“For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.” – Romans 6:5
James and John, the two sons of Zebedee and disciples of Jesus, came to Him with an interesting request. They asked that Jesus would grant them ‘the place of sitting, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory’. Jesus does not immediately answer them according to their request but asks them, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” To which they reply, “We are able.” Jesus then says to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” (Mark 10:35-40, Matt 20:20-23)
We are reminded of the words of Paul in Romans 6:3 where he states, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Jesus Christ have been baptized into His death?” Paul then goes onto say in Romans 6:10, “For the death he died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that he lives, He lives to God.” Our baptism not only unites us with Him in His sufferings and death to sin, but it also unites us in our living as He lived. Jesus lived to do the will of His Father. He was enabled to do this by the power of Eternal Spirit. (Heb 9:14)
As it was God’s will that James and John be united with Jesus in His baptism so it is His will for every believer. Unity with Christ and each other is not possible without joining Him in His baptism. Being united with Him in His baptism is not just taking a position or ticking a box but is a daily walk of applying and living in our baptism.
As to the request of James and John concerning the place they would occupy in Christ’s body this was not Christ’s to give. This is the prerogative and work of the Father. “But now God (The Father) has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.” However our being united with Christ in His baptism is key to our being placed by the Father in the body of Christ.