Sons of Thunder

Mark 10:35 (NET) Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 They said to him, “Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I experience?” 39 They said to him, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience, 40 but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

The Desire to Rule

James and John, nicknamed Sons of Thunder by Jesus, wanted to rule with Jesus. They believed Jesus was destined to establish a kingdom on earth. They thought he would gather an army, overthrow Rome and sit on a throne in Jerusalem. They wanted a special place on either side of him in his new kingdom.

They were partly right. Jesus will eventually set up a kingdom an earth. It will be at his return. His first visit to earth was to be a sacrificial lamb rather than a conquering king.

It was confusing. Jesus did speak frequently about the Kingdom of God. He described it in parables and stories. He depicted it in colorful imagery. To his disciples, he would go into further explanations. But, they never understood the true nature of the kingdom until after he went up to heaven and after the Holy Spirit came. Then their minds opened to a better understanding of the nature of the Kingdom. But now, they missed it.

The desire to rule is a human craving. Young children learn early to manipulate to get their way. Politicians say things people want to hear to get elected. The disciples were no different. John was closest to Jesus. He tried to use that relationship to attempt to gain power. James being the brother of John used that status.

Jesus’ Question

Jesus asked, “Are you able to go through the things I must go through?” They thought they were. Jesus assured them they would go through similar difficulties.

Not His to Give

Jesus acknowledged God’s sovereignty. He assured them the position they sought was not his to give. It is a place already assigned by God. Even though Jesus was God incarnate, God in the flesh, he was still under the rule of God the Father.