“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45
Jesus is returning to Jerusalem for the final time. He tells his disciples what will happen, that He will be delivered to those who want to kill Him. How much they truly understand is unclear. Jesus is clear about His future though. Other gospels show that Jesus repeatedly encourages and comforts His disciples as the days and hours of His crucifixion draw closer.
James and John, brothers, the sons of Zebedee, in response, come to Jesus and ask to share in His glory. There have been many commentaries on the actions, motivations and attitudes of the two men so bold as to ask for places number one and two at the Throne of God. The fact that matters is, they did not want to be separated from Jesus. They wanted to be where He was, in the present and certainly to the future. So they asked for a guarantee of close proximity for all ages.
There was a discussion you can read in verses 38-44, but in the end Jesus lays it out plainly: If you want to be with Me, you must be like Me and do as I do. Seems like a lot to demand, until you realize it is no demand at all, but rather an invitation to eternity that begins in this very moment.
Blessings,
Gretchen