Well, the issue that Jesus is dealing with in this passage has to do with the disciples' attitude of superiority.
An attitude of superiority.
As you follow through the gospel narratives, you find that the disciples were constantly arguing and disputing with one another about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of God.
They all wanted a place of honor.
Each one of them seemed to have thought that they were superior to the others.
And you can imagine how those conversations unfolded.
And what we see presented in the scripture is that these weren't casual conversations.
These often developed into full-out arguments, hateful disagreements among these men who had been called together to serve Christ, not themselves.
James Edwards, I think, interestingly puts this, describes it when he says that the disciples have imbibed the wine of rank, placement, and self-importance.
And they imported into their fellowship with Jesus.
The same desire for rank and importance and superiority that is indicative of the culture around us, these men had now brought into their fellowship and discipleship of Jesus.
And it's exactly the same thing that we do.
It's exactly the same.
As we'll see in verses 38 to 41.
I really wanted to get there today and we just can't.
We're going to have to wait until next week.
But this sinful attitude caused them even to look down on others who weren't a part of their special group.
They didn't judge others by whether or not they were really following Christ.
They judged others on the basis of whether or not they were a part of their group, whether they identified with them.
They were more concerned if these other people were with them than they were concerned if those other people were actually truly with Christ.
And they began to draw their lines of disagreement.
They began to assign enemies and allies in all the wrong places.
There's a real sense in which these men thought of themselves as elite.
And their time with Jesus should have produced a spirit of humility.
But they were instead full of prideful arrogance.
Sinclair Ferguson writing on this passage said,
If we did not know our own hearts, we would find it difficult to believe that this really happened.
But any disciple who knows himself hears the echoes in his own life of such unfaithfulness.
It's easy to come to these narratives about the disciples and think,
man, these guys were really messed up.
But any disciple who really knows himself, says Sinclair,
hears the echo of his own voice in this.
We're no different than these men.
Because pride is a destructive sin that pervades the heart of every person.
We all desire a place of prominence and honor above everyone else.
We all want to be recognized as more significant than others.
We all desire to be served more than we look to actually serve others.
And like the 12, our pride often leads to schisms.
Schisms within the fellowship of believers.
Schisms within the various relationships of our lives.
And it leads us to draw lines of division on the basis of things other than the gospel.
It's destructive.
It's blinding.
Because so few of us actually see the reality of it in our own lives.
But it's tearing us apart.
It's tearing churches apart.
It's tearing families apart.
Says MacArthur,
The danger revealed here is that pride ruins unity by destroying relationships.
Relationships are based on loving sacrifice and service.
On selfless deferring to and giving to others.
But pride being self-focused is indifferent to others.
And beyond that, it is ultimately judgmental and critical.
And therefore, it is divisive.
Because of that, pride is the most common destroyer, both of relationships and churches.
And so Jesus dealt with this time and time and time again with these disciples.
And they never seemed to learn the lesson.
And maybe we'll learn it today.
Two things I want to point out to you.
There's really four parts to this section.
It goes all the way to verse 50.
And we just, you know, won't have time to go that far.
And so we're really going to deal with the first two sections today.
Lord willing, we'll deal with the last two sections next week.
The first thing we see here in verses 31 to 32 is Jesus reaffirming his purpose.
Jesus reaffirming his purpose.
Look with me at verse 31.
For he was teaching his disciples, saying to them,
The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men,
and they will kill him.
And when he is killed, after three days, he will rise.
So though Jesus was teaching the disciples many things,
the primary topic was his messianic purpose.
Now that they had trusted in who he was as the Messiah,
it was necessary that he teach them what the Messiah was actually intended to do,
what his purpose was.
We cannot understand our discipleship apart from understanding Jesus's Messiahship.
These messianic misunderstandings were rampant among the Jews.
The disciples were no exclusion to that.
In fact, they floundered so much during this time of training,
precisely because they didn't grasp the significance of Jesus's coming.
They believed in who he was, but they were confused about what he actually came to do.
