The Humble Servant
“Who,
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very
nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:6-7).
Servants were normally thought of as humble help during Biblical times.
They did not have the same rights as those of a natural-born family member and
were not entitled to receive any inheritance, but oftentimes built
relationships with their masters as was the case with Abraham prior to God’s
promise to give him an heir of his own. The Bible says, “But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,
what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my
estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children,
so a servant in my household will be my heir” (Genesis 15:2-3). Abraham
seemed to have had a close bond with this particular servant and was going to
leave him his entire inheritance. Nevertheless, God promised him and his wife
Sarah that they would have a child of their own. Therefore, Abraham’s servant
was to remain in a servant’s position, for a greater Servant would come through
Abraham’s line to render the greatest service of all for the sake of the entire
human race.
Servants fulfilled the tasks for which they were paid or enslaved to do
while staying in their appropriate place. They were to keep silent concerning their
master’s household affairs and were oftentimes tasked with doing things that
others either did not want to do or needed help with doing. Jesus, however,
willingly came down from His royal place in Heaven to take on the form of a
servant to be subservient to his Father for our sake. The Bible says, “For even the Son of Man did not
come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”
(Mark 10:45). Jesus was entitled to everything the Father had because
He was His son. Nevertheless, He left it all to put on mortal flesh so that we
could one day take on immortality.
Jesus did not rule as king when He initially came to earth because that will
take place upon His return. The Bible says, “Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not
of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the
Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.’ “You are a king, then!’ said Pilate:
Jesus answered, ‘You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason
I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.
Everyone on the side of truth listens to me’” (John 18:36-37). Jesus
came as a servant to help lead people to the Father and teach them the path to
Salvation. Jesus knew that His day would come when He would be rewarded by his
Father and would one day return to earth to rule as the King of kings and Lord
of lords.
Jesus, prior to His death, showed the dearest example of humility when he
knelt to wash the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper. He, being the Son of God,
did not show pride but what it meant to be humble not only to God but with one
another. The Bible says,
“The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted
Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had
put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning
to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a
towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to
wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around
him” (John 13:2-5). Jesus’ example of humility shows us what it is to
be pleasing to the Father through our service, for God wants a heart that is
humble and submissive to His will. Jesus desires for us to follow His example
in honoring his Father not in arrogance, selfishness, self-exaltation or pride,
but by understanding that in becoming a servant, we too can honor the Father.
In so doing, we live by saying no to self and submitting our whole hearts unto
Him. The Bible says, “Do nothing out of
selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above
yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests
of others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as
Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:3-5).
The Sacrificial Lamb
“For you know that it was not with perishable
things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life
handed down to you from your ancestors, but the precious blood of Christ, a
lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Jesus’ main mission on earth
was to save man from his sins and to show him the way of righteousness through
faith. The Bible says, “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of
atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith. He did
this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left
the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his
righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies
those who have faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:25-26). Man had lost sight of
God when he fell for Satan’s deception in the Garden of Eden, and yet, God
wanted to redeem man unto Himself once again. God longed for the spiritual
connection that once existed prior to man’s fall where he could walk and talk
with Him. Unfortunately, God could no longer be as transparent as He had been
with man without having to cover Himself because of the ugliness and
destruction that sin had caused. The Bible says, “’But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see
my face, for no one may see me and live’” (Exodus 33:20). Man was too
sinful to see God face-to-face, for sin cannot dwell in the presence of a holy
God. Even so, God was merciful to His children. Man would have been doomed to
be lost without Jesus coming to be a sacrifice for all mankind. The Bible says, “In
a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive
power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise”
(Revelation 9:12). Jesus, knowing that He would be despised, rejected, and betrayed, was
still willing to sacrifice Himself in an act of love that is far beyond man’s limited
comprehension.
Jesus was betrayed by
one with whom he had once called a friend. The Bible says, “Even my close friend, someone I
trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me” (Psalm 41:9). Judas
allowed the devil to use him to carry out the most wicked thing imaginable, and
that was to betray the Son of God. The Bible says, “Then Satan entered Judas,
called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the
officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus”
(Luke 22:3-4). Who would even think to do such a thing to his Master?
Judas had heard all of Jesus’ teachings, seen Him heal the sick, raise the dead
and do countless other miracles; unfortunately, that did not stop him from
betraying his master. The Bible says, “The Son of Man will go just as it is
written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be
better for him if he had not been born” (Matthew 26:24).
Jesus was arrested,
beat, mocked, spit upon and utterly humiliated as no other man had ever been
done before. The agony that He went through could not be described in mere
words, for He not only endured physical pain, but He carried the weight of the
sins of the world. With all that He went through, Jesus never said one unkind
word, but only asked that his Father would forgive them. The Bible says, “When they hurled their insults
at him, he did not retaliate, when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he
entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his
body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by
his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:23-24). Jesus loved us so
much that He bore our sins so that we could have eternal life. He rose on the
third day and now we have a choice to be saved. The Bible says, “For what I received
I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the
third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then
to the Twelve” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). Jesus paid it all, and now, the choice
is up to YOU.
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