“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence, He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” – Daniel 7:13-14
Remember the first time you were granted real authority in a job?
Maybe you were given a key to the office. Or asked to add a page to the web site. Or allowed to supervise some junior employees for a few hours.
It was a heady feeling. You felt like you’d finally arrived. Your skills and abilities were being acknowledged. The recognition felt good – leaving you wanting more.
Being empowered and entrusted by others is an uplifting, intoxicating experience. The more the power, the higher the pedestal. The greater its altitude, the more its potential for abuse. History is rife with leaders who violated their trust for personal gain and aggrandizement.
Jesus could have done all this, and more. In the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20), he claimed that “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.” He openly proclaimed himself as the Son of Man.
Christ had immense power at his disposal. He was given the right to reign in heaven and earth. Anything he wanted, was his. So how did he use all this power and authority?
A Completely Original Concept
“Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 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.” – Matthew 20:26-28
These are powerful, revealing words. Jesus is turning the notion of power and authority on its head. To gain these, he suggests, you must give them up. Huh?
What’s more, he himself – Christ – will sacrifice his own life to benefit others. Instead of leveraging his incredibly abundant power for fame and riches, he’ll throw it away to help people he doesn’t even know. “Foreign” doesn’t even describe this concept. No
wonder the world took so long to understand Jesus!
His originality continued. Christ sought not to dominate or eliminate opposition to his power. Instead, he used his authority to script a new story, to bring the world into closer communion with its Heavenly Father. Doing so would lift its inhabitants out of alienation and sin.
Jesus would use his posture as a servant to make new disciples. Instead of compelling or forcing others to do his bidding, he would make the ultimate self-sacrifice to demonstrate why they should follow him – of their own free will.
Obviously, judging by the millions of Christians worldwide, his strategy worked.
Who Will We Serve?
“The greatest among you will be your servant.” – Matthew 23:11
God blesses us all abundantly. Paraphrasing an old saying, to whom much is given, much is expected. Whether we always realize it or not, we’re expected to carry the cross daily, and live as beacons of God’s love in an often-dark world.
There are no coincidences in our lives – only “God instances.” As long as we trust, the Holy Spirit never leaves us. When we drift from God, an emptiness inside results – one that can lead to our minds and lives going in unholy directions.
God grants us power and authority to do good works. The human mind is His greatest creation. Will we use it for good or bad? Will we follow Christ’s lead and serve … or instead follow the self-serving path that Jesus shunned?
This certainly isn’t our first job. The case is strong, though, that it’s our most important.
(If you’re ready to embrace Christ, He’s ready for you. Visit C-Suite for Christ to join in Christ-centered fellowship with other professionals. Join us as a member. Plant a chapter where you live. Consider becoming a corporate partner. Follow C-Suite for Christ on LinkedIn and Facebook. Questions? Contact Paul M. Neuberger at (414) 313-8338 or pneuberger@csuiteforchrist.com.)