And the result of this misunderstanding is that they continued to fail
in imitating Jesus as faithful disciples.
So now we get to this verse, and it's now the second time
that Mark records Jesus teaching about his coming death and resurrection.
And just as in chapter 8 and verse 31,
the Lord used this messianic title, Son of Man, Son of Man.
It's from Daniel 7.
All of the Jews would have recognized this title as significant to the messianic kingdom.
And what they anticipated based on Daniel's prophecy in chapter 7
is that when the Son of Man came,
that would be the moment that the Father would then give over the eternal kingdom to him,
that he would establish the kingdom in perfection in that moment.
But what Jesus was doing in emphasizing his title as the Son of Man
was linking the Daniel 7 Son of Man to the Isaiah 53 suffering servant.
Jesus was teaching them in this process that no,
the Son of Man must first suffer.
And it is only after he suffers that he will then rule.
And Jesus explicitly described the nature of this execution.
He promised resurrection after three days.
All the things Jesus told them plainly.
And this is now the second time that Mark has actually recorded him doing so.
And there's so much we could say about this,
but I want to draw your attention here before we move on to the word delivered.
Notice with me again in verse 31.
For he was teaching his disciples, saying to them,
the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.
Now, who is it exactly that Jesus means will deliver him into the hands of men?
We could point to a number of people involved with Jesus' crucifixion.
Perhaps we could say Judas.
Well, Judas is the one that actually betrays the Lord.
He maybe is the one that's responsible for handing Jesus over,
is what this means.
Handing Jesus over to evil men that would then proceed to execute.
We could say it's Pilate.
Pilate's the one that passed the final judgment,
that gave the thumbs up for the execution to continue.
He's the one that handed him over to the Roman soldiers for the scourging,
and then beyond that to the actual crucifixion itself.
We could say maybe it's Pilate.
We could say maybe it's the Sanhedrin.
It's the court of Jews that had that kangaroo court in the middle of the night,
that had unjustly accused Jesus, brought false witnesses against Jesus,
and then passed him on to Pilate from there.
We could point to any number of these people,
but I don't think that that's what Jesus actually had in mind here.
This phrase, smoothed out in English,
is presented as if it's in the future tense,
and it's done that way in order to match the phrases,
he will be killed, and after they kill him, he will rise.
Those are future tense verbs.
But what's written here actually as delivered is not a future tense verb.
It's a present tense verb.
We could literally read this.
The Son of Man is delivered into the hands of men,
and they will kill him, and he will rise.
But the delivering part is already done.
It's already done, present tense.
This type of phrase is referred to as a divine passive,
and what that means simply is that though the name of God is absent in the text,
the implication of the text is that God himself is the one performing the action.
Okay?
And so Jesus says the Son of Man is delivered.
That's passive.
Being delivered is what's happening to Jesus,
but who's the one actually doing it?
The implication on Jesus' part here is that it's God the Father who is doing this.
It's God the Father.
He's not being handed over into the hands of men by men.
He's being handed over into the hands of men by the Father.
In other words, the atonement of Jesus made on the cross for our sins
was the very plan of God for bringing salvation to man.
This was his plan established in eternity past.
This was spoken of by Jesus as a guarantee.
It's not possible that he will be delivered into the hands of men.
No, he has already been delivered.
God has delivered him into the hands of men,
and this is what they will do to him.
This is not the action of a man alone.
This is ultimately the result of God's plan of salvation.
And Peter didn't grasp this at the moment,
but he did eventually in Acts chapter 2 when he's preaching that great sermon
after Jesus' ascension.
What is it that Peter says?
Acts chapter 2 verse 22.
Men of Israel, hear these words.
Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God
with mighty works and wonders and signs
that God did through him in your midst,
as you yourselves know.
Here's what he says.
This Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan
and foreknowledge of God.
You crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men,
and then God raised him up.
What did Peter come to realize after the resurrection?
Yeah, Judas was the one who betrayed him.
