The Servanthood of Christ

Thank you so much, Carol. That's another beautiful musical piece that we're learning about. It's a real honor to hear a pianist doing such a great job. Very inspiring. I would like to begin the sermon, telling you what got my attention this week. Now, there are a lot of things going on in the world, but these things, too, will pass. They're just little blips in history. No, what I'm talking about is a big blip. It's not going away. This thing is going to last one day, forever.

And this is something I learned this week, which I'd like to share. I was reading a book by my favorite historian, Paul Johnson. We actually interviewed him in the magazine back in the 1980s. He's a British historian, a man that has great insight, conservative, very fine values. Everything he writes is just a jewel, a masterpiece, in my estimate. He wrote a biography on Jesus Christ. While I was reading it, I was struck by what he said here. He wrote, Why did the salvation process take place in 4 B.C.

with the birth of Jesus and not sooner or later? As a historian, they asked, why at this certain time? This is his answer that got my attention. We can all learn from someone else. That's a mark of humbly learning things from others. He said, Since God exists outside of space and time, which are mere ephemeral devices, which means these are passing things, the time and space that comprises the universe, that's something physical and that's something that is not going to last forever.

The universe was created. Before that, it didn't exist. One day, the universe is going to pass away because it's made out of electrons and protons and atoms and molecules. They only have a certain amount of spin and energy to do their work. He says that God exists outside of space and time.

He says these are ephemeral devices to enable humanity to develop and be tested and then saved. Wow! Space and time in the universe were made so man could make decisions and act upon them. If we were spirit, we wouldn't need a universe.

But physical beings need a universe as a testing ground in order to make decisions and to live every minute of the day. God doesn't count time like we do because this is something physical here. One of the primary purposes of having this testing ground is whether we learn to apply true servanthood or not. To learn to better serve than to be served.

That's one of the reasons God created the universe because these are decisions we make every day. One of the primary purposes we see is learning what Jesus Christ came to teach us, which was to learn to serve more than to be served. I was also struck by two biographies. One of them, Paul Johnson, also wrote. One was on George Washington. He analyzed how that man, although he could have become a dictator, he could have become another world ruler, He had the humility to step down from his powerful office as a commanding general during the Revolutionary War.

After it was finished, people venerated the man. He could have taken power. You know what he did? He stepped back and went back to Mount Vernon. He wanted to be a farmer. He loved farming. He wasn't interested in all the political infighting and all the power. They had to go talk with him and convince him to become the president, of which he reluctantly accepted.

Throughout those eight years, which basically formed this nation, he was always thinking about going back to his beloved farm in Mount Vernon. Thanks to that spirit of service and humility, this country took the direction it has taken. Those leaders followed his example.

Also, Abraham Lincoln was the other one. Very self-effacing, reluctant to take the reins of power, and when he could, to leave the reins of power to others. And so, again, the word servanthood, which means a person that is dedicated to serving, you see in these two great presidents and looking to God for help, not thinking they can handle everything. In life, one of the most important lessons we can learn is to have that spirit of servanthood personified by Jesus Christ. And so, let's look at the facets of what is called servanthood of Christ and how we can apply them in our own lives.

The last scripture that I will cover is the one that inspired this message, and I believe it's the most important one. So don't leave before I finish. First, Jesus identified himself as the servant of the Lord that was described in the book of Isaiah. In Luke chapter 22, verse 37, speaking to his disciples and what he was going to suffer, he said, These are things that are going to happen. And he was numbered with the transgressors, quoting from Isaiah 53.

For the things concerning me have an end, or as other translations have it, are coming true, are being fulfilled. And so to this day, the Jewish people still have this controversy. Who is the servant of the Lord? And yet Jesus Christ answered. He was the servant of the Lord. And there are four sections in the book of Isaiah that describe everything the servant of the Lord would do, and how Jesus Christ uniquely fulfilled those descriptions as the servant of the Lord.

The key word, servant. Notice in Isaiah 49, verse 1. Oh, I'm sorry. Let's start in Isaiah 42. 49 is the second one, but the first one is Isaiah 42, verses 1 through 7, and then 21 and 22.

