Mark 10:45 (ESV)
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The above passage comes at the end of a tense moment regarding the disciples and Jesus’ teachings to them. He has just told them many things about the end times (chapter 9) and has laid out the truth that they were on their way to Jerusalem where Jesus will die. In the above verse we see an amazing truth that Jesus taught them, yes, but also lived before them:
Jesus was determined to die!! It is the only way to live.
This is the key verse in Mark. It is a transition truth:
Mark 1-9 Jesus is portrayed as the servant
Mark 10-16 Jesus is portrayed as a savior
Jesus will now start His journey toward Jerusalem and the events of the Passover and the Crucifixion will take place. The disciples were just fighting among themselves for position in the new Kingdom. Of course, when Jesus talked of His death and the Kingdom they thought it would be the overthrowing of the Roman occupation and the downfall of the religious leaders. They had no idea, at this point, what He meant. They just wanted powerful positions in the new government. As we would have been, they were clueless. But, Jesus came to be a servant by dying. That was the two-fold ministry He merged into one. On the cross He served us by giving us life through saving us in His death. He served by being a savior. In His being a savior He served us.
No comments:
Post a Comment