The Perfect Servant

Feature 4 – October 2022 – Grace & Truth Magazine

The Perfect Servant

At the completion of creation, God placed Adam and Eve in the wonderful environment of Eden, with His abundant blessings (Gen. 1–2). However, Eve was tricked by the Serpent, and Adam transgressed God’s command (3:1-6). Soon after their tragic fall, the human race corrupted itself to the point that God had to judge the whole earth, which He did through the flood in Noah’s time (6:5-7). Since then, sadly, man’s heart has not changed (8:21). Slavery was even introduced (9:25-27), showing man’s wickedness in other ways.

Despite all these things, God took the concept of slavery and put it on a new, much higher level – to be perfectly demonstrated in His Son, in the fullness of time, sent into this world as the perfect Servant (see Gal. 4:4-7). Long before His coming, Israel was rescued from Egyptian bondage, and God introduced the true bondservant, the servant, or slave, according to His thoughts (Ex. 21:2-6).

In human society a slave may be despised, but Scripture uses this function, or position, as something very honorable, especially in relation to the Lord Jesus. An example of this is the well-known passage that I like to call “the greatest prophecy” (Isa. 52:13–53:12). The term “slave” is sometimes translated “bondservant,” particularly when used for the Servant-Son, to whom the Holy Spirit often attached the possessive pronoun “My” (Isa. 42:1, 52:13, 53:11 nkjv). He came because of His true love of God and His people.

The believers of the church age – from Acts 2 to the rapture (1 Th. 4:14-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-58) –respond to His great love in service now (Gal. 2:20; Eph. 5:1-2,25-33). They will do so forever as the heavenly saints, who will be with Him and serve Him (see Rev. 22:3).

During the millennial reign the believers on earth will serve our Lord Jesus Christ in tune with the heavenly company. They will serve God according to the example of our Lord Jesus, the Perfect Servant-Son (Phil. 2:5-11).

Frequently Used Terms For “Serving”
Counting all noun and verb forms that belong to the Hebrew root word ābad, we find 1,099 occurrences in the Old Testament. Its New Testament equivalent is the Greek word doúlos, which occurs 182 times, if we include its associated compounds and verbs. With this vast number of occurrences, we must limit our attention to a few references and focus on this topic’s main concept.

Some History
The first time God’s Word mentions the term “serving” is right after Adam was created, when God saw that there was no one to take care of the beauty of the earth He had prepared (Gen. 2:5). Therefore, He put Adam in charge of Eden to tend, or till, and keep it (v.15). Both of these verses use the term ābad.

When God asked the man to give names to the animals, Adam noticed that God brought all of them in pairs of one male and one female, whereas he was alone (vv.19-20). Then God provided for him a companion in a very remarkable way, as He built a woman from Adam’s rib. Notice it was not from his head or foot to be above or under him, but from his side, to be his helpmate. He brought Eve to him (vv.21-25; see Eph. 5:22-33). Adam and Eve, however, failed to keep the garden as God had given it, because they soon fell into sin, rebelling against Him (Gen. 3:1-6). He then expelled them from Paradise (3:24) – the meaning of “Eden.” Later, because of jealousy, Adam and Eve’s oldest son Cain murdered his brother Abel (4:8).

Not long afterward the whole human race was in a condition which was beyond remedy (6:1-7), causing God to send the flood in Noah’s days (6:13–7:24). This worldwide judgment led to a new beginning, based on Noah’s sacrifice and with God’s blessings (8:20-22, 9:1,9-17). However, there was failure yet again, as Noah lost self-control, got drunk, and had problems in his own family (9:20-27). Nevertheless, from Noah and his sons 70 nations developed (Gen. 10). All of them will play a role in the future when God’s plans for this earth will be fulfilled, even in spite of all their failures.

After the flood and Noah’s sacrifice, God blessed Noah and his sons, commanding them to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth (9:1). The descendants did not want to spread all over the earth (11:4) but remained in the area and started building the city of Babel and its tower, designed to serve various idols. This led to God’s intervention in judgment, scattering the human race all over the earth (11:5-9) as He let all humans go in their own ways (Rom. 1:21-32).

