Luke chapter 22, I'm taking the
title from what the Lord of Glory declares unto us in verse 27
of Luke 22. Have you got it there? Let's
read it one more time. For whether his greater, he that
sitteth at meat, or he that serveth, is not he that sitteth at meat,
but I am among you, I am among you as He that serveth." The
Lord Jesus Christ, God Almighty, refers to Himself and He is called
in Scripture, Isaiah 42-1, Behold My Servant. A servant, a servant. Now, the
title that I've chosen, who is the greatest among us? Who would
be the greatest among us in the kingdom of God? Well, the Lord
Jesus Christ clearly says that those that would be great in
the kingdom of God are those that are the least in the kingdom
of God. those that would serve the Lord
our God. Now, we know this, no one born
of woman was greater than the Lord Jesus Christ, absolutely
no one greater than the Lord Jesus Christ, for he is God manifested
in the flesh. No one without exception was
as great and glorious and grand as God incarnate. The angels of heaven said glory
to God in the highest. They praised and gave thanks
for the incarnation of God in human flesh. The Word was made
flesh and dwelt among us. The Apostle put it this way without
controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest
in the flesh. Yet The Lord Jesus Christ humbled
himself, became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross. He was a lowly, humble servant of the Lord God Almighty."
Think of that. Think of it. God, who inhabits
eternity, inhabited a body of a man that he might serve us. Amazing, is it not? Therefore,
to be a servant of the Lord is a high title in the kingdom of
God. Oftentimes, the Apostle Paul,
writing through his epistles, he would introduce himself as
the servant of the Lord. That word comes from all the
way back in that bond slave under the law when he had served his
years and could go out free if he desired. But if he loved his
master, they would brand him in such a way to let everyone
know that he served his master out of love. Not out of servitude,
but out of love. He was called a bond-servant,
a willing, loving, bond-slave. And that's what Paul often referred
to himself as. A servant of Jesus Christ. Oh, by the way, I'm an apostle,
called and separated into the gospel of God, but foremost,
I'm the servant of the Lord. First of all, I'm the servant
of the Lord. Now, I want us to go back to verse 23 of Luke 22,
and then glean some gospel thoughts down through these verses that
we have here before us. Notice verse 23 and verse 24,
and the point on these two verses I want to call to your attention
is the fact that we We, all, you, me, all of us, we are sinners. Does that offend you? Do you
consider yourself the sinner? Do you consider yourself the
ungodly, guilty man before God? You see, that's what we see in
these two verses. They began to inquire among themselves
which of them it was that should do this thing." Do what? Betray
the Lord. Now, who would betray the Lord? If Judas did not have a sinful,
wicked, depraved, guilty nature, like you, like me, He would not
have betrayed the Lord. But we see in his situation the
reason why he did so, why he loved his money that he was paid,
and why he sold out the Lord Jesus Christ with the kiss of
death was because he was a vile, wretched sinner. Verse 24, and
there was also a strife among them which should be accounted
the greatest. Strife? What are they striving
for? Position? Place? Preeminence? What's the cause of all that? S-I-N. If Peter and John were
not sinful, and these other men were not sinful, would there
be any strife among them? As to, get out of my way, you
know, I want to be the chief one. All of that is a testimony
to what we are. You know nothing of total depravity
and sinfulness until you have experienced that in your heart. Now, it's easy to look at the
murderer who had just been captured downtown, who just brutally murdered
a mother and three children, and you would say, yeah, he's
a wicked man. And he is. You're no different. You're no different. Guilty before
God. Guilty before God. You see, the
thing is, unless you know yourself to be that vile, wretched sinner,
you'll never seek mercy in Christ. You see, there is none righteous,
no not one. What the all-knowing Lord declared
among these apostles must have come to them as absolute bombshell,
don't you think? He's sitting there instituting
the Lord's table, passing out the elements of His, take this
cup, this is My blood and My covenant which is shed for you,
giving it to them, partaking, taking the bread and breaking
it, this is My body, given for you. Oh, by the way, one of you
is going to betray Me. What do you think they thought? You talk about a bombshell. You
talk about headline news. You're going to betray me. One
of you. One of you is going to sell me out. And the apostles
began to question themselves who would do such a thing. Now
hold your place there. I want you to read this with
me. Find Matthew 26. Matthew 26. Matthew 26. Verse 21, Matthew 26, 21. And
as they did eat, he said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that
one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful,
and began every one of them to say unto him, now watch this,
verse 22, you got it? Matthew 26, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He
that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray
me. And the Son of Man goeth as it
is written of him. But woe unto that man by whom
the Son of Man is betrayed. It had been good for that man
if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him,
answered and said, Master, is it I? And he said, Thou hast
said. Now, you see things different?
