The Baptism of Jesus and The Cup of Salvation

Discipleship often involves facing a difficult impasse which requires waiting for God’s deliverance and salvation.

Scripture: Mark 10:32-52

Sermon Notes:

1. Discipleship often involves facing a difficult impasse which requires waiting for God’s deliverance and salvation.
2. Jesus’ baptism began with the Jordan water baptism where He was spiritually enabled to accomplish His work of salvation.
3. When we come with a deliberate intention to follow Jesus, we’re on a path of discipleship to do the will of God.
4. At the prediction of Jesus’ death, the disciples were astonished, afraid, amazed (cf. Luke 12:49-50).
5. The master is away, but He’s given us responsibility: to serve and to rule.
6. We must not be side-tracked with questions like, “Who’s going to be the most important in the kingdom?” We need to get a bigger picture of God’s purposes and plan for our service in His kingdom.
7. Family pressures can often affect whether we submit to God’s will.
8. Baptism into Christ is baptism into His death (Romans 6:3-5). We don’t have our own rights anymore; we’re His.
9. We’re therefore to walk in newness of life, faithful in the face of all opposition and conflict.
10. Baptism (verse 38) doesn’t refer just to the act of baptism, but to the entire scope of the work of Christ, which includes making us His disciples.
11. Jesus had a cup to drink. Jesus was exceedingly sorrowful (Mark 14:34) but He was submissive to the Father unto death (Mark 15:34).
12. We’ve received a spirit of adoption and have been welcomed into the family of God. We now call Him “Abba, Father.” We’re delivered from the bondage of fear (Romans 8:14-15).
13. Satan is not our biggest enemy. We ourselves and our unwillingness to say yes to God is the biggest enemy. Satan is a defeated foe.
14. In Mark 10:38, Jesus asks, “Can you drink the cup?” To share the same cup is to share the same destiny.
15. Our sin and rebellion was all laid upon Jesus (Isaiah 53:6-10).
16. Suffering and reigning go together; if we don’t want to suffer, we won’t receive glory.
17. The source of all Christian service is the crucified and risen Lord Jesus (Revelation 1:5).
18. The Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give His life as a ransom. His life was the liberating price for freedom from slavery to sin (v45).
19. In our weakness we have the strength of God; we have a victorious baptism as Jesus has overcome all (Acts 1:8).
20. The empowering of the Holy Spirit enables a Christian view of discipleship, servanthood, and leadership (See Acts 7-8, 12).
21. There’s a blindness to the kingdom and the cross of Christ.
22. Like Bartimaeus (Mark 10:38) do we just want to see Jesus so we can serve Him?

Application Questions:

1. What does following Jesus really mean to us? Is it about right and left seats? Is it about places of prestige and power?
2. What’s the significance of Acts 1:8 for our participation in the ministries of the church?
3. Why isn’t Satan our biggest enemy? Who is our biggest enemy?
4. How does Hebrews 6:11-12 challenge the status quo in our lives?
5. In light of the abounding grace of God in our lives, is our attitude like that of the Psalmist: What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me? (Psalm 116:12). Why or why not?
6. How does Hebrews 11 portray the path of discipleship? What prevents me from living a life of faith?