Yeah, Pilate was the one who gave the thumbs up on the crucifixion.
Yeah, it was the soldiers who actually carried it out.
Yeah, it was the Jewish Sanhedrin who were involved in their part of the process,
but this was all the plan of God.
It was God the Father who delivered Jesus into this.
This was his plan.
And what was that plan meant to accomplish?
Your salvation.
The forgiveness of your sins.
But it's not as if the Father did it to the Son unwillingly.
Listen to Jesus' words in John chapter 10.
I lay down my life.
That I may take it up again.
No one takes it from me,
but I lay it down of my own accord.
I have authority to lay it down,
and I have authority to take it up again.
And this charge I have received from my Father.
What do we find there?
The Father didn't send the Son to earth to die for our sins,
kicking and screaming.
In perfect unity, the Trinity agreed.
This was the plan of salvation.
Jesus, willingly submitting himself to the Father,
comes to this earth,
humbles himself,
and lays his life down.
No one took it from him.
He laid it down.
Why?
So that you could be saved.
So that you could know God.
So that you could be in heaven,
reconciled to God in eternity.
He takes our wrath.
He takes our sin.
He takes our death.
In order that we might have his life,
and his righteousness,
and his eternal relationship with the Father.
And this doesn't absolve the responsibility of men
in the actual act of crucifying Jesus.
Jesus himself said,
the night of his arrest,
the Son of Man goes as it has been determined for him,
but woe to him,
woe to him who betrays him.
It may seem that Jesus' crucifixion
was due to the wickedness of men,
and it was.
It was always God's plan
to forgive our sins in this way.
It's the only way.
It's his way.
And the wonder of it all
is that Jesus then says to us,
come.
Come.
And anyone who comes to him, he says,
in faith and repentance,
I will not turn them away.
Now, why did Mark put this here in chapter 9?
It's not just a transition in the narrative.
It's not just another place
because they were traveling
that Mark decided that he was going to put
this teaching here
and then kind of move on.
No.
I think that Mark intended for us to view this
in light of Jesus' teaching on humility.
Jesus,
seen in his willingness
to become a man
and suffer on our behalf,
is the premier example
of humility.
And it's because of the example
of our Lord
that we are to imitate this humility
as his disciples.
We quote Philippians 2 a lot.
Maybe you'd write it down
in the margins here
of your notes.
What is it that Paul said
of Jesus' incarnation?
He first says,
have this mind of humility in you.
Believer,
be humble in this way
as this humility
is seen in your Lord in Jesus.
Have this mind among you
which is yours in Christ Jesus
who,
though he was in the form of God,
did not count equality with God
a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself
by taking on the form of a servant,
being born in the likeness of men
and being found in human form.
He humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
It's the ultimate description
of the humiliation of Jesus.
That Jesus in eternity past
is one with the Father.
And any change at all in him
would require condescension.
And yet he became a man
without actually setting aside his deity.
He maintained his essence as God.
That's who he is.
And that is unchanging about him.
But as God,
he sets aside the glory of his deity
in order to live as a poor man,
sometimes homeless man.
And he walked among men,
the betrayers,
he allowed to walk with him
for three years.
He suffered as we suffered.
He was tempted as we are tempted,
yet without sin.
And he went all the way to death,
but not just any death,
a criminal's death,
a death he did not deserve.
And what is that the example of?
If not humility.
Though he is the greatest of all,
he became the servant of all.
Why?
So that you could know him.
So that you could be forgiven.
Then we go back to Psalm 117.
Why do we gather today?
Why do we praise the Lord today?
Because great is his steadfast love to us.
Great is his redeeming love
that he left the portals of heaven
to suffer for our sake
and on our behalf.
There's a hymn.
I think I've quoted it to you before.
What wondrous love is this,
O my soul, O my soul.
What wondrous love is this, O my soul.
What wondrous love is this
that caused the Lord of bliss
to bear the dreadful curse
for my soul, for my soul.
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.