Out of one of these people groups God called Abram (Gen. 12:1-8), meaning “exalted father.” Later God gave him the name Abraham (17:5), which is “father of a multitude.” He promised Abram that many nations would descend from him, even though his wife was not able to conceive (Gen. 15–17). Yet, Abraham believed God (Rom. 4), as did Sarah his wife (Heb. 11:11). After both had passed the typical age of having children (Rom. 4:19), God gave them a son, Isaac (Gen. 18, 21), meaning “laughter.” He also promised Abram and his descendants the vast area between the river of Egypt and the Euphrates (15:18). Israel has not yet taken possession of this enormous region, but in the coming millennial reign under the Lord Jesus Christ it certainly will. At 40 years of age, Isaac married Rebecca, and after 20 years they had twins – Esau and Jacob (Gen. 25:25-26; Rom. 9:6-14).

From Jacob descended the twelve tribes that ended up in Egyptian bondage for 400 years, just as God had foretold Abraham (Gen. 15:13). When His time had come, God called Moses through whom He delivered Israel “out of the iron furnace” (Dt. 4:20) and adopted the nation as His “son” (Ex. 4:22-23; Hos. 11:1) – Israel here being a type of the Lord Jesus (Mt. 2:15).

Despite all the failings of Adam, Noah, Abraham and his descendants, as well as of Israel as a nation, after 4,000 years of human history God sent His own beloved Son. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14). He was God’s perfect Servant, the only One. Where the first man and his descendants had failed in many different ways and in multiple tests, the Second Man never failed but always pleased God (Mt. 3:17; Jn. 8:28). That is why God called Him “My Servant,” faithful and completely different from all others (Isa. 40–53).

He always honored God; therefore God honored Him. “Christ Jesus … being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:5-11).

The Perfect Servant
The Lord Jesus said that He had “not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45). This quote is from Mark’s gospel, which describes many details of His service from beginning to end, including His sufferings. It shows Him, after His resurrection and exaltation, serving with His disciples, literally “working with them” (16:20). This implies He still serves from heaven, as He works with and helps the believers. In the world to come He will reign, and yet He will serve all true disciples, for they will be with Him in heaven. “Blessed are those servants whom the Master, when He comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that He will gird Himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them” (Lk. 12:37). This future blessing is for those who watch and serve Him faithfully throughout the time that Jesus is rejected.

The human tendency is to not watch, as happened to the ten virgins (Mt. 25:1-13). As a consequence they did not serve, because they were not prepared. Are you ready?

The Lord encourages all true disciples, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor” (Jn. 12:26). The italicized terms that the Lord used in this verse are from the same root as the word “deacon,” sometimes translated “minister.” These words can be misunderstood because of a tendency to associate such terms with official positions or ranks in churches. Scripture, however, emphasizes reality. Instead of seeking official positions, the Lord prefers that we serve, or minister, in true dependence on Him and in fellowship with Him.

Always Depending On God
As the perfect Servant, Jesus always relied on God’s direction, of which John 11 describes a beautiful example. When receiving news that His friend Lazarus was sick, his sisters asked Him to come and heal him. But Jesus waited for two days (v.6) before traveling to Bethany in Judea. Why? By the time our Lord arrived there, Lazarus had died and was already four days in the tomb (v.39). God was going to use this situation to show His glory (vv.4,39-40) in a demonstration of His victorious power over death (vv.43-44).

According to Jewish theology someone who had died might be brought back to life, but only if such a miracle would take place within three days after the person’s departure. The Lord had done so earlier when He brought Jairus’ daughter back to life (Lk. 8:41-42,49-56), as well as the young man at Nain who was in a coffin on the way to be buried (7:11-17). The Pharisees taught that when three days passed after a person had died, the deceased one would have to wait until the resurrection of the last days. That is why the Lord Jesus said first to Martha and later to Mary, “I am the resurrection and the life” (Jn. 11:25). This implied that He was not bound by the Pharisees’ rules or interpretations.

Verses 33 and 38 describe the Lord’s intense groaning in spirit as He met the power of death, and He wept for Lazarus in sympathy (v.35). Against this background, Jesus’ resurrection power was demonstrated in that He was able to bring Lazarus back to life. Through this tremendous miracle God was glorified, the Lord Jesus honored, and the power of death conquered. Ultimately He overcame death on the cross (Col. 2:15) and demonstrated His victory in His own resurrection.

