Well, for the prayer of illumination, read from Hebrews chapter four, verses 14 through 16. Hebrews chapter four. I saw you in my peripheral. Okay, Hebrews, for the prayer of illumination, we'll turn to Hebrews chapter four, and we'll read verses 14 through 16. Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help us in time of need. Well, let us do that and let's pray. Our father, we. We thank you that we have your word and we have your Holy Spirit and we have your grace. But Lord, you bid us to come boldly to the throne of grace. And each time we come to consider your word, whomever the man is that stand in the pulpit, Lord, we need your spirit to help us. We need you, Lord, to speak through your word. No mere man can accomplish what only God can do. And so we ask that you would grant us the help of your spirit both upon the preacher as well as the hearer, that together we would worship you, together we would listen to you, we would believe you, we would follow you. Lord, do use this time to prepare us to come to this table that we may remember the Lord Jesus, and that it would truly build us up in our faith, that it would nurture our souls, that we would live lives more to your glory, to your praise. Leave us not to ourselves, but assist us, we plead, and we ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. So brethren, I would ask that you would open your Bibles and turn with me to the Gospel of Mark chapter 10. Again, we are observing our Lord Jesus in his ministry and what he said, the things he did while on earth. And in this portion of God's Word in Mark chapter 10, Jesus is with his disciples And this is getting close to the time which he will be delivered up. And he is now traveling with his disciples, going to Jerusalem. And we'll begin the reading at verse 32, Mark chapter 10, beginning at verse 32. And they were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. And Jesus was going before them. And they were amazed and they that followed were afraid. And he took again the 12 and began to tell them the things that were to happen to him saying, behold, we go up to Jerusalem and the son of man shall be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes and they shall condemn him to death and shall deliver him unto the Gentiles. And they shall mock him and shall spit upon him, and shall scourge him, and shall kill him. And after three days he shall rise again. And there come near to him James and John, the sons of Zebedee, saying to him, Teacher, we would that you should do for us whatsoever we ask of you. And he said unto them, what would you that I should do for you? And they said unto him, Grant to us that we may sit one on your right hand and one on your left hand in your glory. But Jesus said unto them, you know not what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? And they said unto him, we are able. And Jesus said unto them, The cup that I drink, you shall drink. And the baptism that I am baptized with all, shall you be baptized. But to sit on my right hand or my left hand is not mine to give, but it is for them for whom it hath been prepared. And when the 10 heard it, they began to be moved with indignation concerning James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said unto them, you know that they who are accounted to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it is not, excuse me, but it is not so among you, but whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister. and whosoever would be first among you shall be servant of all. For the son of man also came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and give his life a ransom for many. So as you see here in this portion of the gospel narrative, as they're going to Jerusalem, Jesus tells his disciples what is about to happen, and it's as though it doesn't register. And I believe in one of the readings this morning, when Jesus mentioned those things, I think it was in Luke, it says, these things were hidden from them. where they just didn't, it didn't sink in. They didn't grasp the reality of what was about to happen. And yet, after those words that Jesus spoke to them as clear as they were, the disciples still were concerned about rank. This issue of rank has been an issue that has come up periodically among the disciples. We read about it in Mark chapter nine, here again in Mark chapter 10, as to which of them would be the greater as in terms of maybe the leader, the one who should be first, the one who has the gifts and qualities to be the leader among them. And in this context, James and John, the sons of thunder, the sons of Zebedee, these were zealous guys, but they loved the Lord. And in their zeal, speaking about rank, they wanted to say, hey, when you come in your glory, can we sit at your right hand and your left hand? And Jesus didn't just come out right and rebuke them but Jesus dealt graciously with them. Now there are times when Jesus does clearly rebuke his disciples he does that but here he brings them around because As we read the gospel narratives, Christ is always instructing his followers. We talk about having teachable moments. Like if we see something, we point out to our children, we say, now dear, that's the reason why we say, don't talk to strangers, look what happened there, or whatever it may be. But Jesus takes this opportunity to provide some additional instruction. So he asked him the question about, you know, the cup that he drank and the baptism he's going to be baptized with. Again, they didn't fully understood. And they