He goes on to say,
As I was sinking down,
sinking down,
sinking down.
When I was sinking down,
sinking down.
When I was sinking down
beneath God's righteous frown,
Christ laid aside his crown
for my soul,
for my soul.
Christ laid aside his crown
for my soul.
Why did Mark put this here?
Because before Jesus ever taught
his disciples to be humble servants,
he himself proved to be
the humblest of servants.
Verse 32,
But they did not understand the saying
and were afraid to ask him.
Have you ever been that student in class?
The teacher has gone over
this particular issue
time and time and time again
and you still don't get it,
but you're really hoping
that somebody else
will be the one to raise their hand
and ask the question.
And nobody raises their hand
and asks the question
and so the question goes unanswered.
We find the disciples
in a similar predicament here,
don't we?
It wasn't that they couldn't
intellectually grasp
what Jesus was saying.
His teaching was plain.
It was straightforward.
It was supported by scripture.
That wasn't the problem.
It was logical.
The problem is that
they would not accept the teaching
as a spiritual reality.
And it's hard for us
to understand this, isn't it?
After all they've seen,
they have full faith
in who Jesus is.
They have no doubt in their mind
that he is the Messiah.
They are following him
as the Messiah.
But they find it so difficult
to really believe
what he's saying
he's supposed to do
as the Messiah.
And I don't know
that it's necessarily
a rebellion.
I don't think that
it's necessarily a denial
as much as it is
such difficulty
in grasping a concept
that was totally foreign
to their understanding
of messianic interpretation.
We see back in chapter 8
the healing of the blind man
as representative
of what these men
are going through.
Jesus touches him first
and he can see
but he can't see clearly.
Not until Jesus touches him again.
The disciples are in that frame
at this point.
Jesus has opened
their understanding.
They can see.
It's just not clear yet.
And it won't be
until after Jesus' resurrection.
That's when it will click
for them.
So right now
they still don't grasp it.
And then of course
it's interesting
that they're afraid to ask.
Surely Jesus was
the most approachable person
to ever live.
Why wouldn't they ask?
Well,
perhaps they were trying
to avoid a rebuke
that was similar
to what Peter experienced
in chapter 8
because it would have been
difficult for them
to bring up the question
without arguing with Jesus
about what he was teaching.
So they kept quiet
out of their fear
of what this suffering
would mean for them.
They did not ask any longer.
They didn't want to talk
about it anymore.
Sometimes it's easier
to continue in our ignorance
than it is to accept
a truth that we find
disagreeable
or alarming.
I think we can sympathize
with the disciples
in that.
The heart of the problem
is this.
Because they didn't get
Jesus' purpose
they didn't understand
discipleship.
if you don't get it
how could you be
a faithful disciple?
If you don't get
the humility of Christ
and even coming
to this earth
much less
the sacrifice
that he made
on your behalf
how could you ever
imitate that
in your relationship
to others?
That's where they're at
which is what leads us
to this second section.
We see Jesus
redefining greatness.
First,
he's reaffirming
his purpose.
Now we see
he is redefining
greatness.
Look at verse 33.
They came to Capernaum
and when he was
in the house
he asked them
what were you discussing
on the way?
But they kept silent
again
from the way
they had argued
with one another
about who was
the greatest.
So they make their way
back to Capernaum
incognito perhaps
Jesus
inquired
about their
conversation
on the road
there.
Mark presents
a separation
between Jesus
and these men
now doesn't he?
Who knows
what this would
have been like?
Clearly
Jesus was not
with them
as they traveled.
Perhaps
because of the
content of
Jesus' teaching
they found it
difficult to walk
alongside him
at this point.
Jesus gets
to Capernaum
they make their
way into the house
probably Peter's
house
house.
And Jesus
says so what
were you guys
talking about
back there?
Now it's not
that he didn't
know.
Of course he
knew.
He was no less
familiar with
their conversation
than he was
with the condition
of the demon
possessed boy
in the previous
story.
