<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 10;36-40<div><br></div><div><b>36. &nbsp;And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you? “</b></div><div><b>37. And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand, and one at your left, in your glory.”</b></div><div><b>38. But Jesus said to them, “You&nbsp;do not know what you are asking. &nbsp;Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?“</b></div><div><b>39. And they said to him, “We are.” &nbsp;And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; And with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;&nbsp;</b></div><div><b>40. but to sit at my right hand, or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.“</b></div><div><br></div><div><i>“The baptism”&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;of which Jesus spoke, and <i>“the cup” </i>he referred to were yet before Him. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Jesus was about to be immersed into the unrestrained&nbsp;raging hatred of all His enemies. &nbsp;The bitter cup of having to endure all the torments of the crucifixion; not just the terrible&nbsp;physical sufferings of the scourging, or the nakedness, or the nails, but Jesus was about to endure the Father’s forsaking, (which is hell in its’ truest form). &nbsp;That suffering all had to be endured by&nbsp;living, suffering, human flesh and spirit.</div><div><br></div><div>That suffering was completed while Jesus was still physically alive. &nbsp;While still living, Jesus said, <i>“It is finished.” </i>&nbsp;THEN, <i>“He bowed His head and gave</i><i>&nbsp;up His spirit.” &nbsp;</i>(John 19;30). Physical death became a glorious doorway into the Father’s presence. &nbsp;Death was relief. &nbsp;If you have ever been near to one who dies, you know&nbsp;the struggle is while living, with&nbsp;death&nbsp;comes divine peace. &nbsp;It is beautiful, not evil.</div><div><br></div><div>Such suffering is for us to share in with Jesus, by our baptism into him. &nbsp;Although, not every Believer must endure such torments, thank God, but most of the Apostles did endure terrible deaths because of their refusal to deny Christ. &nbsp;They too were baptized with the baptism of self-denying death and they too tasted the bitter cup of the hatred of hell, all by the love of God&nbsp;at work in them by the Holy Spirit.</div><div><br></div><div>Some theologians make reference to the two criminals crucified on Jesus right and left, saying Jesus was indicating their suffering,&nbsp;this is why Jesus said, <i>“You do not&nbsp;know what you are asking.”</i></div><div>But, I believe in the great Wedding feast, there is actually&nbsp;prepared two places, one at Jesus left and right hands, which are both places of the highest&nbsp;honor, not shame,&nbsp;which are going to be occupied by some persons who&nbsp;we as yet, do not know. &nbsp;Perhaps Moses and Elijah, the same two who appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, maybe John the Baptist and Stephan the first martyr, possibly Abraham and Isaiah, we do not know.</div><div><br></div><div>Those two places may be occupied by two totally unknown humble servant-Believers. &nbsp;Whoever sits at Jesus’ right and left hand in the Kingdom to come, they will certainly not be looking for advantage as James and John were seeking. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The more we are conformed to Christ, the less we will&nbsp;think of ourselves.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, make us to be useful, fruitful, faithful, sacrificial, humble, obedient servant-children of You alone. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively be transformed,’soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”<br><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Mark 10;36-40
36.  And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you? “37. And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand, and one at your left, in your glory.”38. But 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?“39. And they said to him, “We are.”  And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; And with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40. but to sit at my right hand, or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.“
“The baptism”  of which Jesus spoke, and “the cup” he referred to were yet before Him.  
Jesus was about to be immersed into the unrestrained raging hatred of all His enemies.  The bitter cup of having to endure all the torments of the crucifixion; not just the terrible physical sufferings of the scourging, or the nakedness, or the nails, but Jesus was about to endure the Father’s forsaking, (which is hell in its’ truest form).  That suffering all had to be endured by living, suffering, human flesh and spirit.
That suffering was completed while Jesus was still physically alive.  While still living, Jesus said, “It is finished.”  THEN, “He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”  (John 19;30). Physical death became a glorious doorway into the Father’s presence.  Death was relief.  If you have ever been near to one who dies, you know the struggle is while living, with death comes divine peace.  It is beautiful, not evil.
Such suffering is for us to share in with Jesus, by our baptism into him.  Although, not every Believer must endure such torments, thank God, but most of the Apostles did endure terrible deaths because of their refusal to deny Christ.  They too were baptized with the baptism of self-denying death and they too tasted the bitter cup of the hatred of hell, all by the love of God at work in them by the Holy Spirit.
Some theologians make reference to the two criminals crucified on Jesus right and left, saying Jesus was indicating their suffering, this is why Jesus said, “You do not know what you are asking.”But, I believe in the great Wedding feast, there is actually prepared two places, one at Jesus left and right hands, which are both places of the highest honor, not shame, which are going to be occupied by some persons who we as yet, do not know.  Perhaps Moses and Elijah, the same two who appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, maybe John the Baptist and Stephan the first martyr, possibly Abraham and Isaiah, we do not know.
Those two places may be occupied by two totally unknown humble servant-Believers.  Whoever sits at Jesus’ right and left hand in the Kingdom to come, they will certainly not be looking for advantage as James and John were seeking.  
The more we are conformed to Christ, the less we will think of ourselves.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, make us to be useful, fruitful, faithful, sacrificial, humble, obedient servant-children of You alone.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively be transformed,’soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”


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