The Promised Servant
The Promised (Part III)
THE PROMISED SERVANT
For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name” (Romans 15:8-9 ESV)
We all know some of the titles of Jesus Christ in the Bible: King of kings, Lord of Lords, ruler of the universe, master—but then, a servant? How can it be? When you think of Jesus as Savior and Lord, it’s hard to comprehend that he is also a servant. That seems surreal.
Perhaps you've seen The Undercover Boss, a TV reality show, where high-level company executives secretly assume and take a low-level job in order to interact with employees and get the real situation inside their company. They make a new identity as a new worker or trainee, and some employees would teach them in return how to do the business systems inside. For that, these secret CEOs would find out what’s going inside their companies—and, surprisingly, get to know the life stories of their people.
The time of revelation has come. Employees who worked with them would be invited to the main office to meet the CEO, now in their actual identity. Every time the employees get to know the true identity of their “former-fellow employee,” it gets so inspiring. The CEOs, despite being high-achievers, they are still ordinary humans and are being moved by the life, struggles, and dreams of their unsuspecting employees.
On the other hand, there’s a far better “Undercover Boss” story in the Bible. It happened when God, the Master of the universe, intentionally became a human being—not to impress you but to inspire you to become a better person. He is Jesus, the Promised Servant.
I. THE PROPHECIES OF CHRIST’S SERVANTHOOD
In this message, the central truth we are going learn is about Jesus as the Promised Servant. When the apostle Paul said, “For I tell you that Christ became a servant…” (Romans 15:8), he was fully aware of the belief and hope of the Jewish people for the Messiah. Of course, not all people believed in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
A. Jesus is the Christ-Savior.
The apostle Paul understood the depth of this statement because he is a Jewish scholar and theologian. The title “Christ” (Christos) is the Greek translation of the Hebrew mashiach or Messiah. It means “the Anointed One,” like when the prophets of old pour oil on the head of an appointed leader or ruler. That’s why many Jewish scholars thought of the Messiah as the ideal king or political leader who would deliver Israel from the bondage of their powerful enemies.
However, there was also another group of Jewish people who thought of the Messiah as a personal redeemer who would deliver them from their suffering. This idea of the future Messiah-Christ as a servant and redeemer is evident in prophet Zechariah’s declaration: “behold, I will bring my servant the Branch…[who] will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day” (Zechariah 3:8-9).
B. Jesus is the Chosen Servant.
Significant prophecies about the Messiah as God’s “servant” are found in the book of Isaiah:
Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations (Isaiah 42:1)
Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted (Isaiah 52:13)
The word “servant” in Hebrew (e.ved) means slave. But in a special sense, it also speaks about prophets, Levites, priests, etc., as servant ministers. This sense is indicated in Isaiah’s prophesies where the Messiah would accomplish something special, like doing justice, acting wisely, and being exalted (may refer to the cross) or glorified.
These prophecies show that the Messiah would be a unique person who serves the purposes of God. This will help us understand why apostle Paul did not use the word “doulos” as a bond-slave for “servant” in reference to Christ. “For I tell you that Christ became a servant…” (Romans 5:8). Jesus Christ is a “servant” (diakonos), a person who renders act of service and help to others.
This special term for a servant of God is where we get the title “Deacon” for someone who is “a trusted officer of helps and service in the local church.” Some of the implications of this for us today are these: If you are a deacon or chosen to serve in a local church, it means you are a minister, not a slave. You have a noble ministry, and it’s not something to be taken lightly.
In ancient Hebrew tradition, a bondservant is a slave or a freed slave by his owner but has chosen to remain and serve with love and devotion. Friends, if Jesus Christ saved you from the bondage of sin, would you choose to remain and serve him with love, or you’ll go back to be in bondage again to sin and selfishness?