Between what the other said and what Judas said, do you notice
anything different? They said, Lord, is it I? He
didn't call him Lord. He said, Master. You see, he
didn't own his Lordship. He didn't own his Lordship. Judas
did not call the Lord Jesus Christ his Lord, but rather he said,
Master. Now, who else did that? You remember? Nicodemus, the ruler of the Jews,
the same, came to Jesus by night and said, Master, we know you
are a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles
except God be with him. You see, Judas did not own or
bow to the Lordship of Christ. John and Peter and the other
John, they said, Lord! What was that a testimony to?
are depravity. Those who are blessed to believe
the gospel of Christ have a very exalted opinion and reverence
of His holy name and His holy person. Never do I refer, now
we do this all the time when we're singing because these song
books are full of it, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. You'll never hear
me refer to the Lord Jesus Christ singularly only as Jesus. You'll never find one time in
the Scripture where any of the apostles called Him Jesus. Now, the Holy Spirit does. But
they didn't refer to Him as that. He said, you call Me Master and
Lord, and you say, well, That's what I am. I am the Lord. So believers have a high exalted
opinion of His holy person. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. God has highly exalted Him and
given Him a name which is above every name. Act that name. He's
going to confess He's Lord to the glory of God the Father. No other name under heaven, given
among men, whereby we must be saved. Now, so, what is your
opinion of the Lord Jesus Christ? Those who believe the Gospel,
He's not only been exalted and seated in the heavenlies, but
do you know what else has happened? He's been exalted in our heart.
He's been enthroned in our hearts, and we esteem Him highly. The second thing I want us to
notice in verse 24, and this is on that same point of being
totally depraved and sinful and guilty before God, and here's
another evidence of that. Not only did Judas sell him out,
but what are these other men doing here in verse 24? And there
was also strife among them, which of them should be accounted to
be the greatest? Peter greater than John? James
probably thought he was the best, don't you think? Maybe John. Maybe these others. Matthew? strife among themselves, after
the Lord just instituted His table and said, I'm going to
die, and do this in remembrance of me, and they're over here
fighting who's going to be the greatest? What is that a testimony
to? Not humility, is it? Pride. Pride. Pride. Pride. You know, this was not the first
time this happened. If you'll look back, turn back
to Luke 9. Luke chapter 9. This is not the
first time this happened. Luke 9, turn back over there.
Verse 46, Then there arose reasoning among them, which of them should
be the greatest, should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought
of their heart, took a child and set him by him, and said,
Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me,
and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me. For
he that is least among you all, the same shall be the greatest
one." So, they had this lesson before. The Lord took a little
child and set him in the midst. He said, you're going to be like
this little child. Forget about this greatness business. Be a
little child. Humble. They had that lesson
taught them before by the Master. And what are they doing again?
Same thing. Pride. Strife among them which should
be accounted the greatest. Now, another evidence of our
total depravity. The apostles went from one degree
of depravity and brought it to a new low, didn't they? Striving
in front of the master? Just think how full of pride
these men were. Where humility should have abounded,
pride and ambition consumed them. This is what the fleshly, sinful
human nature is taken up with. Pride. The lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eye, the pride of life. Pride, pride, pride. Taken up with pride. You can
have different kinds of pride. Did you know that? There is pride
of race. We all have a problem with that.
There is pride of place. You know, I live over here, you
know. There is pride of face. I'm so beautiful. Sadly, there's even pride of
grace. Because we're so sinful. You
know what the Lord God says about pride? I'll just read it to you. You listen carefully. Proverbs
6 and following 16, 19. Proverbs chapter 6, 16, 19. These
six things the Lord does hate, Yea, seven are an abomination
unto him. You know what's on the top of
the list? You want to guess what's number one? A proud look. A proud look. You know what's
number two? A lying tongue. God hates a lying
tongue, a proud look. Hands that shed innocent blood.
Heart that devises wicked imaginations. A heart that devises wicked imaginations,
you don't have a problem with that, do you? I mean, I've got that one made.
A heart that devises wicked imagination, that's all my fallen flesh thinks
of. Feet that be swift in running
to mischief, A false witness? These things
the Lord hates. And he mentions again, a false
witness that speaketh lies. And he that soweth discord among
the brethren. God hates these things. What
were these men doing right here? There was also strife among them
which should be counted the greatest. Soweth discord among the brethren. Isn't that what they were doing?
