Broken on the Cross, Not a Conqueror

STUDY: # 909 CHURCH IN THE HOUSES FROM: AUGUST 23 @ 29, 2016

Topic: "Broken on the Cross, Not a Conqueror" Matthew 20: 24-28

Matthew 20:20-21 “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. What is it you want? He asked. She said, Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” This request of the mother of John and James greatly annoyed the other disciples. “When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers." Matthew 20:24 The disciples could not understand the advantage that these two brothers wanted. They could not understand why John and James were allowed to present and claim some "alleged" rights to have special honors. Jesus, who knows everything of each of the lives, knew very well what was happening between them. For such reason, the Lord spoke to them words that are the very foundation of Christian life. Matthew 20:25-28 "Jesus called them together and said: You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. NOT SO WITH YOU. INSTEAD, WHOEVER WANTS TO BECOME GREAT AMONG YOU MUST BE YOUR SERVANT, AND WHOEVER WANTS TO BE FIRST MUST BE YOUR SLAVE; as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." In this world it is totally true that the great men are in control of others. In the world in those times there was a Roman governor with his court and rich men with their slaves. The world considered them great. But, for Jesus things were not like this. It is as if the Lord had said: "Among my followers SERVICE is the only emblem of greatness." The greater the service is, the greater is the honor! If you want to be great, be a servant! If you want to be the first of all, be a slave! A new scale of values had been introduced there by Jesus. The curious thing is that the world itself has instinctively accepted those new values. THE WORLD KNOWS THAT GOOD MEN ARE THE ONES WHO SERVE THEIR FELLOWMEN. The world will respect, admire and sometimes will fear the man of power, but will love the man of love! That person to whom everyone can go knowing that they will be assisted, who will not consider a nuisance to assist them is distinguished; that is the person that everyone loves and in whom they instinctively SEE JESUS CHRIST! For the men of this world life is measured in greatness, power and dominion, in having intellectual heft, but Jesus does not consider any of these things important. Jesus’ valuation is another one and is very simple, it is this: HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU HELPED? (Matthew 20:26-27) If we devote our lives to help we will no longer live asking for prayer for ourselves or looking for places of grandeur and authority, or angry, or upset because we are not taken into account. What Jesus requires of you as His follower, He fulfilled Himself. He came not to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:28). HE DID NOT COME TO OCCUPY A THRONE BUT A CROSS. It was precisely why the religious people of His time could not understand Him.

Throughout all its history the Jews had dreamed of a conquering king, a powerful commander who would defeat the enemies of Israel and would reign with power over all the kingdoms of the earth. They sought a conqueror and they received A BROKEN MAN ON A CROSS! THEY SOUGHT THE ROARING LION OF JUDAH AND RECEIVED THE MEEK LAMB OF GOD! In the cross of Christ the levels of human judgment and human works about the splendor of the Messiah crumbled. The sacrifice of the cross demonstrates THE NEW GREATNESS OF THE SUFFERING LOVE AND SACRIFICIAL SERVICE. Here sovereignty and royalty is reaffirmed and renewed. Jesus summed up His entire life in a striking phrase: “...AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR MANY." (Matthew 20:28) The men were in the clutches of an evil power from which they could not escape, the sins were dragging them to the abyss; sin separated them from God. A RANSOM is something that is paid to free a person from a situation from which it is impossible to free himself. Therefore, this saying means simply that it cost the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ to return sinful men back to God. The great tremendous truth is that without Christ, without His life of service and His death of love, we would’ve never been able to find the way back to God's love. Jesus gave everything to bring humanity back to God. Then, we should walk in His footsteps following the steps of the One who loved to the end. Jesus served and gave up His own life. How about you? Brother, you were not born to conquer according to the greatness of this world; that is what the worldly do. Understand that you are not the great one and much least the one who know the most; you are only ONE SIMPLE SERVANT AS WAS OUR TEACHER! There is nothing of human greatness in servicing. For such reason, we should no longer have claims for what is estimated by men. Let us just seek to serve, let us do good to others and thus will be like the Master, WHO GAVE ALL FOR OUR RESCUE! Amen.