The Lord’s enemies, however, were provoked to hatred and, in their blindness even wanted to kill Lazarus (Jn. 12:10) because they completely rejected Jesus, despite His great miracle. Yet many among the Jews believed in Him (11:45). During an official session of the Jewish counsel, the Jewish leadership condemned Jesus, but in their hatred they only fulfilled what God had predicted long before (vv.46-57).

Other Terms For Serving And How They Relate To The Lord
Apart from ābad, the usual term to serve or work as a slave, the Hebrew has another word for ministering or attending to the needs of someone else. It is shārat, occurring 100 times as a verb or a noun, whether referring to a male or a female attendant. Joseph ministered to Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh’s guard (Gen. 39:1-4), and later in prison to Pharaoh’s two chiefs whom he had put there (40:1-4). Another example is Abishag the Shunammite, who ministered to King David in his old age (1 Ki. 1:1-4,15). Long before, as Moses’ personal attendant, Joshua ministered to him (Ex. 24:13, 33:11; Num. 11:28; Josh. 1:1). The same term is used of the high priest Aaron’s ministry in God’s sanctuary, and of his sons and successors (Ex. 28:35,43, 29:30, 30:20). It is also used of the Levites ministering to the priests (Num. 1:50, 3:6, 16:9, 18:2) and of the tribe of Levi as a whole (Dt. 10:8). Even though parallels exist between them and the Lord Jesus, the New Testament, especially Hebrews, emphasizes the tremendous contrasts.

The New Testament most frequently uses the Greek word doulos, meaning “servant” or “slave,” and its corresponding verb douleuō of the Lord Jesus, the Servant par excellence, or better than all others. There are a few more terms about ministry and service that we would like to consider, especially as linked to our Lord Jesus.

First, the word deacon (Greek: diákonos) and its associated terms: work as deacon, service or ministry. Let us recall His own example and teaching: “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor” (Jn. 12:26). From heaven, where He is now crowned with glory and honor, the Lord Jesus as the great Servant/Deacon gives directions to His servants on earth of how to follow His example, serve Him, and provide support or relief to His people in need.

The apostle Paul taught that the government is a minister of God (Rom. 13:1-4) and that all Christians should be in submission to the authorities. The apostle also explained that the believers have different functions and may serve the Lord as well as each other (1 Cor. 3:5, 12:5, 16:15).

The Holy Spirit is also presented as a Deacon with His own ministry (2 Cor. 3:8). Paul was a minister, literally deacon (1 Tim. 1:12; 2 Cor. 8:20; Eph. 3:7; Col. 1:23,25) whose example we should follow (1 Cor. 11:1), as did others in those days (Col. 4:7,17; 1 Tim. 4:6). In our day of decay, this kind of ministry or service is still possible, as was true for Timothy (2 Tim. 4:5) and for the restored servant Mark (v.11). Even Onesimus, just saved, became useful to serve, first Paul in his Roman prison, later, his former boss Philemon and the local assembly there (Phile. 13). This is a vast topic, as is the case also with serving as bondmen.

The believers among the Jewish people needed encouragement to continue this kind of service. “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Heb. 6:10). Similar encouragement was given by the apostle Peter: “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Pet. 4:10-11). How beautiful that, even today, we all may function as deacons or ministers, as good stewards, using what God has entrusted to us for the benefit of each other and for His glory. The nouns diákonos (deacon) and diakonia (ministry, service), as well as the verb diakonein (to serve as deacon) occur 100 times in the New Testament.

We look finally at a few more terms, used less often. First, leitourgos and leitourgia, two Greek nouns that indicate a special public service, of which leitourgein is the verb. It is interesting and encouraging to learn about these and other words as they describe something of the Lord as Servant on earth and in His present ministry in heaven. The word “liturgy” is derived from this Greek word, and its verb is used of the person who does this kind of public service. In the context of God-given Judaism, we read of Zacharias who functioned in the temple as a priest. The text uses this specific verb (Lk. 1:23; see Heb. 9:21, 10:11).