Sowing discord among the brethren? May the Lord our God ever humble
us and keep us in his sight. And I'll tell you why. A proud
heart will never cry for mercy. Never. You remember what David,
after David, had killed one of his best friends. David, the
man after God's own heart. David had just killed his best
friend, Uriah the Hittite. He just stole his wife and committed
adultery. And he cries out unto God for
mercy. Have mercy upon me, O God, according
to Thy lovingkindness, according to the multitude of Thy tender
mercy. Blot out my sin. You see, a proud heart will never
cry for mercy. But a broken heart, David had,
given of God, he cries for mercy. Does he not? A proud heart will
never bow and submit to the lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe
the gospel, bow and trust Him. A proud heart will never cry
out, God be merciful to me, the sinner. We read these two scriptures,
these two promises in Psalm 34. The Lord is nigh them of a broken
heart. Save us such as be of a contrite
spirit. Psalm 51, the sacrifices of God
are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God thou
will not despise. A man who's full of pride will
never call for mercy. Never. He's too full of himself. The second thing I want us to
consider in verse 25, 26, and verse 27, where there is greater He that sitteth at me, or he
that serveth, it is not he that sitteth at me, but the one who
serves. I am among you as he that serveth. Oh, the Lord Jesus Christ set
the example of how we are to live in the spiritual kingdom
of God, not to be served, but rather to serve one another. To serve one another. Now, I want you to find Matthew
12. Matthew 12. Turn there. Matthew
12. The Lord said, I didn't come to be ministered unto, remember?
When He said, I came to give my life a ransom for many. He
said, I didn't come to be ministered unto. He said, the Son of Man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His
life a ransom for many. For many. I've got written down
here, Matthew 12. Hmm, okay. Matthew 12 verse 14. Then the
Pharisees went out and held a council how they might destroy him. But
when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence, and great
multitudes followed him. And he healed them all and charged
them that they should not make him known that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, Behold my servant. Behold, my servant, whom I have
chosen, my beloved, in whom I am well pleased, I put my spirit
upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not
strive nor cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the
streets. This is from Isaiah 42. A bruised reed shall he not
break, a smoking flack shall he not quench. He's a tender,
compassionate Savior, the servant of God, till he send forth judgment
unto victory, and in his name shall the Gentiles trust. The
Lord Jesus Christ came as the servant of God to serve the Father's
purpose. In the kingdom of the world,
it's just the opposite. In the kingdom of the world,
men love to be served. Men seek to be served, but in
the kingdom of God, Men seek to serve Him by serving His people. Since our Lord Jesus Christ served
His Heavenly Father in such a humble, obedient life, may the Lord be
pleased to bless us with that attitude and spirit of humility
and service. You remember we read in Philippians
2, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. lowliness,
let us esteem others better than ourselves. May we be blessed
to believe and live like John, the prophet of God, that he must
increase and we must decrease. May God give us grace to serve
his purpose, the furtherance of the gospel, his grace and
his glory, Glory by faithfully serving one another. By this,
you all may know that you're my disciple, that you love one
another. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ is
a prime example of humility and service. I am among you as he
that serveth. Now, I would never hold forth
myself as being a prime example of someone who is a faithful
servant. Never. But I can hold forth the
Lord Jesus Christ as the faithful servant of the Lord. Throughout
the whole course of his life on this earth, As a God-man mediator,
it was one of service to His covenant children. The Lord Jesus
Christ took the position of a willing, loving bond slave when He entered
into the covenant of grace for us, as our servant in eternity,
as a lamb slain before the foundation of the world. And in time, the
Lord Jesus came as a willing servant of God to lay down His
life to accomplish our salvation for us, He was made the willing,
loving, bondservant to the Lord. Now, what is the great cause
of our Lord Jesus Christ serving God and His people? Question.
