ATTRIBUTES—-
THE SERVANT KING
WHO IS GOD? THE SERVANT KING
“God sent His Son into the world.” Maybe you’ve heard these words before. But how He did this showcases the incredible servant heart of God. Jesus did not come two-thousand-plus years ago and flex all His God qualities. Instead, He chose to come humbly and identify with us in our humble, poor, down-to-earth human situation. He was still fully God, but He did not use all His divine characteristics like He could have—especially in the face of dying on our behalf. He came to know us in our low, impoverished, and needy situation, even to the point that He died like a criminal. Because of His perfect display of sacrifice and humility, He is now (and will always be) fully honored as the King above all kings—the Servant-King.
WHO AM I? NATURALLY SELF-SERVING
Have you ever wanted to be king or queen of the world—to have no limitations and have full control over everything in your life? Do you ever wish that you had no limits on your money or your abilities, or that you had the power to do anything you wanted? We all have a taste for that kind of position. And if you don’t necessarily have strong feelings about that, think about this: Do you want to be under someone else’s control or have to obey their commands? Maybe that question is the one that gets a rise out of you.
The desire to be our own king or queen—the captain of our own lives—lies deep in our nature as people. Yet the way we would use such authority may not always benefit others. Kings, queens, presidents, and other powerful leaders have displayed this flaw over and over in human history.
But Jesus Christ, the King of all kings—who is, in fact, God Himself—did not come demanding everyone to bow to Him and serve Him. He chose to serve us, not Himself. He displayed ultimate humility and died as the Servant-King. His attitude is the polar opposite of what ours would have been.
WHAT DO I DO? BOW DOWN IN THANKSGIVING
Paul says in Philippians 2:5, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” Then he goes on to describe Jesus’ selfless way of emptying Himself of His divine privileges and lowering Himself to serve humankind. If we are Christians, Christ’s example has been given to us to follow. God did not save us so that we would become puffed up, self-righteous, and self-serving. He saved us so that we would bow down with thanksgiving to Him and, in turn, serve others as He did.
Jesus came as a servant. But it is interesting to see that God then elevated Him as the Kings of all kings. This is how things are in God’s Kingdom—if we’re humble, He lifts us up (Matthew 23:12). Has there even been a time when you have sacrificially loved someone and known that God was being honored by your humility and servanthood? Do you believe God will honor us if we deny our selfishness and love others above ourselves?