In today's Gospel lesson, Jesus predicts his own death and resurrection. It was no surprise to the disciples that Jesus should predict his own death. We are told that even before he told them, they were afraid to go to Jerusalem with Jesus. The disciples knew that the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem hated Jesus. They were envious of him. They were afraid also that he might cause social and political unrest because of his speeches. Those days in Palestine were very similar to modern days in the Middle East. Anyone who speaks out against the government can be arrested and even killed. Everyone knew this at the time of Jesus, so the disciples were not surprised by Jesus predicting his own death, but they were probably surprised by the details that Jesus gave. "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." What should have really surprised the disciples was the last part of the prediction: "Three days later he will rise."

Who can predict that they will rise from the dead on the third day? It sounds audacious! It sounds incredulous. It sounds silly. The disciples probably had one of two reactions: The first would be unbelief, thinking that Jesus was either wrong or crazy. But since they were friends of Jesus, they would follow him to Jerusalem, but they would be careful that they too would not be arrested and killed.

The second reaction to the prediction of Jesus about his resurrection would be belief. Maybe that would be a good way to understand the request that James and John made. Usually these two men are berated in sermons because of their ambition, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." If they had that ambition, then they would be looking forward to the resurrection of Jesus and his glory. They were even willing to suffer to get that position. Jesus asked, "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" "We can," they answered. 'We can drink the cup of bitter pain and we are willing to accept the baptism of suffering and death so that we can rise with you in glory.'

The trouble is that they do not understand what the real "glory" of Jesus is. They are thinking of political or social status and being rich and famous and living in comfort and luxury with power over other people. 'Let us be on your left and right, let us be your prime minister and secretary of state in the Kingdom of God.'

But Jesus had a completely different understanding of the Kingdom of God and its glory. Let me ask you some questions to help us understand the glory of Christ's Kingdom:

That was the time and place of the greatest glory of Jesus!! His glory was on the cross! That was when he died and our sins were forgiven. The church has always used the cross as a symbol of our faith, because it is the thing we are most proud of, it is the thing we take glory in!

Now, when Jesus was on the cross in his glory, who were at his right and left? A couple of robbers were there. Jesus told James and John that the places they requested were already taken. But Jesus told James and John that they would not miss out on the glory of Jesus, they too would drink his cup of pain and participate in his baptism of suffering. In the years to come, these two disciples would have many hardships because they were believers in Jesus. And yet, that is where they would find their glory and greatest happiness.

hen Jesus spoke to all the disciples -- and to us, too. He talked about what life in the Kingdom of God was like. It was not like ordinary governments. It was not controlling other people. It was not a life of greed. Rather, it is a life of service, just like Jesus who served us by giving us salvation. It is a life of love, just like Jesus who gave his life for us. It is a life that gives freedom, it gives ransom for many people, just like Jesus did for many people.

Jesus predicted his own death and resurrection. He predicted our death and resurrection also! We and all people must die because of ours sin. But we share in the cup and baptism of Jesus. He drank the cup of pain for us, and he received the baptism of death on the cross for us. When we drink the sacramental cup of communion and when we receive the water of baptism, we participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus. In faith, we receive the forgiveness of sin that was given to us in the death and resurrection of Jesus. And because we participate in the death of Jesus, we also participate in his resurrection. That is how Jesus predicted our death and resurrection.

And now we participate in the glory of Jesus. We are in his Kingdom. We many not be at the right and left hands of Jesus, but we are in his service. And in this way the love of God is brought to the world, just as he predicted.

Amen.