Matthew 20:17 says, And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,  Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, and the twelve disciples were with Him.  Wherever Jesus leads us today, we must go.  I know that as followers of Christ the Holy Spirit is with us at all times, but we must still make sure that we are where God is leading us.  In verse eighteen Jesus proclaims, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,  Jesus was preparing the disciples for His coming betrayal and death.  Again, this is not what they were looking for from following Jesus.  They were still looking for Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom, in which they would have a big role.  We can never come to Jesus based on our own desires, but must come based only on His promise of salvation.  Verse nineteen continues, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.  Instead of setting up an earthly kingdom, Jesus said that He was to be mocked, scourged, and crucified, but that was not the end.  Jesus also said that the third day He would rise again.  Our focus should not be on the mocking, scourging, and crucifixion, though they were terrible, but on the resurrection the third day.  Verse twenty states, Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.  The mother of James and John came to Jesus with certain demands on their behalf.  Though it is good for a mother, or father, to bring their children to Jesus, they cannot come making demands about how their children will serve Him.  Verse twenty-one says, And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.  Their mother, who was also looking for an earthly kingdom, wanted James and John to have positions of honor and power in Jesus' kingdom.  We can never feel that we deserve a special place in the kingdom of Christ, but must simply follow Him in obedience to His will.  Verse twenty-two says, But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.  Jesus answered, asking if they were able to suffer what He was going to suffer, though they may still not have understood what He was asking them.  We need to ask ourselves today if our faith will stand in the face of adversity.  James and John said they could, but still were looking for an earthly kingdom.  Verse twenty-three states, And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.  Jesus said that they would indeed follow Him in suffering, but that any position of honor in His coming kingdom was not His to give.  This right was reserved for the heavenly Father.  Jesus died to bring salvation to all who will accept it by faith, and this is really all that we are promised.  We cannot follow Christ simply because we expect to be rewarded for doing so, whether in this world or the one to come.  Verse twenty-four declares, And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.  When the ten other disciples heard what was being asked for James and John, they became angry.  We really should never become angry about what another Christian might ask of Christ, but should be satisfied with allowing Jesus to answer them Himself.  Verse twenty-five states, But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.  Jesus reminded the disciples that the princes of the Gentiles had authority over the Gentiles, and that those princes who were greater exercised authority over the lesser princes.  That is the way the world works.  This was not based on a moral superiority of the princes.  In verse twenty-six Jesus says, But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;  Jesus tells us that we are not to be like the Gentiles, seeking to be superior to other Christians.  Jesus tells us if we want to be great in His kingdom that we are to minister to those around us who are in need.  We do not follow Christ so that we can feel superior to anyone, but serve Him so that He may be glorified.  In verse twenty-seven Jesus continues, And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:  I believe that this simply tells us that there is no room for self glorification in the kingdom of Christ.  If we begin to feel that we are somehow to be held in higher esteem than other Christians, then we are not following what Christ teaches us.  If we want to be chief among others, we are to serve them.  Even then, we don't serve others for our glory, but we serve them that Christ might be glorified.  In verse twenty-eight Jesus concludes, Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.  Jesus once more attempted to get the disciples to understand His purpose.  Jesus did not come to be an earthly ruler by His power, though He could have.  Jesus did not come to force people to follow Him, but He came to minister to people and die  as a ransom for their sins.  We can never expect to be greater than Jesus, and somehow feel that those around us should praise us and place us in a position over them.  No matter our part in the kingdom of Christ, we are all equal in our relationship to Him.  There should be no one who feels that we have to come through them to get to Christ.