Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

THE CLIMAX OF JESUS' MISSION §17.4
in a word-play which indicates the flexibility of the phrase in Jesus' use — both as
'a man' (human person), but also with evident self-reference ('someone, one').
(2) More to the immediate point, Jesus evidently did indeed anticipate that his mission
would not be accepted in Jerusalem; he would be arrested and given over to the
power of human authorities (with all that that would probably entail). (3) Nevertheless,
he seems to have embraced that outcome as divinely intended, whether as destiny
or dogma. Whether we can say more will become evident in §§17.5, 6.
d. Other Metaphors
Jesus is recalled as using other metaphors speaking of suffering which he expected
to endure — metaphors of cup, baptism, and fire.
Matt. 20.22-23
20 Then the mother of
the sons of Zebedee came
to him with her sons, and
kneeling before him, she asked a
favour of him.
21 And
he said to her. 'What do you
want?'
She said to him, 'Declare
that these two sons of mine will
sit. one at your right hand and
one at your left, in your
kingdom'. 22 But Jesus said.
'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. 'Mv cup you will
indeed drink.
but to sit at mv right hand
and at mv left.
this is not mine to grant, but
it is for those for whom it has
been prepared by mv Father'.
Mark 10.38-39
35 James and
John, the sons of Zebedee. came
forward to him
and said to him, 'Teacher,
we want you to do for us
whatever we ask of you'. 36
And he said to them. 'What do
you want me to do for vou?' 37
And they said to him, 'Grant us
to
sit, one at your right hand and
one at vour left, in vour glory'.
38 But Jesus said to them.
'You do not know what vou are
asking. Are vou able to drink
the cup that 1
drink, or be baptized with
the baptism that I am baptized
with?' 39 Thev replied.
'We are able'. Then Jesus said
to them. 'The cup that I drink
vou will drink; and with the
baptism with which I am
baptized, you will be baptized;
40 but to sit at mv right hand
or at mv left
is not mine to grant, but
it is for those for whom it has
been prepared'.
Luke 12.49-50
49 I came to cast fire on
the earth, and how I wish it were
already kindled!
50 I have a
baptism to be baptized
with, and how distressed I am
until it is completed!
Matthew may well have derived his version directly from Mark, though
why in that case he should have omitted the 'baptism' saying (Mark 10.38b, 39b)
is unclear. Luke 12.50 has a different form of the same saying and indicates that
the saying was retold independently of the context in which it has been retained
by Mark. Did Matthew then know a form of the story from which the baptism
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