Of course he
knew.
Jesus asked
these questions
often to draw
something out
of the people
he was talking
to.
And in this
moment he's
drawing out
the pride
of the
disciples.
We see a
stark contrast
as being
presented between
the humility
of Jesus
and the
arrogance
of his
followers.
The Lord
had just
spoken about
his humiliation
but all they
could think
about was
their aspirations
for honor
and position
in the
kingdom.
Again says
James Edwards
in all three
passion predictions
Jesus speaks
of the
necessity
of his
rejection
suffering
and death
and following
all three
the disciples
voice their
ambitions
for status
and prestige.
Jesus speaks
of surrendering
his life
the disciples
speak of
fulfilling
theirs.
He counts
the cost
of discipleship
they count
its assets.
The disciples
have yet to
learn that
the rewards
of discipleship
come only
as a
consequence
of following
Christ
on the
costly
way
to
Jerusalem.
Verse 35
He sat
down
called the
twelve
and he
said to
them
if anyone
would be
first
he must
be last
of all
and servant
of all.
It's
interesting
what Jesus
does here
he takes
a seat
actually
and again
this is
not an
inconsequential
note in the
narrative
Jesus
is assuming
the customary
posture
of an
authoritative
teacher
this is not
a passing
conversation
along the
way
no
Jesus
wants
these
men
not
to
take
this
conversation
casually
he wants
them to
recognize
based on
how he
has positioned
himself
in the
house
he wants
them to
recognize
I am
speaking
to you
in a
serious
manner
I'm
speaking
to you
in an
authoritative
manner
gather
around
and listen
to what
I'm
about
to tell
you
and what
he taught
was a
radical
lesson
of
discipleship
once again
just like
us they
are
immersed
in this
moment
in a
culture
that believed
greatness
was the
result of
authority
and position
and power
and status
and money
and so on
this idea
and that
culture
even dominated
their dinners
together
they meticulously
seated people
based on
how honorable
they were
thought to
be
and it
was the
common
aspiration
of the
people
to be
in the
place
of honor
everyone
wanted
to be
recognized
we
understand
that
we all
want
that
our
flesh
craves
it
we all
want the
celebrity
status
even
those of
us who
are introverted
would never
want to be
put in
front of
people
still want
to be
regarded
as
everybody
else
as
greater
Jesus
confronted
this with
the
Pharisees
at one
point
in
Matthew
23
they do
all their
deeds
to be
seen
by
others
they
make
their
phylacteries
broad
and their
fringes
long
they love
the place
of honor
at feast
and the
best seats
in the
synagogues
and greetings
in the
marketplaces
and being
called
rabbi
by others
everybody
wants a
title
everybody
wants a
place
of honor
everybody
wants to
be regarded
as
the
greatest
and this
is what
the disciples
are arguing
over
which one
of us
is actually
the greatest
Jesus
takes this
concept of
greatness
and he
flips it
upside down
on them
in the
kingdom of
God
Jesus
says
greatness
is not a
matter of
position
and power
but of
humble
service
to others
what makes
you great
men
is not
what kind
of position
you have
because the
greatest
among you
is actually
the least
of all
and the
servant
of all
to be
great in
the kingdom
is to
imitate the
greatest one
of the
kingdom
who himself
said
the son of
man came
not to be
served
but to
serve
and to
give his
life a
ransom
for many
isn't that
what Jesus
did by
example
so he
calls his
disciples
to do
the same
thing
one of
the most
profound
examples
of this
is
when Jesus
washed the
feet of
the disciples
in fact
I want us
to look at
it before
we finish
today
okay
would you
turn with
me to
John
13
John
chapter
13
should
just be
a few
pages
to the
right
of where
you
are
now
John
chapter
13
with me
at
verse
3
Jesus
knowing
that the
father had
given all
things into
his hands
and that
he had
come from
God
and was
going back
to God
rose from
supper
that's an
important
verse
Jesus
wasn't
denying
the
reality
of
authority
and the
necessity
of
leadership
it's
not
what
he's
doing
because
even
before
he
does
this
for
his
disciples
he
does
so
knowing
that
all
things
are
given
into
his
hands
that
he
is
from
God
that
he
is
one
with
God
and
that
he's
about
to
be
exalted
back
to
the
right
hand
of
God
the
father
all
of
those
things
were
true
!