said, we're able to do this. And as you know, in the gospel narratives, when Jesus goes into the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed earnestly that this cup would pass from him. And what is he talking about, this cup? Well, this cup of the outpouring of God's wrath upon sin, that he would endure as the Lamb of God. But the disciples were just ignorant of that. And then Jesus tells them how, to sit upon my right hand and my left hand, it is not for him to give, it is for those who have been elected to those positions. And God had determined in all of his sovereignty and all of his purposes who would do what. But the ten, when they heard it, they got angry about it because they didn't like that James and John made this request and perhaps they would have had a similar desire. But this issue about rank was an issue among the disciples. And sometimes, brethren, we have that issue among ourselves. as brethren in churches, who becomes an elder, who becomes a deacon, who leads in a service, who does this, who does that, maybe ladies, I'm not a lady but I can, ladies you have different things that perhaps may in terms of things that you may consider among yourselves, who should do this, who shouldn't do that, et cetera. But regardless of whether we're male or female, this issue of rank is an issue that we have to contend with from time to time. And so it was with the disciples. And then Jesus says, he tells them about those who are in positions of authority in the world. those and the gentiles and they like to be in those positions so they can lord it over people and I remember when um you know going to college people would say well I want to go into business I want to go into management because I want to tell people what to do that's what they said I want to be in a position where I can tell people what to do I want to be in charge and that spirit that mindset is alive and well and in our society because people don't like to be told what to do and so Jesus is saying in the world they want to do it so they can lord it over them so they can be the boss so they can call the shots but he says this ought not to be so among you this is different in my kingdom in terms of leadership or greatness. It's not about being on top in my kingdom. It's about being on the bottom. And if you would be great in my kingdom, you must be the minister. Verse 43, but is not so among you, but whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister. And I believe that's the word where we get the word deacon. You know what deacons do. They do a lot of the work that many people may not be inclined to do. It's a job that needs to get done, whether it's finances, the building, other things that behind the scenes that the rank and file of God's people are not aware of. The deacons are very busy. They have jobs, they have families, and they take upon themselves these additional tasks, as it were, to wait on tables. so that the pastor can give themselves to the ministry, prayer, counseling, study, etc. And so that's the word he uses. Whosoever would be great among you shall be your minister, that is your deacon, that is to serve. And whosoever would be first, that is the one first in rank, shall be servant. And that word is where we get the word doulos, bond slave, shall be slave of all. That could be a more accurate translation. So whoever would be great among you shall be your minister, shall be your servant, and whosoever would be first among you shall be your slave. And then Jesus buttressed this with verse 45 for the Son of Man also came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and give his life a ransom for many. So what Jesus is telling them, he himself is committed to do And that is to be a servant to all, to be a slave to all. And so he sums it up, and actually verse 45, it really hearkens back to verses 32 through verses 33. As we read in this section how he's going to go to Jerusalem to be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, condemn the death, deliver it over to those that will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, they shall kill him, he shall rise again. And what he says in verse 45 is a really summation of that. The Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister. and to give his life ransom for many. And as we come to the table, that's what I want us to consider. And I want to look at some other passages that illustrate what Jesus says about himself as the Son of Man. He came to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. He came to serve. Turn with me to the Gospel of John, Chapter 13. The Gospel of John, Chapter 13. And you know, this is the well-known passage of the washing of the feet of the disciples. Verse one, now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing his hour was come, and that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own that were in the world, he loved them to the end. And during supper, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he came forth from God and goes unto God, rises from supper and lay aside his garments, and he took a towel and girded himself. Then he poured water into the basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. drop down to verse 12. So when he had washed their feet and taken his garments and sat really reclined, and reclined again, because they didn't sit down in chairs, they reclined on couches, and reclined again, he said to them, do you know what I have done to you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you say, well, for so I