Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus challenges their understanding by calling their request for honor an unknowing request. The "cup" and "baptism" he refers to aren't just abstract metaphors; they represent the profound suffering and immersion in the Father's will that marked His own mission and would mark any who truly follow Him. Their confident "We are able" reveals a deep ignorance of the cost of true discipleship.
Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage occurs immediately after Jesus told the parable of the laborers, emphasizing that God's kingdom doesn't operate on human standards of reward. James and John, sons of Zebedee, through their mother, boldly ask Jesus to grant them the highest positions in his coming kingdom. Jesus responds by questioning their understanding of what such a request truly entails, using the imagery of a "cup" and "baptism" to represent his own impending suffering and death.
James and John boldly ask for the highest seats in God's kingdom. But Jesus gently exposes their lack of understanding.
It's natural to want the best, the highest honor. James and John, spurred by ambition, thought such honor was simply a matter of asking and receiving.
The Illusion of Easy Ascension
They saw Jesus' future glory but completely missed the path to it. Jesus immediately corrects their assumption:
Jesus uses two powerful metaphors – 'cup' and 'baptism' – to describe the shared experience of His followers.
Jesus doesn't just ask if they can drink His cup; He uses it to reveal the nature of His kingdom and the path of discipleship.
More Than Just Affliction
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Jesus is saying that true participation in His kingdom isn't just about future glory, but about sharing in His present suffering and the immersion in trials that conformity to Him entails.
While James and John boldly claimed they could share in Christ's suffering, Jesus reveals a crucial truth about divine authority.
Jesus' response, 'it is not mine to give,' might seem like a brush-off, but it's a profound theological statement about God's sovereignty.
Divine Prerogative
Understand the original words
potērion · Greek Noun
A metaphorical reference to divine judgment, suffering, or destiny. In the context of Jesus' ministry, it refers specifically to the intensity of the suffering, abandonment, and wrath He would endure on the cross as the substitute for His people.
This request, made as Jesus' ministry reached its climax, highlights the disciples' profound misunderstanding of His kingdom, which would be established through suffering and sacrifice, not earthly power and prestige.
c. AD 27-30— this verse
Jesus' Ministry and Discipleship
During this period, Jesus taught, healed, and gathered disciples, including James and John, who began to follow Him closely.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Imminent Suffering Foretold
Jesus began to speak more plainly about His impending suffering, death, and resurrection, though the disciples often struggled to grasp the full meaning.
c. AD 30
The Request of James and John
The mother of James and John, likely prompted by her sons, asked Jesus if they could sit at His right and left hand in His kingdom.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Response: The Cup and Baptism
Jesus questioned their ability to 'drink the cup' and be 'baptized with His baptism,' metaphors for sharing in His suffering and death.
c. AD 30
Disciples' Confident Affirmation
James and John confidently declared their ability to share in Jesus' suffering, unaware of the true depth of what they were promising.
c. AD 33
The Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus endured the ultimate suffering and death, fulfilling His own prediction of the 'cup' and 'baptism' He would undergo.
c. AD 30s-40s
James' Martyrdom
James, the son of Zebedee, became the first apostle to be martyred, literally drinking the cup and undergoing the baptism Jesus spoke of.
This parallel passage from Mark shows the same request made by James and John, highlighting their earnestness and Jesus's immediate redirection towards the reality of His suffering, not earthly glory.
Luke 22:42Jesus's prayer in Gethsemane reveals His deep apprehension of the 'cup' He was to drink, showing the immense spiritual and emotional weight the disciples could not possibly comprehend when they made their request.
John 18:11Jesus refers to the 'cup' again when handing it to Him in the garden, emphasizing that it was given to Him by the Father, thus framing the disciples' request as an attempt to seize a destiny that was divinely appointed and fraught with suffering.
Romans 8:17Paul's teaching that suffering with Christ is a prerequisite for reigning with Him directly echoes Jesus's words, showing that glory is inseparable from participation in Christ's afflictions.
Philippians 3:10Paul's desire to 'share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death' demonstrates a mature understanding of the 'cup' Jesus spoke of, contrasting with the disciples' initial ignorance and ambition.
calvinMatthew 20:20-23: "Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him."
- Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping, [651] and asking something from him. 21. And he said to her, What wilt thou? She saith to him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, one at thy right hand, and the other at the left, in thy kingdom. 22. And Jesus answering said, You know not what you ask. Can you drink the cup…
henryMatthew 20:20-28: "Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him."
20:20-28 The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It i…
Jesus challenges their understanding by calling their request for honor an unknowing request. The "cup" and "baptism" he refers to aren't just abstract metaphors; they represent the profound suffering and immersion in the Father's will that marked His own mission and would mark any who truly follow Him. Their confident "We are able" reveals a deep ignorance of the cost of true discipleship.
This passage occurs immediately after Jesus told the parable of the laborers, emphasizing that God's kingdom doesn't operate on human standards of reward. James and John, sons of Zebedee, through their mother, boldly ask Jesus to grant them the highest positions in his coming kingdom. Jesus responds by questioning their understanding of what such a request truly entails, using the imagery of a "cup" and "baptism" to represent his own impending suffering and death.
This passage occurs immediately after Jesus told the parable of the laborers, emphasizing that God's kingdom doesn't operate on human standards of reward. James and John, sons of Zebedee, through their mother, boldly ask Jesus to grant them the highest positions in his coming kingdom. Jesus responds by questioning their understanding of what such a request truly entails, using the imagery of a "cup" and "baptism" to represent his own impending suffering and death.
"Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”" — Jesus challenges their understanding by calling their request for honor an unknowing request. The "cup" and "baptism" he refers to aren't just abstract metaphors; they represent the profound sufferin…
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Last reviewed October 2026