The Servant King

Intro

Serving Tables and treatment by customers; a low of low job

Recap

Jesus and his disciples are travelling. They were in Caesarea Philippi when Peter made the confession that Jesus was the Christ. They have passed through Galilee where Jesus gives his second coming death and resurrection account. Then the disciples and Jesus came into Capernaum and the region of Judea, and beyond the Jordan. Each step of the journey creeped closer and closer to Jerusalem. And this morning, we look at the final leg to Jerusalem.

Main Point: To be a follower of Jesus is a call to serve others as he first served us in giving his life as a ransom.

Points

A Suffering Example

A Call to Serve

A Cry for Mercy

A Suffering Example

Around the age of 14 while putting out hay for cattle, I was charged by a bull. Thankfully, before that bull reached me, I was able to get to safety. As a result of that incident, I was to say the least a bit squeamish the first time I was in a field and near another bull in thinking of what could happen again. The thought of being charged and mauled by a bull was terrifying, it made me super jumpy and nervous. But Jesus, though he knew what was coming in his own life, set his eyes towards Jerusalem and walked. He did not shrink back, but kept his eyes set towards Jerusalem. Look with me there at verse 32 (READ).

Instead of the disciples walking by Jesus’ side, they are behind him, amazed and fearful. But not Jesus, he had his eyes set on Jerusalem, knowing what fully awaited him. And to make sure his disciples know he remembers what is coming, he tells them for a third time what is about to take place. For in verses 33 &34 we read…

In Jesus’ third telling of what lies ahead, it echoes the first two tellings with a little added detail that he will be humiliated, making the ongoing connection to the Suffering Servant from Isaiah 53 more clear. For as it says that he will be mocked, spit on, flogged, and killed it echoes that of Isaiah 53:3 which says: He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. And again, this is what Jesus sets his face towards Jerusalem to walk into. He willingly goes up, knowing the end result of his impending death. Yes, he also knows that he will rise, but Jesus knows that the leaders of the Jewish people will mock him, betray him, and hand him over to the Roman empire. He knows that the Romans are going to beat him and humiliate him. He knows that he is going to have his hands and his feet pierced as he is nailed to the cross. But why? Why is Jesus so determined to go, knowing all of this? Jesus sets his eyes towards Jerusalem, because he came not to be served but to serve. Drop all the way down to verse 45 with me. It says...

Jesus, the Son of Man who as told in Daniel 7:14 is to be given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him didn’t come to be served in this way, but he came to serve. Jesus willfully goes towards Jerusalem, towards to cross because he came to give his life as a ransom in order to serve. A ransom to free the guilty from their guilt. A ransom to pay the debt of others. In his book, The Cross of Christ, John Stott writes, “The imagery implies that we are held in a captivity from which only the payment of a ransom can set us free, and that the ransom is nothing less than the Messiah’s own life. Our lives are forfeit; his life will be sacrificed instead.”

Christ came to pay a ransom with the laying down of his own life in order to purchase us from sin and declare us innocent from the guilt of that sin. Jesus came to serve in this manner. He came to rescue us. And it is this very reason that Jesus knew he must be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes. It is this very reason of paying a ransom why Jesus must be condemned to death and delivered over to the Gentiles. It is this very ransom payment that Jesus must face the humiliation that awaits him. Jesus came to lay down his own life as a ransom for ours. For even as he went to Jerusalem, towards the cross, He went and died while we were still sinners, just as we are told in Romans 5:8. And it is through this ransom, not only does Jesus go to the cross to be crucified, but that on the cross that Jesus satisfies the wrath of God against our sin.

We actually see this in what follows in the discussion between Jesus and the Sons of Zebedee. Following Jesus having just taught the disciples for the third time that he must suffer, die, and be raised, the Sons of Zebedee, that is James and John, come and make a request to Jesus. There in verse 37, they ask Jesus that they would be seated on both sides of him as he enters into glory. But notice the conversation that takes place following this request there in verses 38-40. It says...

Jesus questions them whether they are able to drink the cup he will drink and be baptized in the baptism he will be baptized. Jesus in asking them this is referring back to his coming death. For Jesus again knows the cup that he is about to drink. A cup of suffering and wrath. Psalm 75:8 says, For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. Jesus was going to fully drink the cup of God’s wrath against sin, that we could be declared righteous.

