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Meet the Messiah Who Came to Serve

Meet the Messiah Who Came to Serve

Last updated on: December 22, 2023 at 8:47 am by Randy Alcorn

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Meet the Messiah Who Came to Serve 2023-12-22T08:47:57-08:00 Randy Alcorn

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When Jesus washed the feet of His followers (John 13), they were amazed that a leader and teacher they respected so much would do the work of a servant. Peter especially couldn’t bear the thought of Jesus doing that. But Jesus insisted on washing His friends’ feet.

Jesus also said, “The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat” (Luke 12:37)!

Chad Bird writes about verse 37:

The master dons the uniform of a servant? Serving his servants? In that culture, this reversal of roles would have been as preposterous as a CEO today having a janitor sit in for him in the board meeting while the CEO scrubbed the toilets.

Ah, but this “unacceptability” is the point, isn’t it? Meet the Messiah who comes to serve and not be served.

Jesus fulfilled this servant vocation not only in His ministry—feeding the crowds, washing His disciples’ feet, and giving His life as a ransom for many—but, as we read in Luke 12, He is pictured as serving us even at the Messianic banquet.

What kind of heart beats inside the Babe of Bethlehem? A loving heart, a serving heart, that will never stop giving to us, His beloved ones.

We owe Jesus everything. He owes us nothing. But that doesn’t keep God from choosing to serve us, His servants. Jesus served us when He died for us. He said about Himself, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). And in Philippians 2:7 tell us that Jesus “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

I share more in this video:

As a father who loves his children goes out of his way to help them, God promises that He will always give of Himself for us. Why? Because He loves us and wants to show forever His appreciation for our loyalty and service to Him in this life. Does that mean we deserve God’s grace? Of course not. By definition, God’s grace is something we don’t deserve. If we deserved it, it wouldn’t be grace!

We must assent to Christ’s service for us (John 13:8). But even in Heaven, it appears, Jesus will sometimes serve us. What greater and more amazing reward could be ours in the new universe than to have Jesus choose to serve us?

If it were our idea that God would serve us, it would be blasphemy. But it’s His idea. As husbands serve their wives and parents serve their children, God desires to serve us. “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples” (Isaiah 25:6). God will be the chef—He’ll prepare us a meal. In Heaven, God will overwhelm us with His humility and His grace.

Somehow, in His great love for us, our King becomes a servant, making us, His servants, kings! Notice that He won’t merely command His other servants to serve us. He will do it Himself. That’s why the grace we sing about in church is called “Amazing Grace.” If you think about it, there’s nothing more amazing than that God would love us so much.

Doesn’t that make you want to love Him more and more every day?

See Randy’s books It’s All About Jesus and Face to Face with Jesus.

Photo: Unsplash

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