When the ten disciples heard that the other two, along with their mother, approached the Lord, asking for preferred seats in the upcoming Messianic Kingdom, they were incensed and exploded once again. This desire for pre-eminence was an infection which refused to die under ordinary antibiotics. This looks like it might have festered within the church until the lives of all of those members ended. But there was one solution – a divine solution – the death of Christ. Whereas the disciples were fighting for preeminence, Christ Jesus was teaching – and then illustrating – the very highest form of self-abnegation. As we see, the Lord Jesus concluded His rebuke with the momentous words, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
This evening, the Lord willing, we’ll take a look at the context which produced those words. But this morning I’d like to consider Jesus’ statement itself. This verse, and its twin in Mark 10, have likely been quoted, quite literally, a thousand times in this church. But, to my surprise and embarrassment, I have never made this the subject of its own message. That will be corrected here this morning as I divide these words into seven sections, beginning with…
The Son of Man.
Above everything else, the Lord Jesus preferred to call Himself “the Son of Man.” Those words are used eighty-five times in the New Testament, and almost every one come from the lips of the Lord Jesus. Three exceptions include the words of Stephen as he was being murdered – “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” I have no doubt whatsoever that Stephen was looking at Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And then the Apostle John, who had heard Jesus use that term dozens of times, said in Revelation – “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto THE Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.” “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto THE Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.” “Son of Man” was a very well-known reference to the man whom we know as “Jesus Christ.” And I believe that the term has special theological significance. If Jesus was not completely and fully the ultimate “Son of Man” then we would not have an adequate Saviour.
There is a new emphasis on an old false doctrine sweeping across the Baptist landscape these days. I suppose that there may be some variety in its presentation, but the general theme is that along with the deity of Christ, our Lord’s humanity is eternal and was not obtained through His birth – His incarnation. Perhaps it began as in an effort to avoid Mariolatry – the worship of Mary. Some preachers are saying that Jesus’ humanity existed in Heaven, and was only presented in time through Mary. Perhaps in an effort to keep Christ completely separate from sin, these people believe that Jesus had no direct connection to His mother. But I don’t have a problem with Christ’s mother. After reading some of these people’s material, my position has not changed. Of course, the Second Person of the Trinity has always existed – Christ and His deity is eternal. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, MADE OF A WOMAN, made under the law.”
The term “Son of MAN” points out the fact that Jesus Christ is the promised son of Abraham – and of David. It reminds us that, as one of us, He has every legal and natural right to represent humanity. I believe that as the son of Mary, Jesus became a human being – somewhat like us. But because He had no human Father, His humanity was not tainted by sin. I think it was imperative that Christ become a man in order to be our full substitute before the Father. “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
He came not to be ministered unto.
“Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.” The word “dominion” has as its root “kurios” – the princes of the Gentiles “lord over their subjects.” The word “authority” has as its root “exousia” – something which ultimately belongs only unto God. But there are princes, presidents and kings – acting like little gods – dictators over their people. And with that dominion and authority they demand the servitude of their subjects.
But in Jesus’ case, the Son of God did not become the Son of Man in order to be served. His short earthly life was dedicated to two tasks – to further reveal the will and nature of Jehovah. And then to “die for our sins according to the scriptures, to be buried and to rise again the third day according to the scriptures.” He came not to minister but to give “himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
This is not to say that Christ Jesus does not deserve to be served – and adored – and worshiped. And this isn’t to say that when He returns it will not be to sit upon the throne of David and to be ministered unto. Probably at this moment, there are angels serving the Son of God in various capacities. And throughout eternity He will be worshiped and served by His saints and angels. But at His birth He did not become the Son of Man for the purpose of being served.
He came to minister.
Is there any special implication in the word “came”? It’s a pretty simple word used in a variety of different and familiar connotations. But as children, when we speak of our birth, we don’t commonly say, “I came.” I was “born” in Vancouver, British Columbia, but I don’t believe I have ever said that “I arrived” there. “I am come” suggests that I was somewhere else before I arrived. The only place that I ever was before my birth was within my mother, and I might have come from her womb, but that is not terminology that I ordinarily use.
When Christ said, “I CAME to be a ransom for many,” it was not the same as if He had said, “I was born for this purpose.” While it is true, as the angel said, “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord,” that birth was unlike any other, and involved a lot more than just Mary’s delivery. Christ “came” into this world from another place – “Heaven” for the lack of a better name. He “came” from the presence of our Heavenly Father; He “came” out from behind the veil of eternity. He “came” fulfilling a great many promises and prophecies. And He “came” to minister – to serve. This is related to the word which is transliterated “deacon” – “servant.” Sometimes the word speaks of someone who supplies food or the necessities of life. It is to attend to things which may serve another’s interests, supplying things that he needs. Christ Jesus came to supply things which only He could provide.
Isaiah 52 and 53 is one of the great Old Testament statements and prophecies of Christ. “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Can you remember the title which is ascribed to Christ in that passage? “Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.” God the Father “shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” In Matthew 12 the Spirit quotes Isaiah 42 in the light of Jesus’ ministry and calls Him “Jehovah’s servant.” And there is another great scripture about Christ Jesus in Philippians 2 which melds perfectly into the context of our study here in Matthew. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
To give His life.
Is there anything more precious to a person than his own life? He might talk about the lives of the people whom he loves, but that isn’t much more than extension of his own life. Christ owns the cattle on a thousand hills and the wealth in every mine, but neither would be sufficient to redeem the soul of a single sinner. When I checked the weather on my computer the other day there was a picture of a huge uncut diamond. If a thousand of those diamonds were gathered together in one place, they wouldn’t equal the value of a single soul or a single life.