The ransom needed to set us free from our sin was the blood of a spotless sacrifice. For it was crucial that judgement was carried out against sin. And it is on the cross that Jesus drank the full cup of God’s wrath against sin as Jesus became that sin for us. Jesus being without blemish and sin came to lay down his life as the lamb of God, to satisfy God’s wrath against sin once and for all. Hebrews 9:13-14 says:

For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Christian, our ransom was paid at a great cost. And yet this is what Jesus eagerly came to do. And because Jesus came to serve many by giving his life as a ransom, we who have placed our faith in Jesus have been declared righteous, we have been declared justified, we have been declared children of God through our faith. These are the ways that Christ has come to serve us. The price of our redemption was great, as are the outpourings of God’s love and grace to us. Just as that third verse from Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery goes, may we sing it continually. For it says:

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery; Christ the Lord upon the tree

In the stead of ruined sinners; Hangs the Lamb in victory

See the price of our redemption; See the Father’s plan unfold

Bringing many Sons to glory; Grace unmeasured love untold

Our ransom has been paid in full if we will look to Jesus and place our faith in him alone. For Jesus drank the cup and was baptized in his death as the suffering servant King on our behalf. That we could have life in Him. Now, that doesn’t mean that we too will not suffer in this life as we follow him. For notice what Jesus does tell James and John when they say that they are able in regards to drinking the cup Jesus drinks and the baptism that he is baptized. There in the middle of verse 39, Jesus says, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized.”

To be a follower of Christ is a call to suffer. But the cup that we drink and the baptism we will enter of trials and suffering are not in regards to God’s judgement, but of his taking us through the fire of purification. They are means of refining us as we are made more dependent and more like Christ himself, the Son of Man who came to Serve in laying down his own life as a ransom for many. That is all who would come to trust in Him!

And as we are refined and made more like Christ, then we need to understand that the call of the disciple is not to be seated high and rule over others, but our call is to serve others.

A Call to Serve

And that is where we turn in our second point this morning, a call to serve. Going back to the conversation with the Sons of Zebedee, the opposite of serving others if fighting for power and position. And that is what the Sons of Zebedee were seeking when they went to Jesus in making their request to sit on either side of him. And of course as the other 10 heard of this, they became indignant at the request of James and John. However, Jesus took them aside and once more began to teach his disciples. Look at verse 42 at how he starts his teaching. He says...

Jesus pulls out what the Gentiles, those who are not Jewish do. Now, culturally the Jews and Gentiles hated each other, so the Jews would not have wanted to follow their model of life here. And Jesus points out how the rulers of the Gentiles lord their position over people and exercise their authority over them. This here is the opposite of what Jesus came to do and the opposite of how followers of Christ are called to live. They are not to seek positions for power sake. They are not to seek power to exercise authority over others as the Sons of Zebedee were doing here. But instead, Jesus tells them that for them to be great, they must be a servant, and to be first, they must be a slave of all. In other words, they were to be at the bottom of all in how they lived.

And the grounding for this call of service is not to earn favor with Christ, to earn salvation. The call to serve others is a call in light of how Christ has already served us. The call to serve others flows from a heart that is filled with Christ in light of what he has already done. But in Christ, how are we to serve one another? How are we to serve others, to be slaves of all? How do we follow Christ in this? This morning I want us to look at 4 ways we can serve each other:

Gather together

Part of serving one another in the local church is simply by making it a priority to gather together. We can’t learn of the needs of one another and how to best serve one another if we fail to gather together. And while this seems simple and most do a good job of this, we need to remind one another of this priority. And helping check on others when they are unable to be here.

And as we gather together, learning to have meaningful conversations with one another. In our gathering we must learn to go deeper with one another. It’s not enough to ask the basic questions. To serve one another well we must begin to learn one another’s hearts and affections. To do this we have to listen attentively as we talk with one another. As we ask questions, we don’t need to only listen for the word response, but the tone and mannerisms of the person. Then we ask good follow up questions as we get to know one another. This is part of gathering and part of getting to know one another and being present with one another.

Encourage one another

We also need to encourage one another. Hebrews 10:24 says, And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. Brothers and sisters, part of us walking together in love for one another and serving one another is to not only gather and be present together, but laboring to encourage one another. In their co-authored book, The Compelling Community, Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop write, “Encouragment is an antidote to unbelief. To encourage means to strengthen each other’s faith. It means being merciful to those who doubt (June 22). It means helping each other hold the shield of faith (Eph. 6:16). A commitment to encourage is a commitment to fight for faith together.”

