“For even the Son of Man came not
to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:45

Christmas is a beautiful season – probably my favorite time of year. The beauty of the season is found in the reason for the season. The coming of God into our world is a profoundly beautiful truth.

Why did God come into the world he made? The Bible gives lots of answers to this question. One of them is in Mark 10:45, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.” Jesus says that one of the reasons he came into the world was to serve. This is one of the bedrock truths underneath the beauty of Christmas.

God is infinite and eternal. He has no beginning and no end. He was not made but made all things. He is holy, or set apart and fundamentally different from everything else that exists. He created everything that is, both seen and unseen. He made galaxies and giraffes, planets and particles, stars and sugar cookies. Because he made all things, he rules over all things. Nothing happens apart from his sovereign will. He ordains all that comes to pass. He is everywhere. He knows everything. He can do anything. He does not need anything or anyone. He is perfectly happy and content within the fellowship of himself, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is God, and he is holy.

If this is all we knew about God, that would be enough to cause us to worship him. His being and attributes are meant to provoke wonder and praise and fear in us. But there is more to God than even this. The God who made all things took on human flesh in Jesus Christ. And he did so to serve, not be served.

The incarnation of God reveals his compassion and kindness. The humility of God is one more facet of the diamond of his character that reflects the beauty of his glory. God became a man to reveal the glory of his love. Jesus was born in order to show us that God cares about us.

In Mark 10:45, Jesus says that he did not come “to be served.” Why? Because he is God and God does not need anything. He is free and full in himself. This is why he is able to overflow in giving himself to others. God’s humility is not a defect in himself but his fullness used for the good of others.

In Christ, God voluntarily lowered himself in order to make his glory available for sinners to enjoy. Jesus was born to serve because, as the Son of God, did not need anything. He was content and secure in who he was. This is why he was free to serve.

Mark 10:45 says that the specific way that Jesus came to serve was “to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus came to serve in one primary way: by sacrificing his life for the good of others. Jesus came to serve sinners by dying for sinners. He came to serve those who were not interested in serving him, to save those who thought they could save themselves. God sent Jesus to serve us by purchasing our everlasting freedom and joy through his death on the cross.

Jesus coming as a servant means that his followers should also be servants. Mark 10:45 is the ground, or reason, why Jesus’ disciples should also give up their lives to serve others. The disciples were arguing over who would be the greatest (vv. 35-41). Jesus tells them that the great ones among his followers are the servants (vv. 43-44). The reason for this is because “even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve” (v. 45). Those who serve are great because the greatest One, God himself, came as a servant. Those who lower themselves and serve others reflect the glory and greatness of the God who lowered himself in Jesus.

Christmas reminds us that our great God is a great servant. He came into the world to serve by dying. Those who want to be like him must therefore do what he did: give up their lives for the good of others. In light of this truth, consider these questions: When was the last time you went out of your way to serve a fellow church member or neighbor or spouse or coworker? Does a self-focused disposition keep you from serving others? Jesus died to set us free from bondage to self so that we would be free to serve others.

May the beauty of the servanthood of God compel us to serve one another well this Christmas season.

Serving the King Who Served Us, with You,
Pastor John