Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
I love what one dear brother said, “Jesus didn’t come to live His life, He came to give His life.” And although His was the best life ever lived, the perfect life, the sinless life, the model life, exemplary in all ways – at the end of the day it wasn’t His life that ransomed us, it was His death. The Son of God was born to die for every person who’s ever lived, He gave His life “a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6).
What a contrast to the mentality most men have nowadays, even Christians. People throwing themselves pity parties because things aren’t going according to their script; cry-baby-Christians who refuse to follow the Lord – they won’t take up their cross and die to self.
It’s imperative to know that we will be tested as Christians, the question is, will we pass those tests? Will we deny ourselves as disciples of Christ, willing to follow the One who gave His life a ransom? Or will we merely be men who “ran some,” but didn’t give it all? Men who didn’t really finish the race we were called to run.
The Ransom was ultimately delivered when Mount Calvary was stained red with buckets of God’s blood, poured out as payment on our behalf (Acts 20:28; Revelation 1:5). We who had been taken captive by Satan, and were without a sliver of hope (Ephesians 2:2-4) were rescued, redeemed, liberated, and loved. Praise God – as Christians, we now belong to Him!
But now…what will we do?
The context of Mark 10:45 is Jesus calling His men to a mission of service – that we’d conform our will to His and be willing to suffer, and sacrifice, for the sake of the Gospel. Although we aren’t called to die meritoriously, we are called to live sacrificially – the question is, will we answer that call?
In all honesty I’ve been blessed with a good life, but I’ve come to realize that the best way to live it, is to give it – ALL – to my Lord.
“O Father please help me…please help us all, to answer Your call.
~ Manny