After Christ’s ministry on earth and His completed work on the cross, He became Minister (8:2) of the heavenly tabernacle, with a more excellent ministry (v.6) that replaced the former earthly system God had given for a time. The Lord Jesus is now serving publicly in heaven, continually, in the immediate presence of God, in contrast to the earthly high priest, who only one day a year was allowed to enter the Holiest (9:7).

Furthermore, during the age of grace in which we live, our Lord Jesus has His representatives on earth, as we see in Acts 13. A few specially gifted men of God were ministering publicly (the same Greek terms) in the assembly in the famous city of Antioch (vv.1-2). The Lord Jesus selected two men from among them – Barnabas and Saul – to send them out through the Holy Spirit. This was for their special missionary service described in Acts 13–14, which they completed in about 18 months (14:26-27).

Paul used similar terminology for his activities in the Lord’s work toward the end of his third missionary journey (Rom. 15:16) and of the care the believers in Philippi bestowed on him during his first Roman imprisonment (Phil. 2:17,25,30). He used it also describing the support by believers from among the Gentiles to help their Jewish brethren (Rom. 15:27; see 2 Cor. 9:12). The same Greek terms are used of service by angels (Heb. 1:7,14) and government officials (Rom. 13:6).

In closing let us look at the verb latreuō, which occurs 21 times in the New Testament. It indicates the service of God in the sense of worship to honor Him alone, as confirmed by the Lord Jesus when He was tempted by the Devil (Mt. 4:10; Lk. 4:8). This is how God wanted Israel to serve Him (Lk. 1:74) as they will be doing during the coming millennium. We see this in the widow Anna (2:37), Saul of Tarsus before his salvation (Acts 24:14), and the faithful among Israel’s twelve tribes (26:7). However, Israel failed time and again, falling into idolatry (7:42) and/or rebellion while claiming to be serving God.

This is what the fanatic pursuer Saul claimed when persecuting the Messiah, who was working in the believers he arrested (9:4). Nevertheless, saved and transformed, as a born-again believer, Saul / Paul had started serving the true God in an entirely new way. This transformation started on the day, while traveling to Damascus, he had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua Hamashiach (9:3). who appeared to him and spoke to him from heaven. From that very moment and until he was speaking on a ship going to Rome (27:23), the apostle was an object lesson to all the believers – including you and me today. Fascinating! He had learned to humble himself and to only honor and serve God (2 Tim. 1:3), putting his trust in our glorified Lord Jesus (Phil. 3:3) and not in the flesh or in himself.

Humanly speaking he had much reason to put confidence in himself – even in his flesh. Saul thought he had many reasons to be proud as to what he could, as a natural man, offer God (3:4-6). But once he had met the Lord Jesus Christ and seen Him as He now is in heaven, everything changed for Saul. First, he was in isolation for three days (Acts 9:8-9), and there he started to re-evaluate everything from a new perspective, measuring all with a different standard (Phil. 3:4-11). Now his greatest desire was to get to know the One who had appeared to him and had started changing him – Saul of Tarsus, the religious zealot, the best person in Judaism. He realized that the One who had been able to enter into his life was the only One worth living for, and this implied a lifelong and total commitment (vv.12-14).

What about you and me today? Are we thus committed to know our Lord Jesus and serve Him – and Him alone?

By Alfred Bouter

In Mark 1, the King proclaimed what is still valid today, “Repent ye, and believe the gospel” (v.15 KJV). The Lord reads in the heart of each one the answer given to this pressing invitation. Then to those who have listened to Him and received Him, He addresses another personal call, a call to serve and follow Him. “Come ye after Me” (v.17). This call was essential. Man cannot say, of his own accord, to God, “I give myself to you.” It is the Lord who, knowing everything, decides, “I will take you into My service.” Like the disciples, let us speak to Him about whatever is troubling us (v.30). Simon’s mother-in-law, healed by the Lord, hastened to serve Him and His followers. Did she not have before her very eyes the Example of the greatest service? The evening in the house drew on, but for such a Servant the day is not finished. He continued to heal those who came to Him. What was the secret of this wonderful activity? From where did the Lord Jesus draw such strength, which was constantly renewed? It came from being in communion with God (v.35). See how this perfect Man began His day? But then, when told of His popularity, He went to preach the gospel elsewhere (Mk. 1:37-38). —Jean Koechlin, Day By Day (adapted)