What is My Desire?
Sermon Notes
A desire means to make a request or to petition someone.
Matthew 20:20-21 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
Here we see that the mother of James and John came to the Lord asking that her boys might sit on either side of him in his kingdom. It is good that she wants her sons near Jesus, it showed that she had not lost or abandoned hope of his coming reign. But she did not understand the principles of his authority in the kingdom. They had a zeal for God but not according to knowledge, Romans 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Just having a zeal is not enough; it must be combined with truth and knowledge. Otherwise, it can do more harm than good.
Matthew 20:22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Here we see that they wanted a crown without a cross, a throne without the altar of sacrifice, the glory without the suffering that leads to it. James and John expressed the ability to share in his suffering, but their confidence was based more on their zeal than their knowledge.
Matthew 20:23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
Yes, they did suffer. James drank of the bloody cup first of all the disciples, Acts 12:2 and John; he died in his bed, being banished to the isle of Patmos, Revelation 1:9.
.
Conclusion: It is not what you believe it is how you believe. Do you believe enough to act up on it? Everyone wants a savior, but very few want a Lord.