Isaiah 42. Starting in verse 1, it says, Keep silence before me, O coastlands, and let the people renew their strength. Oh, let me 42. Go one more. Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my elect one, in whom my soul delights. This is God the Father speaking here about the word who would come down and become the Son.

I have put my spirit upon him. He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. So it's not just the Jews. He will not cry out, nor raise his voice, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

A bruised reed he will not break, and smoking flax he will not quench. Talking about how gentle he would be. He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail, nor be discouraged, till he has established justice in the earth. So this is a prophecy. He hasn't done it yet, but when he comes back, he will fulfill it. And the coastlands shall wait for his law.

So talking about establishing his law upon the earth. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth, and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and the Spirit to those who walk on it, I, the Lord, have called you, talking about the servant, in righteousness, and will hold your hand. I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, which he did with miracles, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.

So it is talking about him bringing liberty, healing. This is what Expository's Dictionary of Bible Words says about this section. The servant of the Lord will walk humbly among the bruised and worthless of the earth. He will establish justice on the earth. God will lead and protect the servant and make a covenant with him. He will release life's captives. Let's go to Isaiah 49, verse 1.

Now remember, this was written around 700 years before Jesus Christ appeared, written by Isaiah. Isaiah 49, verse 1. It says, Listen, O coastlands, to me, and take heed, you people from afar. The Lord has called me from the womb. So this is the servant of the Lord talking about his birth. From the matrix of my mother, he has made mention of my name. And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword. In the shadow of his hand, he has hidden me and made me a polished shaft. Very well made. In his quiver, he has hidden me. And he said to me, You are my servant, O Israel, of which he provides and proceeds from, in whom I will be glorified.

Then I said, I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain. Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord and my work with my God. And now the Lord said, Who formed me from the womb? To be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, so that Israel is gathered to him.

For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. Indeed, he says, It is too small a thing that you should be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel. I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be my salvation to the ends of the earth. Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to the servant of rulers.

Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, and he has chosen you. By the way, I didn't read Isaiah 42, 21, and 22. I want to go back there, because that's important. Let's go back to Isaiah 42, verses 21 and 22, because you see, he's talking about Israel being his servants, and they're not fulfilling. They're not doing their job, and they're going to be punished.

But then God says, I'm going to bring a true servant to you. Notice in Isaiah 42, 21, it says, the Lord is well pleased for his righteousness sake, and he will exalt the law and make it honorable. What Jesus Christ said there in Isaiah 5, 19, I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it, to make it glorious. But then he says to Israel in Isaiah's day, but this is a people robbed and plundered.

All of them are snares in holes, and they are hidden in prison houses. They are for prey, and no one delivers for plunder, and no one says restore. And then he goes on to talk about that they're obeying false gods, following the wrong god. And so he is contrasting in Isaiah the servants over Israel with his servant that is coming later. Okay, let's go to the third passage here in Isaiah. And before I do want to mention what the Expository Dictionary, a Bible word, says in Isaiah 49 that we just read. It says, Despite what appears to be a failure, the servant will call Israel back to the Lord and bring salvation to all mankind.

Even if the Jewish people as a whole rejected him, there's still a future time when they will be gathered together, where they will submit to God.

Isaiah 50, 4-10. Again, it's important to put all of these scriptures together because they're a description of the coming Christ. Isaiah 50, 4-10. It says, It says, Jesus Christ didn't need to go to those professional rabbinic schools. God was there teaching them every day. Verse 5, They're at the crucifixion. It says, Here we have two God beings. Different times here. One came to the earth. Notice what, again, this expository dictionary says.

God is seen constantly speaking to and guiding his servant, who is completely obedient to him. Obedience will involve sufferings. But the sovereign God was at work in the servant's suffering and would fully vindicate him. Those who fear the Lord will obey the word of the servant. Finally, Isaiah 52, verse 13, all the way through Isaiah 53, 12. Isaiah 52, 13. This is where it begins. Unfortunately, the chapters are broken up in the wrong place because this starts talking about the servant of the Lord again.

