Who Wants to Be the Greatest?

Hey this is Mike Swick from if not for God podcast our show stories of hopelessness turned in a hope your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network who out there wants to be the greatest or the disciples asked this question of Jesus. Right before the greatest feast of all time in the upper room there battling there jockeying for who's going to be the player the power person when it comes to the greatest, and so Jesus Christ steps in Luke chapter 2224 through 34 of Stu Epperson.

So glad happy with us on experienced truth. Our journey through God's word. The last segment of the program.

We look at God's word were in Luke Luke 2224 through 434 and read the passage and then working to go through some questions together. This is so rich of you have a copy God's word open. Luke 22 and I'll read with you and read with me will you so such good stuff.

Now there was also a dispute among them as to which of them should be considered the greatest and he said to them, the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them and those who exercise authority over them are also called benefactors, but not so among you. On the contrary, he was greatest among you, let him be asked the younger in you governs as he who serves for you is greater usage of the table or he who serves. Is it not he who says the table yet.

I am among you as the one who serves. Verse 28. But as you are those who have continued to be with me in my trials I was and I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as my father bestowed one upon me that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel and the Lord said, Simon, Simon, indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.

But I have prayed for you that your faith should not feel and when you have returned to me, strengthen your brethren. But he said him Lord I'm ready to go with you both the prison and a death then he said I tell you, Peter.

The rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny me three times that you know me this is the word of God for Luke 22 verses 24 through 34.

So the first question hails back to the context what's so anti-climactic about the timing of this argument will what's anti-climactic is here, Jesus Christ.

He is coming to the Lord's supper the table for the new Passover feast.

This is also called the Eucharist as is the celebration the feast that he says every time you come together do this in remembrance of me to honor me to celebrate Jesus in his spilled blood and outlined in the in the grape juice in his broken body and that bread and so while he is pouring his heart heart out and he's demonstrating visibly that there is a visible symbolic picture of Christ and what he would do and as we celebrated today. What he did do in this feast. God God shows to give us this beautiful ordinance in the church, not to divide us and not to argue about it.

And there's you just read Luther you read Calvin you read Zwingli you read Wesley. They all have different views of the Lord's supper, but the bottom line view is this it points to Jesus and it doesn't exalt or extol what I've done for him. It exalts what he has done for me and he said John 1930. It is finished. So this is a momentous celebration.

This is a real feast. Now it's a sad feast, and that these guys are just the night before his betrayal and his death to write.

So there. There struggling with all this. As you and I would be we look back hindsight right but we were there we be struggling as we did we. We hadn't read the end of the Gospels in the beginning of acts in the end of Revelation right, but now looking back a couple millennia removed. We see wow look what he's done for us and we have we have this revelation of God in our hands. So in the middle of all this exciting and momentous celebration of the greatest event that whatever happened in history. The ransom of souls from sin, the salvation, the act of the cross, the passion of the Christ in this feast. These guys are arguing it or disputing in there. There barking so this is very anticlimactic and in the middle of their arguing we have John 13's account, Jesus Christ lays down his robe and he picks up a rag to wash these disciples dirty feet. What a great way to interrupt the disciples untimely argument of who is the greatest and Inso basely have this passage today.

Luke 22 verses 24 through 34. If you been tracking with us through Luke is you have the dispute among the disciples. Here the beginning when you have Jesus confirming them and their role in heaven he actually comes back and affirms them and pours his blessing and then finally have Christ interceding for in overconfident Peter so if you look at verse 24 now there was a dispute among them as to which would be considered the greatest. We also thought was in chapter 9 of Luke where you that you know this is the first time by the with the Lord supper. The disciples are wrangling over rank-and-file. We know we have we have the other account were that the the the mom of James John Haywood swallowed my son once on your side. Once on the side right and Jesus had to step in its his weight who can drink my cup holder on this is not for me to grant you get the whole thing wrong and he goes on to say the Son of Man didn't come to be served became to serve and lay his life down for me the greatest are those who are the least so so then you have verse 25 he said to them, the kings of the Gentile stop. Stop right there to call any group of Jews, Gentiles, or to compare them to a Gentiles would be a great affront.

A great insult. So Jesus instantly borrows from a gentle his weight is a you guys racking my Gentiles. They are jockeying exercising lordship. There was try to be the big boss or most air ones in the titles and lording and hoarding that lordship in and being that the one in charge the top of the food chain. The top person in the hierarchal corporate ladder and they who exercise authority over them are called benefactors.

So there's a name for this. This is secular world thinking Jesus Christ uses secular world thinking to expose how their thinking or thinking pagan is a way. What I taught you all this time. Now your your default is to try to to leapfrog over what else to try to step on everyone to get to the top, but this secular world thinking hats tragically infiltrated the ranks of Christ closest followers.