But we aren’t talking about any ordinary life; we are talking about the earthly life of the Son of Man. Here was a man whose life had never been tarnished by any form of sin. He had never smoked a single cigarette, endangering His future health. He had never lied, causing a neighbor to question or doubt what He might say in the future. He had never bullied or mistreated a younger child, or tormented an animal. Everything about the life of Christ had been positive and as productive and helpful as it could have been. “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Peter reminds us – “ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
And again, should we stress the meaning of the words “to give”? There are exceptions, but when the average person dies, it should be said that “his life was taken.” It was taken by a murderer or by a terrible accident. It might have been taken by a disease. Years ago I assisted Ken Johnson in the funeral of a person who had taken his own life. He didn’t “give“ his life – he “took” it. Only on rare occasions does someone give his life to protect someone else; or for some cause or ideal. We honor the soldier may give his life for his country, but those deaths are a small percentage of all who die every year.
Christ Jesus GAVE His life. Crucifixion is one of the most cruel ways to die that cruel man has ever devised. The crucified person doesn’t die from a loss of blood or from cataclysmic organ failure, even though there is blood loss and organ failure. He doesn’t die from a stabbing, shooting or injection of some poison. Crucifixion was designed in such a way as to torture a person to death. It was as much a punishment and lesson to others, as much as it was to the person crucified. Exposure would sap his strength, and then he’d be more and more dependent on the straps holding him to his cross, or in Christ’s case, to the nails. After some time, his joints would begin to dislocate, or at least they would feel like it. And when the person could no longer support himself, then his organs – especially his heart and lungs – would become crowded and compressed, unable to function properly. In Jesus’ case there was blood seeping from the wounds covering him from head to foot. In the average crucifixion, the poor man would hang exposed for days in the hot sun and cool nights for days without food, slowing starving. Even though pain isn’t in itself fatal, the pain of crucifixion is excruciating and would certainly contribute to that person’s death. Some people likely went insane before death overcame them.
Christ Jesus, as the infinite Son of God, willingly gave Himself up to those crucifying Him.. He could have called for Heavenly help, if He had wanted to. He could have simply hopped down and walked away, if He didn’t have a purpose more important than His own physical life. And what should have taken days to complete, death came quickly to Christ, because He gave His life; it wasn’t taken from Him. He released His spirit to the Father.
That is extremely important, but here is the most important part of the verse –
He gave His life a ransom for many.
This verse and its twin in Mark are the only two places in the Bible where this word “ransom” is used. The Greek word is “lutron” (loo’-tron) and its root “loo” means “to loose.” Since we have no other scriptures with which to directly compare this word, we are forced to look elsewhere, and in ancient Greek literature the word is quite common. It speaks of the price paid for a slave. Sometimes that slave was then set free by the one who bought him. Technically “lutron” (loo’-tron) is the purchase money for manumitting – releasing – slaves. And the word “for” – “for many” is “anti” and clearly speaks of an exchange.
Again, I can hardly believe that I haven’t preached from this verse before, because this is so very important. When Christ permitted Himself to be crucified – it was as a substitute for many. He gave His life as an exchange for people who were enslaved in some way. In what ways? From the most dangerous things in existence. Christ died to deliver us from sin, from the bondage of Satan, from the curses of God’s law. He died to deliver us from eternal death and future wrath. Christ, the Son of Man, a member of the human race, put himself in our place – legally. He willingly chose to pay the debt of many before God.
He died to redeem those people from the penalty of all their iniquities. Jesus knew that he was soon to be nailed to a cross outside the city at Calvary. Paul looking back at the crucifixion said, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” He said that Jesus died “to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” Christ “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people.”
There are a great many evangelical Christians who say that Christ died providing redemption for everyone. But they then say that Jesus’ death is applied only when the sinner repents and trusts in that sacrifice. Is that what this verse says? Is that what any scripture anywhere actually says? Doesn’t Christ say that He was going to give his life in order to pay the actual debts of many? The word “for” is “anti” and it is precise, speaking of a specific number of people. The death of the Lord was not to provide the potential for salvation; it was to actually deliver certain people enslaved under the bondage of their sins and the law which condemns those sins.
And that brings us to the last word in the verse – “many.” Christ died in order to ransom “many.” You don’t have to like what the Bible says, but you are obligated to receive it and believe it. The word “many” is not an euphemism for “everyone.” It means exactly what it says, whether you are speaking Greek, English or Swahili. Out of the billions of sinners – every part and piece of humanity – Out of the billions of people who have nothing good in them and possessing nothing worthy of salvation – the Lord has graciously chosen to redeem many – probably millions. Those for whom Christ died, were “elect according to the foreknowledge of God” – ordained to eternal life. In the process of time all of those people will humble themselves before God and trust in Christ, receiving the grace of God’s salvation. That is the clear and unmistakable declaration of the Word of God.
And what are you going to do about it? It can’t be successfully denied, but it can be ignored and even hated. What are you going to do about it? May I suggest that you believe it? May I suggest that you beseech God to save you? I urge you to repent before God and believe that Christ Jesus gave His life to ransom your unworthy soul. Don’t throw up your hands and say that there is no hope for you. No, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,” just like millions of other sinners. Prove yourself to be among the “many” by your repentance and faith in Christ.