished for his testimony to a small, rocky island in the Aegean Sea, called Patmos. God used Him greatly for his faithfulness, in inspiring him to pen five of our New Testament Epistles. According to Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History), he was returned from exile under the brief reign of Nero and died in Ephesus in the reign of Trajan. He was the last of the apostles and died at age above 90. Our faithfulness will also bring persecution and ostracism from the world. We are in a battleground, not a playground! Peter informs us of what to expect in 1 Peter 4:12-14.
"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: (12) But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. (13) If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." (14) Our challenge from Christ, today, is the same as that spoken to James and John in Mark 10:38.
"...can ye drink of the cup (of persecution) that I drink of? and be baptized (identified) with the baptism (of persecution) that I am baptized with?" - Mark 10:38 Will we answer as they did in Mark 10:39, "WE CAN!"