GOD’S STANDARD FOR SERVANTS

 

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  (Mark 10:45)

You have heard it said, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  Then, what might we understand from four pictures?  That is what we have in the Gospels—four portraits of Christ.  They are not contradictory, but complimentary accounts—giving us a better grasp of God through these pictures of His Son.  Matthew portrays Jesus as the Son of David, come to fulfill Old Testament prophecy—the rightful heir to David’s throne.  Luke presents Jesus as the Son of Man, fully God and yet fully man, living as God intended for man to live.  John pictures Jesus as the Son of God, stressing His Deity—God in the flesh come to save us.  It is Mark’s perspective that we will focus on—and he promotes Jesus as the Servant of Jehovah—emphasizing what Jesus did more than what He said.  Jesus is God’s standard for servants.  Mark 10:45 is the key verse.

Jesus, in this verse, highlights HIS SERVICE, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve….”  The first ten chapters of Mark’s Gospel account fit under this heading.  Mark puts the GO in Gospel.  The word, “immediately,” is the Greek word, “euthus,” and is used forty times in Mark’s Gospel.  We see Jesus in action—moving from place to place—consumed with His mission.  He had three and one-half years to complete His assignment, and so the pace He kept was amazing.  That, however, is what servants do.  The standard has been set for those of us who have come to faith in Christ.  Do you know why you are here and what are you doing about it?  The same Spirit who rested on Jesus, resides with us—and all in view of replicating Christ’s work through His body—the church!

The Lord further spoke of HIS SACRIFICE, “and to give His life….”  The bulk of Mark’s material concentrates on chapters eleven through fifteen—and basically one week of the Savior’s life!  Imagine, almost three and one-half years, compressed into ten chapters, while seven days are spread across five chapters!  But that was the week that changed the world—the final days of Christ’s service that brought Him to the fulfillment of His work.  From His entrance, carried on a donkey’s back into Jerusalem with shouts, to His exit, His body carried by the disciple’s hands from Jerusalem amid sobs—the focus is one Calvary.  His sacrifice was the reason He came.  The cross was central to His service—it will be to ours.  Jesus has summoned all who would follow Him to take up the cross, in dying to what we want and living to what God wills.  My daily life is to be an outpouring of surrender to Him—giving my all to the One who gave His all for me!

The final chapter testifies to HIS SUCCESS, “a ransom for many.”  The tomb is not the end of the story!  His resurrection was the visible affirmation of the acceptance of His sacrifice—mission accomplished!  He had done all that was required to obtain our salvation, and could ascend back into the glory from whence He came.  One day too, our service will be over, and I pray that we will hear God’s commendation, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  Enter into the joys of your Lord.”  May we be faithful and fruitful in our service today and everyday!