Therefore we labor to encourage one another as we strengthen one another by affirming ways that we see God at work in each other's lives. We encourage one another when we see each other struggling in the faith for faith. Encouragement is more than just saying a nice word to one another as we quickly move past each other. Encouragement is deliberately speaking a word to one another to strengthen that brother or sister in Christ.

Guard one another

Similarly to the need to encourage one another, we are to serve one another by helping guard one another. Part of walking together in the faith and serving one another is to help one another keep each other from having our hearts harden in sin. Hebrews 3:15 tells us, As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” This is written to the whole church of the Hebrews, therefore we have a responsibility in serving one another in keeping sin from creeping into our brothers and sisters in Christ. For this is why Paul wrote to the whole of the Corinthian Church in 1 Corinthians 5 in rebuking them for not acting when one was living in unrepentant sin. Likewise with the rebuke to the whole of the Galatian Church when false teachers had crept in and led them away from the gospel. We as members of Central City Baptist Church have a responsibility to help guard one another from sin.

Now, that guarding doesn’t mean we approach one another in arrogance as if we have it figured out and our brother and sister doesn’t have this figured out, but in a loving kindness and humility because we care for our brother and sister in Christ. We cannot say we love and care for one another if we are unwilling to speak truth into one another’s lives, especially as unrepentant sin creeps into the lives of one another. To love and serve one another is to help each other guard one another against sin.

Empty ourselves

Lastly, to serve others, we need to empty ourselves by pouring out our lives for the sake of the gospel. By this, I mean that we need to give our lives for the sake of advancing the kingdom of God, telling others about the ransom that Jesus has paid for sin, that they may hear and believe. We fail to serve others if we fail to empty ourselves for the cause, for the sake of making Christ’s name known to the ends of the earth. Christ came to purchase us back to himself, not that we could live for ourselves, but for his. Therefore we must continue to empty ourselves in investing in others, especially for the sake of making Christ’s name known among them. Paul did this by pouring out his life in sharing the gospel from town to town. We here in little old Central City and Centralia have a large mission field before us. The question is, will we empty ourselves to make Christ known? Or will we retreat to our pews and comfortable homes in isolation from the outside world where many are dying and will spend an eternity in hell? Brothers and sisters, we must go and empty ourselves to make the name of Jesus known! For he alone is the way, the truth, and the life.

A Cry for Mercy

And Jesus alone has shown mercy to us in the midst of our sin. And that is our final point this morning, a cry for mercy. Following Jesus calling the twelve to serve others, they enter into Jericho. And after time there and they are leaving a blind beggar begins to call out to Jesus. There in verse 47 we read…

A blind beggar who had nothing, not even his sight cries out to Jesus for mercy. And while others try to silence the man, Jesus calls Blind Bartimaeus to himself. And as he comes, Jesus, just like he did the Sons of Zebedee, asks what do you want me to do for you? But notice the different tone of the request made by Bartimaeus from the disciples, he asks, Rabbi, let me recover my sight. The disciples wanted glory, the blind beggar in desperation calls out asking to see, to be restored. Notice Jesus’ response to his request in verse 52…

Because of faith the man’s sight was restored and this once Blind Man who now sees begins to follow Jesus.

Whether you are here this morning and you already have decided to place your faith in Jesus or you are here and either wrestling with the idea of faith or have no desire at all in faith, know this, if we will but cry out to Jesus for mercy, Jesus will hear that cry and invite us to come to him. Brothers and sisters, no matter how poor you have done in serving others, no matter how deep into sin you have fallen since professing faith in Jesus, he invites you now to cry out to him, have mercy on me, Son of David, have mercy on me! And he will draw you near to himself as you confess your sin.

And the same for you friend, if you have yet to place your faith in Jesus, he too invites you to cry out to him for mercy. And as you cry out in faith, he will pour out his mercy on you in the forgiveness of sins. The only question is, will you believe in him or not? Jesus hears and stands ready to save you, but you must put your faith in him alone. Put that faith in Jesus today, knowing that he has paid a ransom for sin. Don’t reject this truth.

Let’s pray.