There are two aspects to the cross-the aspect of redemption and the aspect of life-releasing. In Mark 10:35-45 the Lord did not speak of His death; He only spoke of His baptism, because He did not want others to think that James and John could participate in His redemptive work. The work of redemption can be accomplished only by Christ our High Priest; no one else can participate in it or do anything about it. We have no share in the Lord’s death on the cross as far as redemption goes. But we do have a share in the release of His life. This is why the Lord only brought out the aspect of death that is related to His baptism when He spoke of the cross. This death has to do with the release of His life; it has nothing to do with redemption. The Lord said that He was going to go through a baptism. This meant that His outward shell would be broken and life would be released, like a grain of wheat breaking its shell and bearing much fruit. For a person to be baptized with the Lord’s baptism means for him to be broken and torn down before the Lord and for life to come forth. If the outward man is not broken, it is very difficult for the Lord’s life to be released. You may have life within you, but it cannot come out. You may be sitting very close to another person, but the life within you cannot come out or touch him.

The result of baptism is fire and division. Once this life flows out, there is no peace on earth. Instead, there is division. Many people are divided by this life. There is a big chasm between those who follow the Lord and those who do not. There is also a big difference between those who belong to the Lord and those who do not. Once a man touches the life of Christ, he takes a different way. There is much contention between those who have the Lord and those who do not, those who know God and those who do not, those who pay the price and those who do not, those who are faithful and those who are not, and those who accept the trials and those who do not. The Lord seemed to be saying, “Are you willing to bear the consequence of taking My baptism? You want to be on My right and left; you want to be different. But are you willing to bear the consequence of taking My baptism and becoming different from other children of God today?” In order to sit at the Lord’s right and left and to have a place of glory, we have to drink His cup and be baptized with His baptism, which means that we have to acknowledge God’s will above everything, to break the outward shell, and to release life. Only such ones know what it is to sit at the right and left of the Lord. This is the Christian pathway.

The Lord’s word to James and John, in effect, was, “You must first drink My cup and pass through My baptism before you can sit on My right and left in glory. Can you drink this cup and be baptized with this baptism?” They answered, “We are able” (10:39). The two inquired of the Lord, but they did not know how serious their request was. They were not the only ones; all descendants of Adam are the same. The Lord spelled out the conditions, and they said that they were able. The Lord told them the fact, that to sit on His right and left required that they drink His cup and be baptized with His baptism. But even in saying this, He did not promise them His right and left side. What He meant was that if a man does not drink His cup and is not baptized with His baptism, he will surely not be able to sit on His right or left. But even if they drank His cup and passed through His baptism, they still might not sit on His right or left, because the latter depends on God’s preparation (v. 40). If a man does not drink the Lord’s cup and is not baptized with His baptism, he will surely not be able to sit on His right or left side. But even if he drinks His cup and is baptized with His baptism, he may still not be able to sit on His right or left side. Those who do not drink the Lord’s cup and are not baptized with His baptism will surely not sit on His right or left. But those who drink His cup and are baptized with His baptism may not necessarily sit on His right or left. Perhaps James and John would ask, “What then can we say?” If one does not drink the cup and take the baptism, he is disqualified for sure. And if one drinks the cup and takes the baptism, he may be qualified, but it still depends on God’s preparation. James and John could be off the mark in their request, but the Lord could not be inaccurate in His answer. If the Lord gave the right and left places to James and John, these two seats would have been gone for the past two thousand years of church history. Other seats might still be available, but these two seats would have been taken over by these two; they would have become reserved seats for the two disciples, and others would have been discouraged to go on in the Lord’s way. The Lord did not grant their request, and the two seats are still available. Some among us may still have a chance to take those two seats. Therefore, this lesson is still applicable to us. But the main point of this passage is not in the preceding discussion but in what follows.
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