Christ, the Summit Who Came to Serve (Matthew 20:20-28)
The Field of Answers of the 1st 2nd 3rd RUTC: 3/28/2021
Christ, the Summit Who Came to Serve (Matthew 20:20-28)
Today is Palm Sunday, the first day of Passion Week which is kept remembering the meaning of Jesus’ atoning death for us. It is called Palm Sunday because people laid palm leaves down for Jesus when he was entering Jerusalem on a donkey. In that period, an extravagant procession was held for worldly summits like the Roman Emperor and governor. The horse and chariots were made to show the greatest dignity, accompanied by the greatest armies, and the path was laid with red satin and silk. Christ did the opposite. He rode a young donkey, disciples who had no strength accompanied Him, and palm leaves were laid down. Why did He do that? It was a fulfillment of prophecy(Zecharich9:9-10). By doing that, He showed evidence as the prophesied Christ from the Old Testament. There was another reason. It was to show the difference between the worldly summit that is moved by Satan and the spiritual summit that is used by God. What was that? In the passage, there was an incident between the disciples when Jesus was entering Jerusalem. He gave an important answer through this incident. Among the disciples of Jesus, James and his brother John’s mother came to Jesus and requested for his sons to sit on the left and right hand of Jesus in the time He would receive glory. They heard this and conflicts arose as they grew indignant with each other. Jesus spoke about the difference in the summit that God uses. Because we are people who will receive answers to where we will save and heal the world, we must hold onto this difference (absolute difference).
- What is the characteristic of a worldly summit? In a word, what did the Lord say?
Rulers who do not have God control people however they like and rule over people with that authority (verse 25). He said that Satan has already made three kinds of summits in the world to lead the world into suffering.
1) Summits who fell into the self-greed of Genesis 3. They live being completely self-centered.
How did Satan lure Adam and Eve who were created in the image of God and were meant to rule the world with God’s heart and will? As he tempted with the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he lied by saying, “you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). Summits of this world are bound by this. It is a world where God is absent and they are the center, and so the world falls into endless corruption.
2) The Nephilim summits of Genesis 6. They fall into the visible flesh and material-centeredness.
The word Nephilim derives from the Hebrew word, “naphal” which means “to fall.” It symbolizes the fallen angels and spirits of darkness. The people they created were the mighty men of that age, the men of renown (Genesis 6:4). The world they move is the desires of the flesh, and they control everything with money. Then, they lead everything into destruction (1 Timothy 6:8-10).
3) The Babel Tower summits of Genesis 11. They were determined to go to the top and make a human kingdom (Genesis 11:4).
What would result from the success and powerful nation created by those who do not know God nor fear God? Powerful nations arise in each age and trample the weaker and smaller nations, and the people of the latter will have to lose everything and suffer.
4) The powerful nations established by the Babel Tower Summits will prolong until the Lord returns (Revelations 18:1-3).
Only these kinds of rulers and summits will continuously emerge in this world. Whose work is it? It is Satan’s work (Ephesians 6:12).
- God is going to raise summits who are different from them. They are the true summits, the spiritual summit.
Everything must be different. It must be different from what Satan does. That is called, “Holy” (different, set apart).
1) They are the summits who are chosen, blessed, and used by God. The foundation is different.
Those are the five blessings that a remnant will enjoy (one chosen by grace, holy seed who has the life of Christ, remaining ones regardless of any circumstances they undergo, evangelism disciple scattered to the entire world to save the world, spiritual summit who fulfills God’s will).
2) Even the reason they must receive God’s answer and blessings and success is different. Jesus taught us firsthand.
We do not succeed to rule. We succeed to serve. It is not a success that harms and kills. It is a success to save everyone. It is not a success to fulfill my greed. It is a success to go together with everyone.
3) Even the method is different for a true summit. Do the opposite of what the world and Satan do (10 ways of the summit).
① Satan makes alone time into a time of loneliness. Believers make it into a time where God is my only.
② Satan deceives with realistic problems. Believers hold onto God’s absolute plan within that and move forward.
③ Satan traps us inside the frame of the world, people and me. Believers break my frame with unconventional thinking.
④ Satan divides and makes us destroy one another . Believers come together and create a spiritual synergy.
⑤ Satan makes us despair and give up in crisis. Believers hold onto the crisis as God’s absolute opportunity and move forward.
⑥ Satan always makes us compete and fight with each other. Believers yield everything but God brings them victory.
⑦Satan crumbles even what we have. Believers experience recreation through the Lord’s power even where there is nothing.
⑧ Satan makes us obsessed with the visible situation. Believers hold onto the covenant of the spiritual summit in the lowest place and move forward.
⑨ Satan leads us to make excuses for our environment. Believers experience the deep things of God in that environment that is like the wilderness.
⑩ Satan always makes us think about what we want. Believers hold onto the desiring will of God, God’s absolute reason.
It may seem like we are living foolishly and are at loss, but that is not true. These are the ways of the spiritual summit that enjoys God’s things and the heavenly things.
- Jesus firsthand became the model during this passion week and showed us what a true summit is.
1) Holy Communion. It is to remember that we have been freed through Him who lowered Himself and gave us His life.
He did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (verse 28). To be a ransom means that he died and received suffering in place of us. Now, I who have been freed should be used to free those who are bound by the forces of darkness through the authority of Christ (Acts 10:38). We just need to tell them what spiritual deliverance is. This is true evangelism and what the true summit must do.
2) The event in which Jesus washed the feet of the disciples after the communion.
He said to go and wash each other’s feet as well. The feet can easily get dirty even after a shower. It is the hidden scars. He meant for us to embrace and help each other’s scars. This is Christ’s heart (Philippians 2:5), and the true summit’s heart. The healing of the 237 and 5,000 people groups (tribes) comes from this.
3) He entered Jerusalem on a donkey. He was someone who had everything, yet One who could lower Himself the most. It is true humility. This is the posture of a true summit. This could not be done by the Devil (Ezekiel 28:14-17). It is at this time that in which you can go to empty places, abandoned places, and even dying places.
Conclusion – The true summit who can serve like Christ, this is a world in which our families, church, and world need this summit.