THE LOVE OF CHRIST IN SERVICE

A. P. Grant

Mark 10: 42–45; Hosea 12: 12; Ephesians 5: 25–27

These scriptures refer to the Lord serving. In Mark’s gospel He says He did not come to be ministered to, but to minister. That is the lowly place that He has taken, and as it says in that scripture that is why He came. The scriptures give us a number of reasons why the Lord came but in this passage He has come to minister. The background here was that James and John were asking for a special place, but the Lord points out that what is to be found among the saints is to be different to what we see in the world. He speaks of those who rule over the nations, and the greatness that marks men who rule and exercise authority. But in Christianity something different is to be seen, “but it is not thus among you”. And we see the perfect example in the Lord Jesus Himself. Mark’s gospel speaks of the Lord as a servant, serving God and serving men. How faithfully He served in view of the blessing of others and in view of the pleasure of God, to the extent that He gave His life a ransom for many, fulfilling what His service involved.

He is a model for us to take account of. As we sang in our hymn, we are to learn from Him. He speaks of what is among you. What is to be seen is the lowly attitude of serving one another, as the Lord says in John’s gospel when He washed the disciples’ feet. He gave them “an example that, as I have done to you, ye should do also”, John 13: 15. In John’s gospel it is love that is spoken of, and it is love that is behind such service. Love for one another is the principle of serving the saints. We read of those who were devoted to the saints for service, involving not only those who are more prominent but younger ones too. It is a principle in Christianity that we learn everything from Christ including how we serve. It says, “whosoever would be first of you shall be bondman of all”. The place of bondman is a relatively inferior place and the Lord was content to take that place. It is for our encouragement that we too may be content with a lowly place. James and John were looking for a prominent place and the others were indignant about it. In one sense they were no better. But what we see in Christ is the willingness to take a lowly place, the place of ministering to others.

The prophet Hosea speaks about Jacob. We often think of the failure that marked Jacob, but we can also think of him as a type of the Lord Jesus in the way he served. It says, “Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep”. I think the service of the shepherd is a lowly service. It is not esteemed greatly in the world. It was an abomination to the Egyptians. But Jacob took the place of serving for a wife, and in the book of Genesis it tells us of how love was behind his service. He served seven years for Rachel and they were in his eyes as single days. That shows in type the love that marked Christ in view of having the assembly. I think we could apply this to the Lord Jesus serving in view of having the assembly for Himself. Shepherd service too is to be taken on by us. We can see from this scripture that what is in view in shepherd service is that wifely features, the features that correspond to Christ, are brought about in the saints.

Shepherd service requires patience and is a suffering service too. It says of Jacob that he was consumed by the frost by night and the heat by day. It meant suffering over a long period. Hosea says that he fled into the country of Syria. That would suggest the extent of his service, going beyond Israel. Not only confined to Israel but including the Gentiles, and that is how the Lord is securing an answer to Himself. We think in Genesis 24 of the Holy Spirit’s service typically in view of securing an answer to Christ. And now there is also the Lord’s own service. What love marks Him in how He is serving, unselfishly, in view of securing a wife for Himself. So I think He would be an example to us too as we take on this shepherd service, caring for one another. What is in view is the assembly secured for Christ. It speaks of Rachel as a shepherdess. So there was correspondence with Jacob. We read in Genesis how Jacob served in rolling away the stone that the flock might be watered. So that he would be a type of Christ there. It would involve removing hindrances that refreshment might flow among the saints and that they might be fed and watered. That is what is involved in the shepherd service. What Christ has in view is the assembly.

I thought that came out again in Ephesians. We read again of the service of the love of Christ in a most exalted way. How fully and to what an extent Christ has gone to secure the assembly. He “loved the assembly, and has delivered himself up for it”. He gave Himself. This was the extent of his love, “in order that he might sanctify it, purifying it by the washing of water by the word”. What He is looking for are features that are corresponding to Himself, “having no spot, or wrinkle, or any of such things; but that it might be holy and blameless”. So we have this service going on now, the service of Christ, using one and another as it says here, for “the washing of water by the word”. We know the water suggests His death. There is the shedding of His blood but there is also the water. How we need that in view of removing whatever is not in keeping with Himself. The “word” is interesting—it involves the expression of His love and His mind, in view of the saints being brought into accord with His own mind and His own features, “that it might be holy and blameless”. That is what He has before Him, that the assembly might be marked by freshness and life. It says, “having no spot, or wrinkle, or any of such things”. So His service in love is continuing now and we have the benefit of it. And I think He uses the saints in that service. Think of how Paul served in view of these assembly features being brought about. That was what was in his heart. I think that service is to be reflected in us also at the present time. So may we be encouraged by these thoughts, for His name’s sake.

Word in meeting for ministry, Dundee
20 October 2009