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For the joy that was set before him
He was God in human flesh, yet he did not operate towards us from that state.
He humbled himself as a servant
He had the right to demand (not ask for) worship, praise, adoration, obedience, and more.
He had the right to demand a palace and royal robes, yet he was born in a stable and raised in a poor area by a poor family.
He had the power to subdue kingdoms, and the whole world actually. Yet he healed the hurting, reached out to the outcasts, taught the confused.
Do you honestly believe that he rebuked the Sanhedrin (Pharisees and sadducees) because he despised them?
No
He first tried to teach them on many occasions. He showed miracles to try and get their attention. He rebuked them sharply not out of malice, but as a loving father trying to get his children to change. He whipped their subordinates and ran them out of the temple out of holiness and loving corrective action.
Was he angry? Yes. But he was still doing what he did out of love and service
He never once demanded what he deserved of mankind.
Rather, he lovingly served us.
Why?
For the joy that was set before him.
He took the ridicule from his inferiors. He took the abuse from the scoffers. He took the slander from the prideful.
All because he knew that one day, all the pain he endured, all the doubt he tolerated, all the accusations he ignored, would result in a bride!
Without spot or wrinkle.
A people made holy and righteous by his suffering.
He would be their God. And they would be his people.
We are supposed to be Christian’s.
The word means “Christ-like.”
But does he really expect us to humbly serve each other as he did?
Yes!
That’s the opposite of how we do things.
We’re focused on our rights. We’re focused on what we think we deserve. We’re zoned in on our own authority. And if our authority isn’t recognized and respected, we get angry!
From CEO’s down to shift managers, everyone is focused on being respected and getting the job done using their company given authority to do it.
But it doesn’t stop there.
In churches, people are very title oriented. Bishop this, evangelist that, missionary this, prophet that.
Why?
Because having that title they believe makes them a somebody.
Why?
Because with those titles comes God given authority.
And humans love to use authority against each other. It makes us feel like we’re better than others or are somehow above them.
Even in families, most of the marriage problems are really about one spouse trying to take authority over and control the other. “You’re supposed to do things this way.”
Never mind that every home has its own culture. When a couple gets married it’s not about trying to convert their spouse to the culture they grew up in. It’s about becoming one. It’s about learning what works to make your home and lives work well together. it’s supposed to be about blending.
Both Giving up what the other spouse hates. Both serving each other and trying to find out what works for their relationship and home.
Most of the problems with children are about exercising authority over each other. “That’s my computer, that’s my room, that’s my toy, that’s my stuff. You have to have my permission to use that and you can only use it the way I say you can and for the length of time I say you can use it.”
At the heart of it all is love! Whether business, church, or home.
It starts with personal submission to God. Letting him have control. Letting him guide us in everything.
Jesus manifested his love by serving in everything he did.
His love is supposed to be allowed to manifest in and through us through serving others.
We focus on authority and control.
But he focuses on humble submission- to him and to each other.
The apostles didn’t submit to him because of his great authority and position.
They submitted because of his incredible love!
How much smoother would a church run if everything was handled through humble submission to each other and prayer, rather than manipulation and power plays.
How much more peaceful would our homes be if parents humbly submitted to each other, serving each other and their children in the love of God?
Even when Jesus exercised authority, he was standing on the word of God and acting out of love and humble service for humanity.
The world says “take what you can get.”
His says, “give yourself away (within the bounds of the word).”
When we fully understand and realize just what Jesus gave up in order that we might be made new, we will willingly obey his commands because we will fall in love with him.
And by extension, we will lovingly serve each other because he is living through us and empowering us to do so.
The whole crux of the gospel is almighty God served humanity by becoming the sacrifice for our sins in order that he may empower us to put our wills down and allow his will to operate IN earth (in us) as it is in heaven.
That’s him having complete authority and wielding it in and through us.
That’s why he came.
That’s why he died.
That’s why he arose.
That’s the only way any of us will ever make heaven.
