‘Imitating Christ’s humility’

‘What do you want me to do for you?’

Matt 21:32, Mark 10:36

The response of pride – James & John

Then James and John … came to him. "Teacher … we want you to

do for us whatever we ask." "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. They replied, "Let one of

us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.“

Mark 10:35-37

Jesus predicts his suffering and death

‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the

chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death

and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and

crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!’

Matt 20:18-20

Jesus defines greatness in terms of service

“and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of

Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a

ransom for many"

Matt 20:27-28

The response of the Servant KingA very large crowd spread their cloaks

on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on

the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed

shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in

the highest!"

Matt 21:8-9

Why did Jesus ride on a colt?

To fulfil prophecyRejoice greatly, O Daughter of

Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes

to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a

donkey

Zech 9:9

Why did Jesus ride on a colt?

To demonstrate humility

‘gentle’ = humble or lowly

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be

glad in it. O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.

Psalm 118:24-26

So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has

gone after him!"

John 12:19

1. Develop a Christ like servant mindYour attitude should be the same

as that of Christ Jesus

Phil 2:5

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be

transformed by the renewing of your mind

Rom 12:2

2. Develop a Christ like servant motive

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit

Phil 2:3a

“It is always the secure who are humble”

G K Chesterton

3. Develop a Christ like servant heart

… but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to

the interests of others

Phil 2:3b-4

4. Develop a Christ like humility

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something

to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a

servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

He humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a

cross!

Phil 2:6-8

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD

require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and

to walk humbly with your God

Micah 6:8

What does it mean to walk humbly before God?

Am I God dependent or self-dependent?

Am I still teachable?

Do I recognize that my gifts/talents are from God?Do I prefer the limelight to being in the background?

Do I come before God recognizing my need?

"Humility is powerful, for it is based on the sense of being absolutely dependent on the

grace of God ... Humility is not worried about ‘face’. It is prepared to own a fault, a

mistake, make an apology, or make restitution if it has

wronged anyone."

Eric Liddell from ’The Disciplines of a Christian life’