am. If I then the Lord and the teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should also do as I have done to you. Truly I say, or truly, truly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his Lord, neither one that is sent greater than he that sent him. So here in this setting here, which is really, you know, we're familiar with these words, but it's amazing. Jesus knowing who he is, knowing he's about to go to the Father, knowing that all things have been committed into his hands, he takes the role of a slave. And it was the slave that did those things in those days. They would have guests, and the slave would come out, the servant, if they had a slave or a servant, they would come and do the dirty work of washing people's dirty, smelly feet. It's dirty work. And these are adults, these are not little babies, little cuddly, cute little toes. These are grown adults with smelly, dirty feet. And it wasn't a pleasant thing to do. And Jesus, knowing who he was, knowing where he was going, knowing he's the Lord, he stooped down to serve. and minister to him, to his disciples, doing it by way of example. Now this is not the only thing Jesus did in terms of serving others. He, as we noted in the previous hour, he healed the man with the withered hand. He healed many who brought their loved ones, the lepers, etc. Simon's mother-in-law with a fever, but here I'm choosing this passage as we come to the table just to remind us all how Jesus' heart of service, how it wasn't beneath his dignity as the Son of God to stoop down to wash the dirty feet of his disciples. And he did this as an example, I am your teacher, I am your Lord, verse 14. And I have done this to give you an example that you would do this to one another. And the servant is not greater than his Lord. So that says a lot to us. And then I want you to turn with me to the Gospel of John chapter 10. Turn back to chapter 10. son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister. John 13 is an example of him ministering but also to give his life a ransom for many and in John chapter 10 we read beginning in verse 14 I am the good shepherd, this is Jesus, and I know my own and my own know me. Even as the Father knows me and I know the Father, I lay down my life for the sheep. Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, but them also must I bring and they shall hear my voice and shall become one flock, one shepherd. Therefore doth the Father love me because I lay down my life that I may take it again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment I received from my father." So again here, Jesus is speaking about how he lays down his life for the sheep. He does it of his own accord. No one takes it from him. And if you remember when they came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, we won't have time to read it, but in John chapter 18 verses 3 through 12, Jesus says, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. And Jesus says, I am. And the soldiers, they all fell on the ground. And then Jesus said, let these go. Jesus was in total control of the situation. Again, No one took his life, he laid it down. He says, now Al, after this, now I will go with you. And he did this of his own, he was in control. And then if you look back in Mark chapter 10, in Mark chapter 10, you know, I made reference to how we have the victory in Christ Jesus. In verse 33, When Jesus is telling the disciples what will happen when he goes to Jerusalem, he says, we go up to Jerusalem, the Son of Man shall be delivered, and the chief priests and the scribes, now notice this, they shall condemn him to death. and shall deliver him to the Gentiles, and they shall mock him, and shall spit upon him, and shall scourge him, and shall kill him. That's what they will do. They will hand him over, They shall condemn, they shall mock, they shall spit, they shall scourge, they shall kill, all to destroy him, but notice this after three days, and he shall rise again. See the contrast? They did their utmost to destroy, to mock, to ridicule, to humiliate, to kill, And yet nonetheless, in spite of that, he defies all of those things and he rises from the dead the third day triumphantly conquering sin, the devil, the grave. Bringing salvation, establishing redemption, giving his life, what a ransom for many. And no one could stop that. Ransom. If you know church history, Tetzel, he was a guy, I don't know if he was a priest, but during the days of Martin Luther, he would go around saying, carrying a box, if you put the coin in this box, you hear the rattling of the coin, a soul will come out of purgatory, right? And the only thing that will pay for our sins is the blood of Jesus. You cannot buy your way into heaven with money or with any other thing. It's only the blood of Jesus for the son of man, he says, came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. And so, brethren, like the disciples, this matter of rank. Let us remember that Christ died He died so that they that live should no longer live to themselves, but unto him. Let us follow him as we come to remember the Lord. Let us remember our Lord who served. He set an example. Let us remember our Lord Jesus who purchased with his blood. You have been bought with a price. Glorify God therefore in your body. and let us live to Him with full abandonment. I'm not saying reckless and fanaticism, but giving yourselves to live for His glory and for none other. May the Lord do these things and may this meditation prepare our hearts as we come to the table. Amen.