Verse 13, it says, That's what he was raised up and put there at the right side. He was raised up at the right side of God the Father, just as many were astonished at you. So his visage was marred more than any man, the way he was beaten to a pulp, and his form more than the sons of men. So shall he sprinkle many nations with his blood. Kings shall shut their mouths at him, for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider the sacrifice that Christ did.

Who has believed a report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or calmliness, and when we see him there is no beauty that we should desire him. So he wasn't a very attractive person. He was normal, ordinary Jew of his day. He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from him. That was before we were converted. He was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. That's where Jesus Christ mentioned there in Luke, what we read in 22, 37. It's a fulfillment of Isaiah 53.4. Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way. That's the way the world goes. They don't know where the source of truth is. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all, so he carried our sins and the penalty of our sins with him. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth.

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shearers in silence. So he opened not his mouth, didn't protest, complain. He was taken from prison and from judgment and from... And who will declare his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living, for the transgressions of my people was stricken.

And they made his grave with the wicked, but with the rich at his death, because he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He has put him to grief. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days.

Let's talk about the resurrection. And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper up in his hand. He shall see the labor or the results of his soul and be satisfied by his knowledge. My righteous servant shall justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore, this is talking about the future, I will divide him apportion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong.

He is coming back to establish his kingdom because he poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. All of this was fulfilled. This is what the Pository Dictionary mentions about this section. God's servant was destined to be exalted, even though at first people turned away from his form, repulsed by his suffering. Indeed, the servant was destined to purify humanity. Despised and rejected by sinful people, God's servant was pierced for their transgression and suffered a punishment that brought them peace.

He died with thieves and was laid in a rich man's tomb. God's eternal intention was to make the servant's life a guilt offering, but the servant would be restored to life after his suffering and would see the results in those he justified. He would be exalted, for he poured out his life in death while bearing our sin so he could intercede for us transgressors. So those are the four sections in Isaiah that describe the servanthood, the life of service of Jesus Christ.

And of course, in the New Testament, we see a summary of his life in Matthew chapter 20. Matthew chapter 20, verse 24.

His disciples were pretty carnal at that time. They didn't have the spirit of servanthood. They didn't have God's spirit in them at the time, but Christ was working with them. God's spirit was with them, but not in them. And in Matthew 20, verse 24, it says, And when the ten heard it, because the brothers were asking to be sitting each on the side of Jesus Christ in his kingdom, they wanted the top two positions, and they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. They said, Who are these smart allies? Yeah, they want to be number one and number two. But I think I should be number one, and they were all disputing. Who would be the greatest? As part of the Scriptures mentioned, they were all disputing. And so Christ knew they needed to learn a lesson of humility and of God-centered servanthood. Verse 25, Jesus called them to himself and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lorded over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. You know how the world runs things, and how people rise to power, they want to retain, they want others to serve them, and use their riches and power to live as wealthy and as comfortable as they can be.

It says in verse 26, Yet it shall not be so among you. Now, that's one of my motto. And I try to follow, It shall not be so among you. That is not the way to govern the church. It shall not be so. And just like in a much smaller sphere, when you read the biography of George Washington, you see that he said the example that many of these other men were full of ambition. They weren't cut of that noble cloth that he was. And many of them had those ambitions. But guess what? The example that George Washington set for eight years put them to shame that the rest of those men did not dare break the example that George Washington had set for many years. And it put this great country in a path that even today we still see the Constitution, which in great part had to do with George Washington's example, because he was the one that approved things. And he was behind the scenes showing how to have the balance of different three branches of government and all the in and outs, because he had been fighting for eight years that revolution. He didn't want it all to go to waste. And of course, the example of Jesus Christ is so much greater. And so his disciples finally learned how to get along, how to lead with humility because of the example Jesus Christ set. And so he says, But it shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. Let him be the greatest server. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave. That's one of the terms for servanthood, doulos, which is a bond slave. It's somebody that has been sold to someone else and that you owe them service.

