Matthew 20:17-34: Third Passion Prediction and Servant Leadership

For the third time, Jesus explicitly tells His disciples He will be betrayed, condemned, mocked, flogged, and crucified, but raised on the third day. Immediately after he reminds his disciples of this, the mother of James and John asks for her sons to sit at His right and left in the kingdom. Jesus uses this "theology of glory" moment to teach the true "theology of the cross": greatness is not in being served, but in serving, for "the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." The Rev. John Lukomski, pastor emeritus, and co-host of Wrestling with the Basics, KFUO Radio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Matthew 20:17-34. The Gospel of Matthew bridges Old and New Testaments, presenting Jesus as the promised Messiah who fulfills the Law we could never keep and establishes His kingdom of grace for all nations. Written by a tax collector transformed by pure grace, Matthew reveals Christ as the true Son of David and Emmanuel (God with us) who challenges us with the crushing demands of the Law in His Sermon on the Mount to the sweet comfort of the Gospel in His death and resurrection. From royal genealogy to glorious resurrection, this verse-by-verse study proclaims the One who conquered sin, death, and the devil for us, now delivering forgiveness, life, and salvation through Word and Sacrament as He remains with His church always, even to the end of the age. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.