God’s Son, a Servant

As the Bible records, God has only one begotten Son, and that is Jesus the Christ (John 3:16). Before being born into this world, Jesus was known as the Word (John 1:1-3). The Word, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is Deity. That means that Jesus has all of the qualities of God. Keep in mind that being the Son of God indicated that Jesus was equal with God (Phil. 2:5-6; John 5:18). So it is not incorrect to state that God took on physical flesh as a human being (John 1:14). As a man, Jesus said and did many things (John 20:30-31). Oftentimes, Jesus was found helping others who were in need. By doing such, Jesus gave mankind the perfect example of what it means to serve.

On one occasion, Jesus was approached by the mother of Zebedee’s children and her sons. Jesus questioned her, “What wilt thou” (Matt. 20:21)? Her answer was “Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom” (Matt. 20:21). It is not unusual for a mother to want the “best” for her children. However, she did not understand the nature of Christ’s kingdom. She was posturing her sons for physical excellence. This attempt at recognition was not received well by the other apostles. In fact, the Bible states, “And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren” (Matt. 20:24). It was based upon these things that Jesus taught a valuable lesson for those back then, and for those of us now. “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be you minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:25-28). Knowing that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords makes that lesson extremely powerful! Here was God’s only begotten Son, and His Son was showing His creation what true greatness really is.

Many today are looking to be served instead of looking for opportunities to serve others. That is part of the reason why society has digressed so drastically. Jesus wanted His disciples to follow His example and serve their fellow men. To illustrate this point, Jesus did something while on Earth that bewildered his apostles. John wrote, “And supper being ended, the devil having now put 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 was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garment; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded” (John 13:2-5). For a person in the twenty-first century, that might seem strange and confusing.

That was not the case for those in the first century. Back then, many homes had servants who were responsible for certain duties. One of those servants was given the job of washing the feet of those who would enter the house. This was considered a courtesy back then. During that time, men did not wear sneakers, boots, or dress shoes. Instead, if they wore anything on their feet, it was most likely a primitive version of what we call a sandal. These sandals were open-toed and left the foot uncovered, except for the laces. As you can imagine, walking during that time period would have caused an individual’s feet to become dusty and dirty. So, the job of foot washers came into existence. There was nothing glamorous about the position. On the contrary, this was considered to be a job for a servant of low regard. After all, how many people would want to be responsible for cleaning the dirty feet of others? Yet, that is exactly what Jesus did to His disciples. The reaction was quick. “Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet” (John 13:6)? Peter was confused as to what Jesus was demonstrating. “Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter” (John 13:7). Apparently Jesus’ statement did not satisfy Peter because “Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet” (John 13:8). No doubt, Peter felt that it was “beneath” Jesus to wash feet. Therefore, Peter refused. “Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me” (John 13:8). Peter still did not fully understand because “Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head” (John 13:9). “So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him” (John 13:13-16). That example should still spark in the modern day disciples of Jesus a desire to serve others. None of us should exalt ourselves. We all should be “unprofitable servants” (Luke 17:7-10). After all, God has only one begotten Son, and He was a servant!
~Corey Barnette