Humble Servant

This is so amazing, that Jesus came as a babe to a lost dark and dying world.  He could have come as an earthy King and overthrown the Roman government.  He could have come as a celebrity, one that was well liked and everyone would look up to.  He could have come as a rich man or in other ways, but He came as a babe, to be born in a manger with filthy animals.  He came as a humble servant to serve and not to be served.  He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows, a man acquainted with grief.  Jesus is God’s only begotten Son, rejected, scorned and mocked when He could have called ten thousand angels to come to His aid.  How can anyone imagine such love?

He could have been the best looking man in the world, but read what the Word says about His appearance in Isaiah 53:2-4, “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”

This is a prophecy that was told way back in the Old Testament and was fulfilled in the New Testament, about our precious Savior.  If you really think about it, how could we ever imagine that God would save the world through His own Son, allowing Him to suffer for our sins when He was innocent and we were guilty, but he did!

Read Isaiah 53:5-11, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

Think of this, the Israelites were thought of as sheep, and Jesus was their shepherd, but in the end Jesus was called the Lamb of God who was led to the slaughter who takes away the sins of the world.  Read John 10:10-18, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

Talk about love and humility; you can’t beat the Lord in this attribute.  Think about lambs and how docile they are and they are very humble, not throwing their weight around, so to speak.  Read how humble Jesus was in Philippians 2:5-11, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Jesus was our example of humility and love.

Read Philippians 2:1-3, “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

Believers need to be concerned for others and not just for themselves.  Many believers only want to make a good impression on others or to please themselves.  Jesus’ example showed it was better to give than receive and He gave himself for others all the time, ultimately He gave His own life.  What we need is spiritual unity, working together for the common good of the church; this is what Paul stressed to the Philippians.  We need to work together with one heart and one mind, looking at others as better than ourselves!!  Something to think about and may you have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!