Do you
see the
significance
of this?
Perhaps
you've
heard of
what this
would have
meant
in that
cultural
day
most
places
if you
were to
have
guests
into
your
home
you
would
have
had
a
servant
or a
slave
or
someone
designated
to
wash
your
guest
feet
as
they
came
in
it
was
the
lowliest
of
task
for
the
lowliest
of
people
I
mean
there's
even
places
in
the
Talmud
where
Jews
weren't
even
to
require
other
Jews
to
do
this
was
how
lowly
of
a
task
this
was
considered
to
be
and
the
disciples
come
into
the
upper
room
just
before
Jesus
crucifixion
on
the
night
of
his
on
the
way
there
they're
fighting
about
who's
the
greatest
who's
going
to
sit
at
Jesus
right
hand
and
left
hand
in
the
kingdom
who's
going
to
have
more
power
who's
going
to
be
served
there
they're
carrying
the
same
argument
with
them
into
the
last
supper
and
as
they're
arguing
together
perhaps
unnoticed
Jesus
gets out
of his
place
where
he's
reclined
there
at the
table
and he
walks
over
and he
takes
his
coat
off
and he
takes
the
towel
that
belongs
to
the
slave
and he
wraps
the
slave
towel
around
his
waist
and he
puts
some
water
in
a
basin
and the
king
of
heaven
the
creator
of
these
sinful
men
gets
down
on
his
hands
and on
his
knees
and one
by
one
goes
disciple
by
disciple
and
washes
their
filthy
stinking
feet
in that
moment
this
was
the
utmost
of
humility
being
displayed
in one
task
and the
one
who
created
them
all
is
the
one
who
is
demonstrating
what
true
leadership
is
what
true
discipleship
is
what
true
humility
is
if
you
want
to
be
great
get
on
your
knees
and
wash
somebody's
feet
that's
what
Jesus
did
that's
what
he
did
doesn't
matter
if
you
have
a
title
doesn't
matter
what
level
position
you
have
nobody
cares
nobody
cares
about
your
ego
so
stop
trying
to
serve
your
own
ego
and
go
serve
somebody
else
that's
what
Jesus
did
his
whole
purpose
in
coming
was
to
do
that
and
on
the
night
of
his
own
arrest
he
silences
the room
not
by what
he
says
but
by
what
he
did
look
at
verse
12
when
he
had
washed
their
feet
and
put
on
his
outer
garments
and
resumed
his
place
he
said
to
them
do
you
understand
what
I
have
done
you
call
me
teacher
and
lord
and
you're
right
because
that's
who
I
am
if
I
then
your
lord
and
teacher
have
washed
your
feet
you
also
ought
to
wash
one
another's
feet
for
I
have
given
you
an
example
that
you
also
should
do
just
as
I
have
done
to
you
truly
I
say
to
you
verse
16
a
servant
is
not
greater
than
his
master
nor
is
a
messenger
greater
than
the
one
who
see
him
I
want
you
to
think
about
the
gravity
of
that
statement
a
servant
is
not
greater
than
his
master
and
we
say
we
are
servants
of
the
Lord
Jesus
and
yet
the
way
we
live
our
lives
so
often
says
I
don't
deserve
to
have
to
do
what
Jesus
did
to
those
men
I'm
better
than
that
somebody
else
can
do
that
I'd
rather
be
in
the
seat
of
honor
I'd
rather
be
recognized
I'd
rather
be
served
we
call
ourselves
disciples
but how
many
of us
faithfully
imitate
the
Lord
by
humbly
serving
others
rather
than
ourselves
what
matters
says
Jesus
is not
your
position
he's
not
absolving
the
necessity
of
leadership
and
authority
or the
reality
of it
he's
emphasizing
a disposition
of the
heart
again
Jesus
is the
greatest
of all
and yet
he became
the servant
of all
and on
his own
words
he says
how much
more ought
you to
do the
same
thing
verse
36
back in
Mark
9
he took
a child
and put
him in
the midst
of them
and taking
him in
