Christ the Servant of God

I. A Servant is one chosen to office. If men have work or business to do, they choose one to be their servant, whom they think fitly qualified, and able to do it.

I. Christ was chosen by the Father. Not to one office only, but to many. To be a Mediator, King, Priest and Prophet. “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen,” Isaiah 43:10. He was every way furnished and fitly qualified for the great work appointed him. “I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people,” Psalms 89:19.

II. A Servant is a name of subordination and subjection, it respects an office of an inferior rank and quality.

II. Christ in his humiliation was abased so low, as to be in subjection to the Father. “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,” Philippians 2:6-7. “I am among you as he that serveth,” Luke 22:27.

III. A Servant is one that hath a trust committed to him, by a master or superior, to whom he is to be accountable.

III. Christ hath a great trust committed to him. “It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob,” Isaiah 49:6. And as all the treasurers and riches of Egypt were committed to Joseph, Genesis 41:41, so are all the riches of heaven, both of grace and glory, committed to Christ. “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,” Colossians 2:3.       

IV. A Servant is oftentimes employed to labour, and hard work, as to plough and sow, build and plant, etc.

IV. Jesus Christ was employed in hard work, to redeem, and not only so, but to build the temple or house of God. “And upon this rock I will build my church,” Matthew 16:18. “Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD,” Zechariah 6:12. “Behold, a sower went forth to sow; He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man,” Matthew 13:3, 37.

V. A Servant is not to seek his own glory, nor to do his own will, no further than it agrees with the glory and will of his master or father, but doth every thing that is commanded him, not being ashamed to acknowledge himself to be a Servant.

V. Jesus Christ, as God’s Servant, sought not his own glory. “I honour my Father,” John 8:49. “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true,” John 7:17-18. “Saying, Father … nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done,” Luke 22:42. “But the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak,” John 12:49. “Even as I have kept my Father's commandments,” John 15:10.

VI. A Servant is sent sometimes abroad to do business, far from home, and is thereby exposed to many dangers, and great hardships.

VI. Jesus Christ, to do the work of God as Mediator, was sent on a long journey, as far as it is from heaven to earth, and was thereby exposed to much difficulty, and great hardships, from men and devils. He was persecuted from place to place, his life being often in jeopardy; he had no place where to lay his head; and was at last most basely betrayed and put to death, Matthew 8:20.

VII. A Servant that is faithful, delights to do his father’s or master’s business, preferring it above his meat and drink, as appeared by the Servant of Abraham, who would not eat nor drink before he had done his errand, Genesis 24:33.

VII. The Lord Christ was most faithful. “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered,” Hebrews 5:8. “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work,” John 4:34. “I delight to do thy will, O my God,” Psalms 40:8. “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?” Luke 2:49.

VIII. A Servant that is faithful, will not go beyond his commission in any thing. Saith God to Moses, “And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount,” Exodus 25:40. “Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he,” Exodus 40:16.

VIII. The Lord Christ was faithful, in doing all things which God required of him; he went not beyond his commission, nor did he neglect any part of his work. “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God,” John 3:34. “And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak,” John 12:50. “Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house,” Hebrews 3:2.

IX. A Servant hath a right to wages, and expects it, as the desert of his work: as Jacob said, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled,” Genesis 29:21. He demanded his wife, after he had served seven years for her.

IX. The Lord Jesus Christ hath an absolute right to a reward for his work’s sake. Though there is no merit or desert for the works which believers do, being unprofitable Servants when they have done all; yet there is very great merit and worth in what Christ did. And the Father will give him wages; he shall have his wife, his Church, for whom he served above fourteen years; nay, “I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession,” Psalms 2:8. “Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high,” Isaiah 52:13.   “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death,” Isaiah 53:12. “But we see Jesus, who for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man,” Hebrews 2:9.

X. It is the hope and expectation of a reward, that causeth a Servant to go through difficulties and hardships cheerfully; as it was in Jacob’s case; “Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night,” Genesis 31:40. “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her,” Genesis 29:20.

