THE BEAUTY OF JESUS AS THE SERVANT OF ALL
I. THE BEHOLDING BECOMING PRINCIPLE.
7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after
this.” John 13:7
A. The fullness of Christ love is seen in His meekness and servanthood. (John 13)
1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father.
Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. John 13:1 (NIV)
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to
the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. John 13:1 (NKJV)
B. The greatest expression of godliness is to live in love (which is holiness, servanthood or meekness).
C. Beholding principle: whatever we behold about God’s heart is what we become in ours. The revelation of Jesus’
meekness produces a longing in us to be like Him.
18 But we all…beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to
glory... (2 Corinthians 3:18)
D. The Father is well pleased as He contemplates His own humility in the work of the Holy Spirit and in the life of Jesus.
It humbles us to look upon the great mystery of God’s meekness. Jesus put on display the riches of God’s meekness. The
ministry of the Godhead is ordered around meekness. How can One so strong stoop so low in such tenderness?
(Psalm 113). The Spirit desires to give us revelation of the dignity, beauty and uniqueness of God’s lowliness.
29 Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart… (Matthew 11:29)
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve… (Mark 10:45).
II. HOLY, HOLY, HOLY: THE BEAUTY OF JESUS AS THE SERVANT OF ALL.
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to
God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. John 13:3-4
A. The prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 49-55) covers in the most depth the subject of the servanthood of God. Isaiah saw the
King of glory (Isaiah 6:1-3), but undoubtedly has no grid for what the Holy Spirit was about to declare to Him concerning
the 2nd Person of the trinity – He is Servant
B. The nation of Israel had no grid for this revelation of heart of the God. When the 2nd Person of the Trinity Christ
Jesus revealed the face of the Godhead as the Servant, the nation of Israel greatly stumbled. God’s glory is His humility.
13 The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. 14 He will be as a sanctuary,
but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken be snared and taken.” Isaiah 8:14
22 “For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling
block and to the Greeks foolishness…” 1 Corinthians 1:22-23
C. The prophet Isaiah declares to us that at the very core and essence of the Godhead lays meekness. All the
nations will tremble - God is servant and not only that, He is the servant of all.
III. THE SERVANTHOOD OF GOD AS DIVINE ATTRIBUTE.
5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which
He was girded. John 13:5
A. A divine attribute is what God reveals of discloses concerning Himself. God’s attributes make known to us that
which is true and that which lies within the character and nature of the Godhead. It shows us what God looks like and feels
like.
B. “An attribute, as we can know it, is a mental concept, an intellectual response to God’s self-revelation. It is an
answer to a question, the reply God makes to our interrogation concerning Himself.”
C. When Jesus came on the scene He came as a servant but He also come revealing the very nature of the glory of
God. At the very core of who God is, one of His attributes is Servant.
D. God made all things for Himself that He might disclose all the He is to His people. This disclosure is called the
knowledge of God. A divine attribute makes known to us that which true and what is within the character and nature of
the Uncreated God. It shows what God looks like and feels like.
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from
Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to
be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of
men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even
the death of the cross. Philippians 2:5-8
3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…” Hebrews 1:3
E. God is a servant and does not suspend the other attributes to manifest His humility. His servanthood rather as
a divine attribute is intricately woven in and through the other attributes. Jesus’ attributes like Bridegroom, King and Judge
do not get suspended in order for His servanthood to be made manifest.
F. The angels of heaven around the throne of God are overwhelmed at the revelation of God the Servant (Isaiah 42:1,
49:1, 3, 5-7; 50:10; 52:13; 53:11) – holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts they cry out as they are astonished at servanthood
of God. God is the servant of the people of God forever.
35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when
he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 Blessed are those
servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself (John 13:4)
and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them (John 13:5-7). Luke 12:35-37
G. The weight of God’s glory is His humility and it is the weight of His humility, glory and majesty is that which will
confront the pride of the earth. The humility of God is probably the most foreign and perplexing reality of God to the
human heart. Jesus comes to Israel as the Servant of the Lord to exemplify and lead her into her servant-leadership role
before the nations of the earth. The revelation of the humility of the Lord is not readily received because the implications
of it on our live significant and intensely personal. (John 13:7)
4The LORD is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. 5who is like the LORD our God, who dwells on high,
6who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth? Psalm 113:4-6
11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be
exalted in that day. 12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything
lifted up — and it shall be brought low…” Isaiah 2:10-1
IV. CHRIST THE SERVANT OF RULERS 49:5-7
7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” 8 Peter said
to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” John 13:7-8
A. If the nations don't allow Jesus to be their Servant they cannot be a part of Him. The only way He will be our King
is if we let Him be our Servant. Isaiah 49:5-7 Highlights the purpose and the mandate of the Man Christ Jesus (49:5) as
the Servant of the Lord at His second coming receives those who rejected Him, Israel and the nations, as they come to
worship and glorify Him.
B. The truth of Phiippians 2:4-5 and the Lord's humility will still be true even during His reign and eternal government
on the earth. In Philippians 2:4-5, 9-11 we see that the glory of God is the humility of God. The idea that the King of
glory would do nothing out of selfish ambition and that His attitude will be that He considers others better than He in the
millennium is most stunning and terrifying.
C. The prophet Isaiah clearly portrays the King high and lifted up of Isaiah 6:1-3 as the Servant of rulers Isaiah 49:7.
(Isaiah 49-55)
7 “Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, to Him whom man despises, to Him whom the nation
abhors, to the Servant of rulers: “ Kings shall see and arise, Princes also shall worship, because of the LORD who is
faithful, the Holy One of Israel; and He has chosen You.” Isaiah 49:7
D. That the King of Glory is called the Servant of rulers sheds more light on what Jesus told Peter in John 13:7. “You
don't understand what I'm doing now but you will understand later.” This reference is revealed in three-fold reality 1) on
the cross, 2) throughout out pre-resurrection lives, but thirdly Jesus is also referring to His reign in the millennium and
throughout eternity. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). The Son of God came to serve
forever.
E. The face of Christ as the Servant of rulers is going to be stunning to see Him lead with the strength of meekness,
the might of humility, the relentless power of His tenderness, and gentleness of meekness that is unwavering
(Isaiah 42:3-4)
F. The Ruler of the kings of the earth is the Servant of rulers. This truly is a picture of how in the Kingdom authority
is given and increased (Isaiah 9:7) for servanthood. In the world we serve and get promoted to no longer serve. In the
kingdom we serve and get more authority so that the reality of servanthood and humility would permeate the Kingdom of
God.
G. We have an invitation and an opportunity in this lifetime to imitate Him in this. Our greatest glory, freedom and
pleasure are found in being God like in our character.
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. (Ephesians 5:1)
29 He predestined (us) to be conformed to the image of His Son. (Romans 8:29)