his arms
he said
to them
whoever
receives
one such
child
in my
name
receives
me
and whoever
receives
me
receives
not
me
but him
who sent
me
so Jesus
expounds
on the
teaching
by illustrating
it
and in
this case
he picks
up a
child
maybe
maybe one
of Peter's
if they're
in Peter's
house
perhaps
he puts
the child
on his
lap
and the
child
represents
here
an
individual
who
provides
no
personal
advantage
to us
that's
why
he's
doing
it
he
doesn't
say
the
greatest
of all
serves
he
says
the
greatest
of all
serves
all
sometimes
we're not
afraid to
serve
but we're
picky about
who we
serve
we'll
serve
the
ones
who
maybe
provide
some
type
of
benefit
for
us
in
return
you know
this guy
works for
the Panthers
I'm gonna
make sure
to go
cut his
grass
maybe he'll
throw some
tickets my
way
you know
what I
mean
we do
that
right
we're
selfish
like that
Jesus
says
no
what I
mean
is the
type
of
service
that
serves
the people
that offer
nothing
in return
the people
that are
helpless
the people
that maybe
at times
are
annoying
maybe
our enemy
we serve
them all
I want you
to think
of the
visual
impact
of this
illustration
Harper
you stand
up for a
second
just stand
up
notice
what Jesus
does
he gets
a seat
in the
middle of
the house
and he
grabs a
child
that's
probably
much
younger
than
Harper
but she's
the smallest
one
here
well
Winnie's
here
isn't
she
but I
won't
mess
with
Winnie
he says
he takes
the child
and he
embraces
the child
he says
this is
what it
means
embrace
one another
the way
that Jesus
has embraced
this child
serve
the one
another
the way
that Jesus
serves
this
child
be
affectionate
toward
one
another
the way
that Jesus
was affectionate
towards
this
child
she can
offer me
nothing
in return
no benefit
she actually
cost me
a lot
don't you
Jesus says
this child
cost me
everything
and yet
I love
this
child
I
serve
this
child
who
are we
to think
that we're
too good
to serve
others
every one
of us
are enemies
of God
every one
of us
yet because
of his
humble
servant
heartedness
we are
reconciled
to him
at peace
with him
who are we
to think
that we
can't serve
the ones
who we're
not at peace
with now
who have
hurt us
Jesus
says no
greatness
is to
serve
greatness
is to
love
and the
real punch
packed into
this
is when
he says
when you
receive one
like this
it's as if
you're receiving
me
and when
you receive
me
you receive
the father
now think
about that
what if we
were to walk
that statement
backwards
the one
who embraces
the father
embraces
the son
and the
one who
embraces
the son
embraces
the ones
that belong
to the son
whether they're
of status
or not
it doesn't
matter
maybe we
phrase it
one more
way
this time
emphasizing
the negative
those who
do not
embrace
one such
like this
does not
embrace
the son
and one
who does
not embrace
the son
does not
embrace
the father
r.c.
sproul
said
we want
glory
without the
cross
we want
greatness
without
humiliation
salvation
jesus said
you can't
get it
that way
and what
jesus taught
in this
moment
says r.c.
is not an
abstract
principle
of life
it was
the principle
that he
was living
out in
front of
his
disciples
every
single
day
you see
our
faithfulness
as disciples
is directly
linked
to our
understanding
of jesus
and the
gospel
and the
only way
to get
our eyes
off of
ourselves
is to
fix them
instead
on the
lord jesus
and only
when we
fix our
eyes on
him
will we
learn to
serve
others
in
humility