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.

MATTHEW 20:22KJV
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Matthew 20:22 (KJV)

What does Matthew 20:22 mean?

Matthew 20:22 shows Jesus responding to a request from two of his disciples by warning them that they do not understand what they are asking for, and then asking if they are truly able to face the suffering ("drink of the cup" and "be baptized with the baptism") that he himself will face. The disciples confidently answer that they are able, not realizing the full weight of what this means.

In this scene, Jesus is speaking to James and John (and their mother, who had just asked for them to have honored places in his kingdom). Jesus uses the image of drinking a cup and undergoing baptism to describe the hardship and suffering he will soon experience. The disciples, eager for honor, do not yet grasp that following Jesus means sharing in his difficult path, not just his glory.

The Greek behind Matthew 20:22

  • "Cup" (ποτήριον, potērion) is often used in the Bible to symbolize a person's fate or experience, especially suffering or judgment. Here, Jesus uses it to refer to the suffering he is about to endure.
  • "Baptized" (βαπτίζω, baptizō) and "baptism" (βάπτισμα, baptisma) are used figuratively by Jesus to describe being overwhelmed or immersed in hardship. This goes beyond the usual meaning of water baptism and points to a deep, personal experience of suffering.
  • "Able" (δύναμαι, dynamai) is a word that means having the power or ability to do something. Jesus questions whether the disciples truly have the strength for what lies ahead, challenging their confidence.

Why Matthew 20:22 matters

  • This verse clears up the misunderstanding that following Jesus is only about honor or reward; it highlights that discipleship involves real sacrifice and suffering.
  • The language Jesus uses connects his own coming suffering with what his followers may also experience, setting the tone for the kind of commitment he expects.
  • This moment helps explain the disciples' journey from misunderstanding to eventual understanding, as they later face hardship themselves for following Jesus.

Where else these words appear

“baptism” Greek G908 · used in 22 verses

  • Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
  • Luke 3:3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
  • Acts 18:25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.

“cup” Greek G4221 · used in 30 verses

  • Matthew 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
  • Mark 9:41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
  • 1 Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

“baptized” Greek G907 · used in 65 verses

  • Matthew 3:6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
  • Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
  • Acts 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

“drink” Greek G4095 · used in 66 verses

  • Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
  • Luke 5:39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.
  • John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.