A benefactor Sylvia boss Aurora patron is a title used for Kievan rulers or despots. Jesus hears contrasting human earthly rule with his kingdom culture. He's the only king. This is powerful. The only king who ever came to serve and to die for his citizens.

How you see that beautiful picture Christmas time this the the the little straw bed or we know it was blood more likely to cave in like a wooden carving of a day that the cattle probably see straw on it and I love the site I posted every Christmas, the people put a cheat, you know, a king-sized bed right fit for a king, but born in paltry poverty was our Christ is the only thing they did. That is, so he's using this example of what he says in verse 26, but not so among you, so here's the contrast but you're not like the Gentiles are not like those are jockeying bitter competing that are, but you know all all alpha male fighting that took to the top. You know survival of the fittest.

On the contrary, he is greatest among you.

B is the younger you governs among you, let him be. Is he who serves the course he's referencing her likely just having washed their feet and ancient culture readily determined ranking value by age so Christ is you be like the younger in God's economy. Jesus is calling the little children over and over again. Matthew 18 the great houses bring little children to me earlier in Luke, because such is the kingdom of God.

The least are the greatest and he says I am among you is the one who serves. Jesus came look of living is to 129, he came not to be served but he came to serve and to change the world. To that.

So rather than rebuke them for this. Jockeying what is Jesus to this is just so cool. He blesses them he encourages them with the hope of heaven. These guys are distraught there there struggling maybe there maybe there are jockeying for whose enemy the greatest because their lords can be gone when he was in charge.

Jesus you're not to be around run things.

If you really are to be betrayed. If this really is coming to a climactic end of call of your blood already and not in the daily window dispatch to betray him, as is well underway. Jesus is moving off the scene and their minor thing was to run things. I use and abuse and beat Dino shout out orders is to be bossing people around as you believe this, this pack of misfit toys known as the disciples see so so there's some some angst involved in their jockeying in there some other things involved so Jesus he doesn't discourage them, but rather it is rebuke him, but rather he encouraged them. How does he do so will look at this next verse of love this verse 28 and in through 30 says, but you are those who have continued with me in my trials as a you you stayed with me my trials you have continued with me. This is not this is not easy stuff. By the way, having Jesus ostracize nearly pushed off a cliff for opening God's word and fulfilling a prophecy of the temple healing people being condemned for no being attacked by every religious group satisfaction and hated by all those on either side of the coin behaved by the Romans by the Jews by the zealots. He can't please anybody because he's not there to please anybody is there to please his father. John 17 for an accomplice to work his father sent him to do. Luke 249. I must be about my father's business so he but he says disciples he commends them guys look what he says this is so encouraging. He says you have continued me in my trials and look at verse 29. This is so rich he says and I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as my father bestowed one upon me. What a beautiful picture.

He is blessing them and bestowing on a kingdom, a greater table. There's a greater table. There's a greater feast. There is a greater kingdom first Peter 56 Jesus holy or is is home yourself of this, I the Lord and he will exalt you in due time. Beautiful picture God is a greater kingdom of James Cortes is the same thing, yourselves, and in the sight of God and he will lift you up so you say I will lift you up. I will take care of you, I will exalt you stick with me.

There's a greater kingdom and I want to bestow this kingdom where there is no death, and there's no tears, and you will be a resurrection body.

By the way how excited are you about the kingdom he's bestowing how excited are we about the return of the King to bring back his kingdom and to take us home with him forever. How often we celebrate having guys things get dark in the culture all day how often we look to the light of heaven. How anxious are we to get home to our real home, not you, where you live right now. If you're leaving us that your home could get attached to it. Philippians 320, our citizenship is in heaven. Worse is in heaven. First Peter two. We are strangers we are aliens we are not of this world sing second credits for 18 wheelers out of things which are seen, but things are unseen things are seen are temporal things that are unseen are eternal. Christ says I bestowing you a kingdom. While that's what he says in Matthew 633 seek ye first the kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to what a great statement. I love that memorize at sure that was someone William Luke 2229 and I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as my father in the stone one upon me. He would later say as the father sent me, so I'm sending you.

He would later say receive power when the Holy Ghost upon you your new eyewitnesses to spread the message of this kingdom and proliferate the earth with the message of the good news of Christ. How are you doing that today. Have you realize the kingdom of your promised heavy realize it is translated you from the kingdom of darkness in the kingdom of his precious dear son. Heavy realize that he's given you as a believer, the forgiveness of sins and a whole new life segment is 517 being in Christ, your new creature.

So take this awesome word and serve hello, the answer is going low and serving to be great to be the greatest, you must first be the least. This is the Truth Network