X. The Lord Jesus Christ, having in his eye that eternal advantage his elect should receive, and what glory he, as man, should be raised unto, as the reward of his undertaking, went through all his sorrows with much cheerfulness. “Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God,” Hebrews 12:2.

XI. A Servant is attended with fear, “and if I be a master, where is my fear?” Malachi 1:6.

XI. The Lord Jesus Christ was subject whilst he was here in our nature, in the form of a Servant, (at some time) unto fear. “Made under the law,” Galatians 4:4. “He was troubled in spirit,” John 13:21. “And was heard in that he feared,” Hebrews 5:7.

METAPHOR

DISPARITY

I. A Servant and the master are not essentially and inseparably one.

I. Jesus Christ, although a servant is essentially one with the Father. The Father, Son and Spirit, are but the one everlasting and eternal God.  “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one,” 1 John 5:7.

II. A Servant amongst men hath not an inseparable interest in his master’s goods and estate.

II. Christ hath a full, a clear, and inseparable interest in all that the Father hath: “And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them,” John 17:10.

III. Servants among men many times, through temptation, prove unfaithful, and deceive either father or master; yea, the best Servants of good men have in something or other miscarried.

III. It was impossible for Christ to be unfaithful, or disobey God his Father, because he was without sin, and Satan had nothing in him to fasten a temptation upon, John 14:30.

IV. A Servant may be turned out of his master’s service, and lose his honour.

IV. The Lord Jesus Christ did not, could not displease his Father, and therefore did not, nor could lose his honour. “I do always those things that please him,” John 8:29.

V. The Servant abides not in his master’s house forever.

V. Jesus Christ abideth in the house of God forever.

VI. A Servant differs from the heir in place, dignity, and privilege.

VI. Jesus Christ, though he be called the Servant of God, yet is he his own beloved Son, and “heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds,” Hebrews 1:2. There is none in heaven and earth, that hath greater glory, place, or privilege, conferred upon him, than the Lord Jesus Christ.

VII. Too many are oftentimes forced to become Servants, because they cannot otherwise tell how to live.

VII. Jesus Christ had no necessity of nature laid upon him, to accept of the low place and office of a Servant. He was not forced to it, because he could not tell how to live without serving, he being infinitely happy in himself from eternity; but the glory of his Father, and the dear love he bore to the creature, even to poor lost man, moved him to become a Servant; he did it freely for our sakes, that we might be lords.

INFERENCES

I. We may note from hence the wonderful condescension of Jesus Christ; there is nothing which sets forth his great abasement for our sakes more than this; what grace is this! Doth the Son of God, who is the Lord of heaven and earth, become a Servant! “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,” Philippians 2:6-7. “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,” Mark 10:45.

Quest. But some may inquire, whose Servant is Christ?

1. He is God’s Servant: “Behold my Servant,” Matthew 12:18.

2. He is his people’s 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,” Matthew 20:28.

II. Let us learn from him, henceforward to humble ourselves. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 2:5. Shall the Lord become a Servant? And shall the Servant swell in pride and arrogances, and nothing content him but to be called lord; nay, and lord it over God’s heritage, whose Servants they ought to be, if they would be gospel ministers. Surely Christ abhors him who calls himself the Servant of servants, whilst at the same time he exalts himself above all that is called gods.

III. If the Lord Christ became a willing, humble, laborious, and faithful Servant for us, let us labour to be humble, faithful, and sincere Servants to him: he hath done all the hardest work, and if any remain too hard for us, he sticks not to set his hand to it. “For thou also hast wrought all our works in us,” Isaiah 26:12.

IV. Let this teach us to follow his example, and be Servants one to another: “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you,” John 13:15.

V. Remember it is an honourable, pleasant and gainful thing, to be Christ’s Servant. Paul seems to glory more in it, than in his being an Apostle: “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour,” John 12:26.

VI. This justly reproves such who are ashamed to be Christ’s Servants, and to hear reproach and infamy for his name’s sake, seeing he hath not stuck to serve them in denying himself, even to the ignominious death of the Cross.