II. THE PROOF OF CHRIST’S SERVANTHOOD
Have you realized that Christmas is a season of servanthood, because it reminds us also of Christ who came to be a servant leader? When Paul said, “For I tell you that Christ became a servant…” (Romans 15:8), he also emphasized the transition of Christ into a wonderful becoming. The word “became” here means “to be born” or “to come into existence.” This does not mean, however, that Christ is nothing or non-existent before he was born (just like the rest of us).
Jesus is way beyond the super undercover boss who rose from the ranks and became CEO. In fact, Jesus existed before he was born.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,…
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days (Micah 5:2)
In the fullness of time, Christ was born and this messianic prophecy was also quoted (see Matthew 2:4-6). Paul also echoed this truth.
“Have this mind among yourselves, 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 the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5-7)
Why would Jesus do the unthinkable as God becoming a servant? And when he decided to become a servant, did Jesus really think of himself as a “servant” or it’s just an assumption, like those “undercover bosses”? The huge difference was that Jesus did not come just to have a feel of your shoes as a human being but to do these two important purposes of God in your life. Through Christ’s servanthood, he will be able to accomplish these:
A. To SAVE YOU so that you will really live
Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). The servanthood of Jesus means that when he was born into this world, he served the Father’s redemptive purposes, which is to save humanity—not to be our personal slave and serve our selfish purposes.
B. To SHOW YOU a model how to lead
Jesus always links salvation and service. It means if you are saved, it is expected that you serve. But how?
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28 ESV)
Interestingly, Jesus used diakoneu (to serve) in the three words related to servanthood. He did not came “to be served” like a monarch or prince. Instead, he came “to serve.”
If we really want to be a leader like Christ, then, our leadership must be characterized by servant-leadership. For this reason, we serve the Lord not because of our titles but because of love and devotion to Him who saved us. We follow Christ’s example.
III. THE PURPOSES OF CHRIST’S SERVANTHOOD
The apostle Paul also highlighted some of the purposes why Christ intentionally became a servant. “For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (Romans 15:8-9a). In this passage, the three-fold purposes of Christ’s servanthood are:
A. To Present God’s Attribute as the Truth: “to show God’s truthfulness”
When God gave his promise of a Messiah to Israel, His guarantee is His word. So, when Christ came as a fulfillment of God’s promise to His people, it is a display of God as the truth (or trustworthy) and he is true to His word (integrity). So, “on behalf of God’s truth,” Christ came to serve God’s purposes and fulfill His promises.
B. To Prove God’s Ability to Fulfill His Promises: “in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs”
Have you observed that when we give our words or promise, our credibility is based on our ability to do it? Sometimes we regret it because we were not able to accomplish or we fell short to what we promised. That’s part of our normal human experience. For other who play-it-safe, they make no promises, vow, or pledges. But our oath is important because even if we don't know what lies ahead, at least we have a bond to motivate us to do what we promised.
The truth is that God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and to the nation of Israel were also based on His honor and ability to fulfill it. If God was not able to do it, then He is not God. But he did!
C. To Praise God Above All Things: “in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy”
Do you know what the whole purpose of everything in this world is? Do you know the ultimate purpose of your life?
It’s not survival or success; it’s not also about happiness or health; it’s not even working or wealth making. It’s worship; it’s “to give glory to God.”
You might question: How can it be? With all the injustices, corruption, suffering, and evils—how can God be glorified in all of these?
That’s exactly the point. The fact that you are aware of all these things, there must be something that made you aware of all these events around us. Where would you get the idea of evil if you don't have a sense of an absolute good? Would you have an idea of what is hot if you don’t know what is cold?
Friends, let us be thankful to God, for if we don't have any idea of our sinfulness, we don’t feel the need of the Savior. If I’m not fully aware of my sinful desires, then, I don’t need the Lord in my life. But thanks be to God! His Spirit within us is teaching, molding, and empowering us to be like Jesus and serve him with love and devotion. We need to be like Paul who burst in worship,
As it is written,
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name” (Romans 15:8-9)
May we worship in a way so pure that when people come, they will be inspired to know God and worship Him. May our lives be an inspiration to others because we worship and serve the living God. As for you and your family, who will you serve?