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Minister,
Master, Messiah
Steven F. Deaton
Jesus Christ is our
Minister, Master, and Messiah.
As our Minister, Jesus is our servant; that is, He labors for us. Paul said Jesus came in the
“form
of a bondservant” (Philippians. 2:7). As such, He
ministered to the needs of those around Him. He not only healed the
lame, blind, and sick, but He also served the greatest need of mankind
by addressing man’s sin (Matthew 4:23-25; John 1:29). While on earth, Jesus said,
“the Son of Man did not come to be
served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew
20:28). We are to learn from His example and serve others (Matthew
20:20-27).
Jesus is also our Master. He is
greater than us in nature, character, and action. Jesus’ nature is
divine, ours is human (Hebrews 1:8). He is our Creator and we
are His creatures (John 1:1-3). Jesus is superior to us in
character as well. He is infallible; we are fallible (Hebrews
4:15; Romans 3:23). While on earth, facing temptations
and trials, He never strayed from God’s will (John 8:29). In
action, He is greater in wisdom and knowledge, and is the Master
Teacher (John 13:13).
Finally, Jesus is our Messiah. As
such, He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). He
offered His body and blood as a sacrifice for our sins (Matthew
26:26-29; Ephesians 5:25; Acts 20:28; cf.
Hebrews 10:5-10). He is the one and only Savior (John 14:6). Therefore, we must choose Messiah, not Mohammed; the Bethlehemite,
not the Buddha; the “Prince of Peace,” not the Pope. |
