Sons of Thunder

The children of Israel were looking for a Messiah, an anointed one who would be both priest and king who would lead them it what they believed to be a new kingdom on Earth. They were looking for a man. Not God in flesh, and certainly not a sacrifice. From the time of the transfiguration, Jesus started telling them he would be crucified, and they could not understand what he was saying. James and John, along with Peter had seen Jesus standing with Moses and Elijah. He then spoke of his coming death and they looked at each other in disbelief. Still believing in an Earthly kingdom, a while later, James and John went and asked Jesus if he would do something for them. They asked to be given the place on the right and the left of Jesus. I can see Jesus shaking his head and thinking, they just don’t get it. The Sons of Thunder, were the brothers of clueless. It could have been worse, though. They could have had their mother ask Jesus for them. Oh, yeah, they did that, too. Mar 10:38 Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" They did not know what he was asking, so they said, “sure.” Jesus was telling them he was about to be immersed in God’s judgement. He was going to be immersed in the wrath of a righteous God. He was going to be sacrificed to save the world from that wrath and judgement. It was not to be his choice who was to be on his right and his left. It was God’s choice, and God chose two thieves. The Sons of Zebedee, who ran when Jesus was arrested, did drink the cup that Jesus drank. They were to bookend the apostolic age, James the first Apostle to be martyred, John to be the last to die from old age after being exiled on Patmos, where he received the Revelation of Jesus. Although they did not realize what they were agreeing to when they asked to be in a place of honor, they found out what it was to be servants for the kingdom. We have come to the time of communion where we remember the wrath that Jesus took upon his shoulders. If you are ready to drink from that cup and be a servant to the king, we invite you to join us.