Jesus Serves
“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” —Jesus Christ, Mark 10:43–45
Are you willing to become “slave of all”?
Jesus Christ did. He was in heaven and came down to earth (John 3:13). He took on human flesh, with all our temptations and frailty, in the Incarnation (Philippians 2:7). He was born poor (Luke 2:7). He lived a homeless life (Matthew 8:20). He knew grief (Isaiah 53:3–4). He died a shameful, naked, and excruciating death on the cross (Philippians 2:8).
And as a result, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). As a result, he ascended into heaven and sat down at the place of power at the right hand of God (Hebrews 1:3). As a result of his descent into service, God has lifted the man Jesus Christ up to be superior even to angels (Hebrews 1:4).
The way up, in the Kingdom, is down.
Are you willing to follow Jesus and become slave of all?
How would that mindset transform your relationships?
Maybe you’re dating someone, or you’re married. Are you in the relationship to serve them, or for them to serve you? Which is your goal?
Maybe you’re part of a church family. Are you in that relationship to be served, or to serve? What’s your goal?
Maybe you have a job, or children, or both. Do you have the heart of a servant?
Are you proud of how much you serve? Be careful, because you may be serving yourself.
In this world, we are told that if we will look out for ourselves first, then we can serve others out of the overflow. Rare is the message that reminds us of the truth: the way to growth and joy is to serve others first.
The best sex life is enjoyed in serving your spouse, whom you have given your life to serving.
The best church is the one you dive into to serve everyone else there.
The best employees and employers, leaders and followers, are servants.
Christ is the example. He is also the power. When you know Christ, every act of genuine service flows out of his work of serving you. Every act of serving is also a way of getting closer to him.
This Sunday, we’re starting our Advent series called, “Hope is here!” We’ll look at one of my all-time favorite passages about Christ our Servant, Isaiah 52:13–53:12.
Consider serving someone by inviting them to come with you to church and dinner on Sunday. And then come to worship, and come to serve. Down is the way up, into joy.
-Adam