The Cruciform King: Son of Man, Servant of All
Downtown Campus Pastor
What kind of king is Jesus? He has certainly demonstrated his power and authority. In this passage, we learn that his rule is marked by suffering and sacrifice. Jesus is a king who is willing to leverage his power and even lay down his life to serve his subjects and accomplish the mission given to him by the Father. As his followers, we must be willing to take on this cruciform way of life and serve those around us.
Study Questions
What kind of king is Jesus? He has certainly demonstrated his power and authority. In this passage, we learn that his rule is marked by suffering and sacrifice. Jesus is a king who is willing to leverage his power and even lay down his life to serve his subjects and accomplish the mission given to him by the Father. As his followers, we must be willing to take on this cruciform way of life and serve those around us.Application
Jesus is a good king with ultimate power and authority; however, his reign is marked by suffering and sacrifice for the sake of his people. How can this truth encourage us? How should it influence our trust in and obedience to Christ?
Like the disciples, we often miss the point of what it means to follow Jesus and focus on pursuing our own personal kingdoms. What are you pursuing in an effort to promote yourself or provide for your own comfort? What do you think about the idea that much of our anxiety is related to an over-focus on self?
Jesus redefined greatness as being a servant. In what ways are you serving those in your sphere of influence (family, coworkers, church, community)? What would it look like for you to pour more energy into sacrificing yourself and leveraging your resources in order to bless those around you?
Key Points
As Jesus and his disciples approach Jerusalem, Jesus explains that his coronation will be marked by betrayal, suffering, and death. As king, he will use his power to save people through his sacrificial death and resurrection.
The fact that we serve a king who is both good and powerful should bring us great comfort, strengthen our trust, and inform the way we live our lives.
The disciples fail to understand Jesus’ mission. Instead, they view Jesus as a way to pull themselves up in pursuit of promotion and status. We also often use our roles in ministry to elevate ourselves.
In response, Jesus does not rebuke their ambition. He does, however, redefine what greatness is. To be great in God’s kingdom is to be a servant.
As believers, we must also realize that the cross is not just the way of salvation—it is the way of life for followers of Jesus.
We were created in God’s image in order to execute his will. This means we must follow Jesus’ model of servanthood.