I'll give you three answers. The Lord Jesus Christ is so infinitely
great in His glorious person that He loses nothing by serving
us, does He? The Lord Jesus Christ is so infinitely
great in His glorious person that He loses nothing by serving
us. He thought it not robbery to
be equal with God, but took upon Himself the form of a servant. Secondly, the Lord Jesus Christ
is so full of love to us, having loved His own, He loved them
to the end, that His love for us compels us to love His love
for us compels us to love Him who laid down His life for us. He loved us unto death, even
the death of the cross. The Lord said here in His love,
not that you have loved Me, but rather that I have loved you
and have given Myself for you. The Lord Jesus Christ is so full
of love for us. It's His love for us that constrains
us to love Him. and to love one another. Thirdly,
the Lord Jesus Christ is so completely consecrated to the glory of God
that he willingly suffers in our room and in our stead, bearing
our sins in his own body upon the tree. What is the cause of
the Lord coming to serve God and his people? to accomplish our salvation in
order that God's holy law is honored and His holy justice
is satisfied. Now, He bare our sin in His own
body on the tree. He suffered once the just for
the unjust that He might bring us unto God. We read in Isaiah
53, Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him. He hath put him to
grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He
shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure
of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail
of his soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities."
He shall bear their iniquities. Now, in closing, Let me give
you this, and I'll let you go. Verse 28, 29, and verse 30, the
Lord bestows gospel blessings on his 11 apostles who continued
and remained with him. Remember, Judas went out. Remember,
the Lord said, what you do, do quickly, and he went out. These
apostles, it says here, You are they which have continued with
me in this temptation." Now how frail and weak were these apostles?
How many times he said to them, oh you little thing. How many
times did he rebuke them? And yet he says, you are they
which have continued with me in these troubles. They followed
him for three and a half years. They followed him in all of his
troubles and heartache. These apostles continued with
the Lord Jesus Christ, even though Judas had betrayed him, even
though thousands of others had walked away from him. You remember
John chapter 6, when he fed the 5,000, and they basically walked
away from him, and the Lord said, will you also go away? You remember
Peter said, Lord, there's nowhere else to go. You have the Word
of eternal life. We believe and we're sure Thou
art that Christ of God. Even though thousands had walked
away, Peter and these eleven continued with Him through persecution. Now, such is the description
of saving faith. That is the description of saving
faith. This one word here in verse 28, underscore this one
word, you have continued. Saving faith does not quit. Saving
faith, we use the word, perseveres. Perseveres. You know why it perseveres?
Because we're kept by the power of God through faith. Saving
faith is always looking and coming and believing the Lord Jesus
Christ. The second thing he says here
in verse 29, these are the blessings of the covenant of grace. Believers
continue in the faith. Secondly, he said, and I appoint
unto you a kingdom. Now, did they earn it? Did they
deserve it? Did they merit this appointment?
Appointed. Isn't that what the President
of the United States does when he appoints a cabinet office? He appoints that man. Well, the
Lord said, and I appoint unto you a kingdom. Now, it's not
an earthly kingdom, is it? It's a heavenly kingdom. It is
a spiritual kingdom. I've appointed you unto this
kingdom as my Father has appointed unto me. What does that say about
this appointment? This is saying the same thing,
is it not? The same thing as saying that
salvation is of the Lord. You remember in 1 Thessalonians
5 verse 9, he said, you have not been appointed to wrath,
but you have been appointed to obtain salvation in the Lord
Jesus Christ. So these are the blessings of
the covenant. We're blessed to continue in the faith. These
all died in faith. We are blessed to have an appointment
Just think how proud parents would be for a son who was appointed
to West Point. I mean, that's pretty exciting,
isn't it? And we wouldn't be happy, wouldn't
we, if I had a son appointed to West Point Academy? But being
appointed to the spiritual kingdom of God, West Point's nothing,
is it? I mean, that's soap bubbles. Not of him that willeth nor of
him that runneth, but of God that appoints salvation. And
the third thing is this, that you may eat and drink at, and
get a hold of these two words, my table and my kingdom. Now, if you went to the governor's
ball, and our great governor of our state, of the great commonwealth
of Kentucky, what's his name? Bevins, is it not? If you were
invited to the governor's ball and you were to sit at the governor's
table with your name tag on that table sitting next to the governor, well, you'd probably take a picture
of it. And I'd say you'd probably put it on Facebook. I'm over
here with the governor. But that doesn't even compare
to what he's saying right here. You're going to eat at my table,
at the table of grace that never ends. This is the banquet of
mercy, a banquet of love, my table and my kingdom. Not only that, he said, you're
going to sit on thrones. And this is true not only of
Peter, James, and John, and those eleven men, twelve counting the
apostle Paul. You're going to sit on the throne
of God. You're going to sit on the throne
judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Now how can this be?
How can we sit on the throne of God judging? It is as we sit
in Him on that throne. That's it. You see what's through
the head is through the body. Where He sits, we sit. We're
one with Him. We call that union.