Jesus Served with Humility

Jesus is the ultimate example when it comes to humility.  You can say that serving people was as normal to Him as breathing.  This is remarkable given the fact that this is the very embodiment of God, the Savior, the Healer, the Redeemer, and the Christ!  He had all the reason and all the credentials to go around and boast yet He always kept Himself humble.  Philippians 2:6-7 sums it up perfectly when the writer says:

“⁶Though He was in the form of God, He chose not to cling to equality with God; ⁷but poured Himself out to fill a vessel brand new; a servant in form and a man indeed.”

There are obviously the account of where Jesus washed the disciples feet that jumps to mind first when thinking of Jesus serving those around Him.  This is and always will be a brilliant example, yet it is not the only one.  In Luke 8 we see something amazing!  Verse 1 starts off by saying that Jesus was traveling from town to town, city to city.  But He wasn’t alone.  With Him went a crowd.  The writer tells that this crowd consisted of the twelve (probably disciples) and a larger group that included some very significant women.  These women are significant for this reason;

Luke 8:3 “There were others like Susanna and Joanna, who was married to Chuza, a steward of King Herod.  And there were many others too.  These women played an important role in Jesus’ ministry, using their wealth to provide for Him and His other companions.”

Now keep in mind that the culture of those days ranked women as quite low in society.  They had little rights and almost no say in any affairs.  Yet Jesus becomes subject unto them.  Making Himself dependent on them while they supply for Him and His companions.  The man was the one that had to look after women, yet in this case Jesus flips the cards. 

Jesus wasn’t interested in His glory, nor His name.  What mattered to Him was obeying His Father.  And the Father’s command is simple… love!  Once we let go of our names, egos and accomplishments, then we will find that it comes natural to simply love and serve.

The True Source of Life

Imagine wanting to buy a car.  Let’s say you have a Specific Lexus in mind.  Knowing about the car is essential.  Details like fuel consumption, engine performance and other creature comforts are needed in order for you to not only be comfortable with what you are buying but also to understand the vehicle and how to handle it.  There are many ways and methods to get the information you want.  You can have pamphlets, magazines, review videos, websites etc.  The trick however is this, no matter how much info you have on this car… no matter how much you know… you still can’t drive it unless you have it.

Christianity works on the same principle.  Knowing about God is essential.  A lack of knowledge on who God is and His character, ruins tears the church apart, yet to know God is not the same as having Him.  This might sound strange when I say “have” God since He is omnipresent, bigger than our minds can possibly comprehend.  But, what I mean with this statement is having an active part in the Spirit of God.  Allowing the Spirit of God to fill you.

We grew up with the Bible as the word of God and the word of Life.  But we need to understand that this word is not the Life but rather points to or testifies of the true Life.  In pursuing knowledge about God we need to keep in mind that a personal, intimate relationship is of absolute importance.  Without the Bible there is a lack of knowledge about God, but without His Spirit there is a lack of God entirely.  The Pharisees was seeking salvation and life in the scriptures yet did so without the Spirit and missed the true salvation and Life standing right in front of them.  Jesus spoke to them in John 5:39 saying:

“Here you are scouring through the scriptures, hoping that you will find eternal life among a pile of scrolls.  What you don’t seem to understand is that the scriptures points to Me.” 

In God is eternal Life, we don’t have to only read about life… we can now enjoy it!  

In His Footsteps

Reading through John 5 this morning, I came across something really interesting in verse 19.  This is a concept we are all familiar with but do we really grasp it.  Christ Tomlin has a song that says "Where You go I'll go, where You stay, I'll stay.  When You move, I'll move.  I will follow You."  Amazing words right!

John 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

Now keep in mind, Jesus said this right after He healed the lame man at the pool of Bethesda.  He healed the man, then ordered him to take up his bed and walk.  On a Sabbath day... this was an absolute taboo.  Now the Pharisees stood up out of anger most probably.  Not only did Jesus heal on the Sabbath, as was a very deliberate habit, but He now also ordered this man to carry his bed on a Sabbath.  When the Pharisees confronted Jesus, His answer is in verse 19.

Paul writes in Romans 6 and say that our old man now died with Christ.  That we have our new being in and through Christ.  So when we now have the Spirit of Life in us, and we have our being in and through Christ, we can no longer claim to live our own lives.  To surrender your hopes, plans, ambitions... to give your all to God is no light matter.  It is serious business.

What I want to get to is this.  Jesus did nothing out of His own but simply imitated The Father.  To walk in the footsteps of Jesus, means we; as God's children, now also imitate Him.  We do nothing out of our own but only act because we are led by the Spirit.  In this regard we can no longer allow success to increase our happiness or that defeat decreases it, since we don't act on our own but only do what we see He does.

And since we gave our all to God, our success, our life story; now rests solely in His hands.  Our happiness should then be found in Christ and not in our success or achievements.  The good news is that when we truly imitate God, and when we find our happiness in Christ and Christ alone, then nothing can steal our joy.  No comes the interesting part.  Give all this to God, your life, hopes, plans, dreams, ambitions.  Live through Him, imitating Him and Him alone and God has a promise...

Proverbs 16:1-3  1"People go about making their plans, but the Eternal has the final word. 2Even when you think you have good intentions, He knows your real motives.  3Whatever you do, do it as service to Him, and he will guarantee your success."

We now no longer live... but Christ lives in us.  We have our existence through Him.  He is not simply an extension to our current lives but rather, an entire new life.