Verse 28, then he turns to his example, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. This expository dictionary, it brings out the point that there are these three words that are primarily the ones used in the New Testament for the term service or servant. And I mentioned the one, a doulos, which is the one where you just are owned by your master. And so Christ mentions the spirit to have that. But then when he applies it to himself, he doesn't use the term doulos, because a doulos doesn't have a choice. He uses a second term, which is diaconos, or diaconia, which are the two ways, which means a person who serves others. That it's not done out of slavery or compulsion, but that you are a person that serves others. One of the terms that was used in those days was a table waiter, just like we have here, different people waiting tables. And you're doing it for others, but it's not like a master-slave relationship. It's one that you have been called, and you have a duty to serve others. So Jesus Christ, He maintained His independence. He did it willingly. He submitted. But it was something that He retained being the master. And yet He humbled Himself. And so it says here that He came to serve, not to be served, and to give His life a ransom or a payment for many. So of course, that is the greatest example. Anything we can see about George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, you know, that pales into insignificance when we're dealing with the Son of God, who had all the power. Notice another scripture in Philippians.

Philippians chapter 2.

We've used this many times for guidance. What Jesus Christ was doing before He came to the earth. Philippians 2 and verse 5, it says, So He did have a lowly position as that of a bondservant and coming in likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross, the servant of the Lord, that we read in Isaiah. And how He was able to always use God's power for God's glory, not for His own, obedient servant, giving us the tremendous example. And then it goes on to talk about what God did afterwards, after He was resurrected. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth. Again, the term under the earth. People live in caves because that was common in those days. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. And guess what? Those that do not bow, and they'll have an opportunity to be converted and to be able to be called into the faith. But those that refuse and say, I will not bow, they will not be around. They will be cast into that lake of fire, and that will be the second death. Because Christ is going to rule over everyone that is submissive, that has learned that tremendous lesson, that it's more blessed to serve than to be served. And so, let's go to the last scripture, Revelation 22, verses 3-5. And this is the last description of the events in the future that God gives us in the Bible. Revelation 22. And here we're going to see the third term dealing with service. Revelation 22, verse 1. It says, And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Christ is at the right hand, described as a Lamb that sacrificed Himself. He will always symbolize the spirit of service to the point of dying to serve others. In the middle of its tree, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, symbolic of eternal life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations, or refreshing is another term, something that delights those that take it. Verse 3, And there shall be no more curse, there won't be any sin, there won't be any Satan, there won't be any human nature to fight, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. And His servants, and the word here comes from the third word. There are a few others, but they're minor. These are the three principles. It's La Trejo. L-A-T-R-E-O-U. La Trejo.

This is what it means. It means to serve or worship God, but not out of compulsion. Again, see, when we are spirit beings, we're not going to be bond slaves. No, we're going to be children. We're going to want to do it. And we're going to serve and worship God because we want to. So all these will serve God as His children and will reign under Christ forever. You see, God the Father and Jesus Christ continue to be the greatest servants of all. That's how the family is developing with that same spirit of service. And so this is what we are destined to carry out. If we don't learn it in this life, then we'll have to learn it in the next one. It goes on to say in verse 4, They shall see His face. You'll have direct access to God the Father and the Lamb. You don't need priests to intercede or mediators. It'll be a direct, just like a child with a father that loves Him and is training Him and guiding Him. Children should not be afraid of their parents. They should respect their parents, but they shouldn't be afraid. They should feel joy when they see their father or mother or grandfather or grandmother.

And that's just a little sliver of the joy we're going to have in the future. It says, And His name shall be on their foreheads. That's like a child receiving the last name of his parent. We're going to be part of the God family. There shall be no night there. They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And these are the last words, and they shall reign forever and ever. So there will be servants, but at the same time servant rulers. With that spirit of service, each one serving the other before thinking of being served themselves. So I want to encourage you and thank all of you, brethren. When you were baptized, you became a servant of Christ. You committed yourself to a life of service, of not thinking of ourselves first, but the others first. To serve Him above all, to serve your families, to serve your church, and to serve others, friends and the community. And we can see how to improve that spirit of service, whatever it is that God allows us to do. Widows many times might feel they can't do much, but look at Anna, the one who prayed day and night, for God to carry out His will, His servants. We need those prayers. We need the support. If we have learned that lesson of servanthood, then our lives have not been in vain. Again, thank you, brethren, for having committed yourselves to following the servanthood of Christ.