Theological Commentary: Click Here
Yesterday,
Jesus taught His disciples about being great in the eyes of God. What does it mean to be great? Jesus is clear. He came to serve. He came to be in the lives of others. He didn’t come to bend people to His will; He
came to work in the lives of others.
That is the
story of the crucifixion. Jesus goes
before Pilate and Herod. He could have
called upon the power of divine and freed Himself. He could have called the power of nature and
destroyed those around Him. What do the
stories say that He did? He stood there,
honestly answering their questions, and allowing them to play their part in God’s
overarching plan.
Where I see
Jesus’ servant nature most clearly, though, is upon the cross. Before He dies, He cries out. He gives us the famous words of the
servant. “Into your hands I commend my spirit.” This is the rallying cry of the one who is
not in a position of power. Jesus knows
that what remains is in the hands of God.
The Father will sort out the pieces from here.
Jesus
succumbs to death. He gives up His
spirit. He releases His hold on life and
allows the Father to do His work. His
blood has been shed; His life was cast aside by human beings. God accepts the sacrifice. The curtain is torn. The sky darkens. It is over.
Before I
end, there is one more detail that is worth bringing out. Notice who it is that understands the role of
Christ. The centurion sees. The centurion declares that Jesus truly was
the Son of God. The centurion is by
definition a servant of Rome. Here is a
man who knows what it means to give up his ultimate freedom in service to the
will of another greater power. The
centurion looks upon Jesus and recognizes a kindred spirit.
Sometimes
the only way we can understand and value the servant nature of the people around us is to
be a servant ourselves.
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