Written by Paul J Bucknell on April, 03, 2026

Matthew 20:20-28 Seeking the Best For Many

“Whoever wishes to be first among you 
shall be your slave.”

Jesus didn’t chide His disciples, James and John, when they boldly asked to sit at His right and left hand (Mat 20:20-25; Mark 10:35), even though the other disciples reacted with resentment; “the ten became indignant” (Mat 20:24).

²⁰ Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. ²¹ And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” ²² But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” ²³ He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” ²⁴ And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.” (NASB)

Jesus didn’t say no, but explained how difficult it is to attain these coveted positions next to Him. Once the clouds of resentment and pride are cleared away, we can hear Jesus calling for all His disciples, including us, to be ambitious and seek high places. How do we know this?

1. Jesus never rebukes their bold request (21-22).
2. He explains the difficulty of gaining these places (23).
3. He explains how not to pursue these high places (24-25).
4. He provides the general instruction that results in successful or “great” positions in His kingdom (26-27).
5. Jesus announces the way He walks and then calls His disciples to follow Him (28).

Many believers look down on seeking major positions in God’s kingdom, but Jesus was different. Jesus sacrificed His life to attain the highest position as King. Colossians 1 shows how Jesus not only rules over creation but also the church.

“¹⁸ He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. ¹⁹ For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him” (Col 1:18-19).

Certainly, this highest position belongs to Jesus; He earned it. His Father awarded it to Him. But there are many more roles He longs to fill. God the Father wants His people, like His Son, to follow through and secure God’s great future plans for them. We don’t know what they specifically are, but we achieve these desired roles by living faithfully on earth today. It’s false humility and a misunderstanding of God’s plans and calling when we dismiss big hopes and desires for the future. 

We will discuss each of the points above in two parts: Jesus’ Great Vision and Jesus’ Difficult Calling. Our main focus will be on verses 26-28.

1. Jesus’ Great Vision

Jesus’ purpose is for each of us to grasp this vision and follow His leading. We see this as the great hope of the Messiah in Isaiah 53 at the end, where it mentions how He will share His inheritance with “the many,” which refers to His people. This plan establishes the foundation of Jesus’ teaching here.

“Therefore, I will divide for Him a portion with the many, And He will divide the spoil with the strong; Because He poured out His soul to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12, LSB).

In the above Servant passage, we see the honors Jesus will bestow on others after they and He have finished their challenging journeys. The Lord will “divide for Him a portion with the many” (12a). Jesus first secures their salvation, but this is only what we can call Phase 1 of His plan. He succinctly defined the breadth of His mission. “My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11). 

Phase 2 describes Jesus’ own gained inheritance. Phrase 3 continues, however, with Jesus sharing His inheritance with His people. “I will divide for Him a portion with the many” (Isa 53:12). Our gracious Lord wishes His labors and rewards to pass down to His many servants. He desires not only the sons of Zebedee to succeed but for all His followers, including us, to pursue His noble call. What we seek and do on earth will reflect our eternal rewards; the present shapes the future.

This vision is meant to instill boldness, courage, and faithfulness. He will reward all His faithful servants and share all that He receives with us. The more we catch the vision, the greater our reward. We can see God’s purpose in 1 Peter 1.

“³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet 1:3-4).

Notice how our desire to share in Jesus’ inheritance is a biblical and good hope that motivates us to stay faithful and obedient. Verse 3 speaks of Jesus’ faithful completion of His mission—dying and rising. Verse 4 explains the purpose for us: “To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled.” Our perspective is limited if we only focus on salvation and forget to hope for and work toward a glorious inheritance. Now, let’s move on to part 2, Jesus’ difficult calling.

2. Jesus’ Difficult Calling

Verses 26-28 explain how to follow Jesus and receive the rewards He promises. We are not specifically thinking of the sons of Zebedee and their positions at Jesus’ left and right, but rather of sharing His inheritance more generally. Jesus alone will decide what that is. We can trust Him with it.

“Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” (Mat 20:22)

“²⁶ It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mat 20:26-28).

Jesus’ words call us to be like Him in passion and commitment to the Father. While verse 22 speaks more specifically to the sons of Zebedee in light of their request, verses 26-28 expand the calling and pursuit for us all. 

Jesus completely shifts from the world’s way by saying, “It is not this way among you.” In other words, the disciples, including us, need to realize that the principles of the kingdom, and ultimately the principles for receiving rewards, are the opposite of what we usually see in the world. We need a transformed understanding to properly accept and follow these higher principles. This new understanding is based on Jesus’ teachings and the general principle of love. The way we put others first (i.e., love) will determine our rewards. Jesus isn’t so explicit but instead focuses on what we need to do to get there.

1. To be great, serve more (26).
2. To be first, be last, by being the slave of others (27).
3. Jesus, the Son of Man, undoubtedly the greatest, suffered and gave the most (28). 

I won’t say much about the “give His life a ransom for many,” except to point out that it sums up how Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross for “the many,” as mentioned in Isaiah 53. The ransom is Jesus’s effective way of securing us—His followers who believe in Him—as His children. His purpose isn’t just to save, but also to generously share His blessings with us. He wants a big family and to share many great moments with them!

Summary

Our lives on earth are our brief opportunity to imitate Christ’s way of prioritizing others over self through our actions. As we do, He will bless us in the coming age by sharing His inheritance with us. The more we are like Him, whether rich or poor, doesn’t matter. Every believer can humbly serve others in their own station. This vision will help us consistently shape our attitudes toward others. 

• We will kindly treat others.
• We will practically serve others in their lives.
• We will endure suffering and hardships as needed to serve others effectively.

It should be understood that we serve others not to do evil but to help them succeed in their persons and situations.

Post Summary

Let us, then, in light of Jesus’ challenge, seek these great rewards from Him by striving to better imitate Him. However, we must ensure that our pursuit aligns with the means Jesus instructs us. We must utilize what we have to serve others more effectively. Let our ambition to serve Christ and others be a growing flame that keeps us on track to gain great rewards in the end.

Lift me high by your mighty works that I may bow further down at the feet of your amazing grace in Christ Jesus.

All by grace, all for His glory!

Bible Study Questions on Matthew 20:20-28

1. What did the two sons of Zebedee want (and their mother)?
2. What is your own reaction to this request? Can you understand the other disciples’ indignation? Explain.
3. Which two of the five points best show that their request was acceptable?
4. Discuss your ambition for the life ahead. Have you ever thought about it?
5. Does Jesus then want much for us? What is it dependent upon?
6. What does verse 27 mean? “Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.”
7. Give five specific ways Jesus did this for us.