The Cross and Kingship

To be a king requires sacrificial service.

Jesus simply and truthfully explains it in Matthew 20:27 when He said;

“whoever desires to be first among you let him be your slave”.

Many want to be leaders, but not everyone has the desire to serve others. This was the point that Jesus was making with this scripture. If you want to be first, you want to lead, then you need also to be willing to be a slave.  Leading requires discipline and a heart of service. You cannot lead because you want to lead. You must be called to lead and have the gift. A hard task master can move people to assure that things get done in the fashion that he wants, but that is not leading.

It must be done with the mindset to do it, using God’s example from the fruit of the spirit (joy, peace, love, patience, kindness, self-control, faithfulness and goodness), these attributes will move people.

If not, many good people will fall away and end up getting hurt. A leader believes that they can lead because they have a vision. But without being called to do the work, his leading now becomes the work of the flesh. Without the Spirit of God leading, this work will not be fruitful nor pleasant and many good people will be hurt. That’s not God’s plan for His work.

In this chapter regarding the cross and kinship, let us direct our attention to a title given to Jesus Christ - LORD.  As babes we came to know Jesus Christ as our Savior, we allowed him to come into our hearts and to show us a better way of living our lives. We study His examples, we grow in understanding of who He is and God’s story and plan for all of creation. As we begin to grow in His love and in the forgiveness of sin through the Word, we mature in grace and knowledge.

There will come a time, as we draw closer to God, that we should desire to come to that place of submission to God‘s will and allow Him to become the Lord of your life.

LORD – ruler / ownership. We now willing, give Him His rightful place in our heart to rule. We surrender and begin to allow Him to take ownership of all of you, making Him Lord.

The Psalmist David frequently used the term “Lord” so beautifully when crying out to God. His use of “Lord,” is describing a deeper relationship with God. It’s more than a father relation. When David calls Him Lord, he is giving God that place in his heart where God is now the One directing his footsteps.

Dear Reader, this is a place that we need to come to in our Christian walk. You need to willing give Him His rightful place, as the Lord of Lord and King of Kings in your life.

As mentioned before, in doing this study “Born Crucified” it has helped me to look closely and deeper into myself. I can understand more clearly the cross and the work that I must do.

I have openly shared with you my own struggle with pride and other things that are in my heart which do not please God. It reminds me of that wonderful scripture which Paul used to describe our Christian journey;

1 Corinthians 13:11

            When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child.

            But when I grew up, I put away childish things.

Yes, as babes we came to the cross and looked upon it with eyes of shame, humiliation and pain for we saw ourselves as we were. Sitting before the Presence of God and His love, you felt His forgiveness of sin and all things were made new. You received a second chance to make your life right with God and others.

Jesus’ heart desire, has always been to take us from the mire clay (where we were) and transform us into His vessel of honor, that He may present us unto God “on that day.”