When James and John asked to sit at the Lord’s right and left, He said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup which I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” (v. 38). We have seen that both the cup and the baptism refer to the death of the Slave-Savior (John 18:11; Luke 12:50). The cup signifies that His death was the God-given portion for Him to take for the sinners whom He would redeem for God. Baptism signifies that His death was the God-ordained way for Him to pass through for the accomplishment of redemption.
In 10:40 the Lord went on to say to John and James, “To sit on My right or on My left is not Mine to give, but for those for whom it has been prepared.” Here the Lord seems to be saying, “You ask to sit at My right and left. But I have no position to give you such a place, for I Myself am a slave. You should ask My Master concerning this. Don’t come to Me with such a request. As a slave I cannot do anything about it.”
In His answer to John and James the Lord Jesus exposed their ambition and independence. At the same time, His answer implied that He was altogether dependent on the Father as His Master. Because He was not independent of the Father, He did not have the standing to give a position to anyone. Being a slave, He knew that only the Father could assign a position to anyone. Moreover, the Lord’s wise answer implied that the disciples were in darkness, that they did not know what they were asking. By making such a request, they went beyond their limit; they went too far.
We have seen that in verse 38 the Lord asked James and John if they were able to drink the cup that He would drink and be baptized with the baptism with which He would be baptized. When they told Him that they were able, He went on to say, “The cup which I drink you shall drink; and the baptism with which I am baptized, you shall be baptized” (v. 39). Here the Lord seems to be saying, “Do you know what the cup indicates? It indicates death. Baptism also signifies death. Do you know what your portion is? Your portion is not a position—your portion is death. You want a position, but a position is not what you need. You need to realize that a portion, not a position, has been prepared for you, and this portion is My death. I must die, and you must die with Me. This death is also a baptism, a process through which I must pass. You will go through this process with Me. I do not have a position for you, for it is not My right to give you this. Your need is to take your portion and to pass through this process, both of which refer to death.”
What is your portion in the church life today? Is your portion a certain position? Is it your portion to be an elder or a leader in a service group? We all need to realize that our portion in the church life is death. We need to drink the cup of crucifixion, of termination. Our portion in the church life is not position; our portion is termination. Do you want to be an elder? If so, you need to be terminated. Do you want to be a leader in a service group? If so, you need to be terminated. Our portion in the church life is termination, not position.
In the church we have death not only as a portion for us to drink, but also as a process through which we must pass. As those who are in the church life, we are in the baptism of the Lord’s death. We are passing through the lengthy process of death.
When some hear about the portion and process of death in the church life, they may say, “Brother Lee, we are frightened. Your word terrifies us.” However, I am not the one who first spoke about the cup and baptism of death. It was the Lord Jesus who said that we shall drink His cup and be baptized with His baptism. As we have seen, this word was given to John and James, the sons of thunder, who wanted to sit at the Lord’s right and left. The Lord seemed to be telling them, “You don’t know what you are asking. Instead of being on My right hand or on My left, you need to be in My tomb. Instead of being promoted to My right or left, you will be buried with Me. I must drink the cup, and this cup will become yours. I shall be baptized into the process of death, and you will be baptized into the same process. Without passing through this process, you will not be able to enter into My resurrection.”
We have seen that Christ is the unique replacement and that we shall be replaced by Him. But in order to be replaced by Christ, we need to pass through the process of His death. Also, in order to enter into the kingdom of God, we need to drink the cup of His death. Both the cup and the baptism refer to Christ’s death. Now we need to take the cup and pass through the process.
Among many Christians today, the teaching regarding the Lord’s death as the portion for us to drink and the process for us to pass through has been neglected. Instead, believers often regard chapter ten of the Gospel of Mark as a chapter of stories. But what we have here is not merely an account of some stories. Here the Lord reveals what the kingdom life is and what is the way into the kingdom.
The way into the kingdom is to take the portion of death and to walk through the process of death. This is to take Christ’s death as our death. Our testimony should be that every day we are drinking His death and walking through His death. Then we shall be able to say, “Now it is no longer I, but Christ. I am drinking His terminating death, and I am walking through His death as a process.” It is by taking this portion and by going through this process that we are in resurrection. In resurrection truly it is no longer I, but Christ.