Matthew 20:20-28

A Mother’s Request

20 ¹Then ²the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and ³kneeling before him she asked him for something.

21 And he said to her, “What do you want? ”She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine ⁴are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, ⁵in your kingdom. ”

22 Jesus answered, ⁶“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able ⁷to drink the cup that I am to drink? ”They said to him, “We are able. ”

23 He said to them, ⁸“You will drink ⁹my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, ¹⁰but it is for those for whom it has been ¹¹prepared by my Father. ”

24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers.

25 But Jesus called them to him and said, ¹²“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles ¹³lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

26 ¹⁴It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, ^[a]

27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, ^[b]

28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but ¹⁵to serve, and ¹⁶to give his life as a ransom for ¹⁷many. ”

Cross References

• 1. 20:20 For ver. 20-28, see Mark 10:35-45
• 2. 20:20 ch. 4:21; 27:56
• 3. 20:20 See ch. 8:2
• 4. 20:21 [ch. 19:28]
• 5. 20:21 ch. 16:28; 25:31, 34; Luke 23:42
• 6. 20:22 [Luke 9:33; 23:34]
• 7. 20:22 ch. 26:29, 42; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42; John 18:11; [Isa. 51:22]
• 8. 20:23 [Rom. 8:17; Phil. 3:10]
• 9. 20:23 Acts 12:2; Rev. 1:9
• 10. 20:23 [ch. 19:11]
• 11. 20:23 ch. 25:34
• 12. 20:25 For ver. 25-28, [ch. 18:1-4; Luke 22:25-27]
• 13. 20:25 1 Pet. 5:3
• 14. 20:26 ch. 23:11; [Luke 9:48]
• 15. 20:28 John 13:4, 13-15; Phil. 2:7; [2 Cor. 8:9]
• 16. 20:28 Isa. 53:10; Dan. 9:26; John 10:15; 11:51, 52; Rom. 4:25; Gal. 1:4; 2:20; 1 Tim. 2:6; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19
• 17. 20:28 ch. 26:28; Isa. 53:11, 12; Heb. 2:10; 9:28; [Rom. 5:15; Rev. 5:9]

Footnotes

• [a] 20:26 Greek 'diakonos'
• [b] 20:27 Greek 'bondservant' ('doulos')