Matthew 20:28
Even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Matthew 20:28 is part of a larger passage where Jesus is teaching his disciples about the nature of greatness in the kingdom of heaven. The passage begins with James and John, two of Jesus' disciples, asking to sit at his right and left hand in his kingdom. This request angers the other disciples, and Jesus uses the opportunity to teach them about servant leadership.
In verse 25, Jesus tells his disciples that the rulers of the Gentiles lord their power over others, but it should not be so among them. Instead, he says, "whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave." Jesus is teaching that true greatness in his kingdom comes not from power or status, but from serving others.
Verse 28 is the culmination of Jesus' teaching on servant leadership. He says that he himself came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Jesus is the ultimate example of a servant leader, as he willingly gave up his own life to serve and save others.
The phrase "give his life as a ransom for many" is a reference to Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross. In Jewish culture, a ransom was a payment made to free someone from captivity or debt. Jesus' death on the cross was a payment made to free us from the captivity of sin and death.
Matthew 20:28 is a powerful statement about the nature of servant leadership in the kingdom of heaven, and Jesus' ultimate example of selfless service through his death on the cross.
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