"Significance" 3-13-22

Overview

Significance

Deep within every human heart is a longing for significance—a desire that our lives matter, count, and leave an impact. The question is not whether we want significance, but how we define it. The disciples wrestled with this very question. In Mark 9:33-34, when Jesus arrived at a house in Capernaum and asked what they had been arguing about along the way, the disciples fell silent—the kind of silence born not of ignorance but of guilt. They had been arguing about who was the greatest. For them, significance was tied to greatness, to being first.

Jesus sat down, as rabbis did when they taught, and answered with a paradox: "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all, and servant of all" Mark 9:35. Scripture is filled with such paradoxes—when I am weak, then I am strong 2 Corinthians 12:10; to die is gain Philippians 1:21; the greatest among you will be your servant Matthew 23:11. 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. At the Last Supper—even after Jesus instituted communion and predicted his betrayal—the disciples were still arguing about which of them was greatest Luke 22:24. The struggle against the call to serve runs deep.

Jesus himself embodies this paradox perfectly. He is first—the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, preeminent over everything Colossians 1:15-16. Yet he made himself last, taking the form of a servant Philippians 2:6-7, kneeling to wash his disciples' feet John 13:4-5, and going to the cross where, for our sake, "he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" 2 Corinthians 5:21. On that cross he bore even our sinful striving for significance, and from the empty tomb he reigns in redemption.

Then Jesus took a child—someone considered insignificant in that culture—and held the child in his arms, saying, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me" Mark 9:36-37. Here is the pastoral application: our significance is not found in our job, our bank account, the corner office, the next promotion, or our place on the social ladder. Our significance is found in how far we are willing to stoop—in how our work, resources, and relationships can be used to serve others, especially those the world overlooks. And here is the gospel comfort: significance is not something we attain; it is something God gives. In your baptism, God claimed you as his own and named you his servant. A redeemed child of God, freed to serve in Jesus' name—that is a life that matters. That is a life well lived.

Transcript

Would you open your Bibles, please, with me this morning to this portion of God's Word 3s

from Mark 9th chapter? 8s

You'll find that if you're using a few edition of Holy Scripture on page 39, Mark 9th chapter 9s

for our study today. 17s

Significance. 22s

Significance. 23s

There is in each of us a longing for significance. 26s

We want our lives to matter. 34s

We want them to count. 38s

We want them to have an impact. 40s

Significance. 46s

Yeah, they're evening. 48s

The newscaster was relating a story of a person that had died. 50s

Going through the various accomplishments of the person and various aspects of their life, 55s

when they got done with the clip and they went back to the anchor desk, the anchor said, 61s

Now, there is a life well-lived. 67s

A life well-lived. 73s

A life well-lived is a life of significance. 77s

How did the disciples define significance? 87s

More importantly, 93s

how does God define significance? 95s

Let's study. 103s

We turn to Mark 9th chapter, and we read at the beginning of verse 33, 104s

then they came to Copernum, and when he was in the house. 111s

Copernums are a little fishing port in association with the Sea of Galilee, 119s

and the house here is most likely Peter's house. 124s

In Mark 1st chapter, it tells us that Peter had a house in Copernum. 128s

In the 2nd chapter, it seems to indicate that Jesus stayed in Peter's house. 133s

And so when it talks about the house here in association with Copernum, 140s

pretty fair, a bit here, that the house that's being talked about is Peter's house. 144s

We go on, 2nd part of verse 33. 153s

He, Jesus asked them, 157s

What were you arguing about on the way? 160s

But they were silent. 164s

Silence to a question like that is not a good sign, is it? 170s

It's like the child standing by the empty cookie jar discovered by the parent and the grandparent, 176s

who turns and says, What happened to all of the cookies in the cookie jar? 185s

And the response is silence. 192s

That's not a silence born out of. 196s

I don't have a clue of how to answer your question. 199s

That's a silence that's born out of knowing the answer to the question. 202s

And the answer to the question is rooted in guilt. 207s

Jesus asked them, What were you talking about? 213s

On the way, when we are arguing about and the response is silence. 217s

We go on. 226s

For on the way, they had argued with one another, who was the greatest. 229s

Now it's important to understand here, isn't it that the entrance requirement into such a discussion 241s

is a mutually agreed upon understanding that it had a bare minimum, they're all great. 250s

Because the argument is not, is one of us great and the other is not. 258s

But the argument among those who had done the self-assessment 264s

and come up with the understanding that they were all great, the understanding was, 269s

and the argument was about, Who's the greatest among us? 275s

For the disciples, significance was tied to greatness. 284s

For the disciples, significance was tied to being first. 296s

And Jesus knows it's time to do some teaching, doesn't he? 310s

Verse 35, He sat down, called the 12. 317s

In ancient day, rabbis didn't stand to teach, they sat. 326s

And so Jesus calls the 12 and Jesus sits to teach. 331s

And Jesus teaches by using paradox. 335s

We run into a host of paradoxes in Holy Scripture. 339s

A paradox is that which seems to be false, but it's actually true. 343s

For example, when Paul says, when I'm weak, then I'm strong. 349s

That's a paradox, isn't it? 357s

The Lord had led him to understand, amidst a thorn in the flesh, the suffering that he was going through, 362s

the Lord had led him to understand that when he was weak, when he was dependent upon God, 368s

that's when he was strong. That's a paradox, or another paradox, dying is gain. 375s

How can dying be gain? 384s

My report said, to live as Christ, and to die is gain. 387s

For the Christian, in the end death is not lost. 396s

Death is gain. 402s

Gain into the beauty and reality of heaven. That's a paradox, or those who save their life will 405s

lose it. If one saves their life, clinging on to the sin that they're very familiar with, 413s

unrepentance, there is a loss then of life. 424s

A rejection, because there's no repentance in the Savior, those who save their life will lose it. 430s

See, it's a paradox. It's all throughout scripture. It's a teaching tool, and it's exactly 438s

what Jesus uses here. Verse 35 again, He sat down, called the 12, and said to them, 444s

whoever wants to be first must be last of all, and servant of all. Paradox. 454s

Why be first? They need to be last. That which seems to be false is profound truth. 469s

And it echoes Jesus' teaching on humility. Matthew 23, Jesus said, the greatest among you 481s

will be your servant. John 13, it tells us, Jesus, got up from the table, took off his 496s

motor robe and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash 506s

the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 515s

Just live into that for a moment. The second member of the Triune God, the Lord Jesus Christ, 524s

one God, three persons, God in the flesh, God in the flesh, 535s

washing the stinking feet of his disciples, God washing the feet. 547s

Scripture tells us, in Matthew 20, that Jesus says, the Son of Man came, not to be served, 561s

but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. You want to be first? Then be last, 570s

and servant of all. We can struggle against that message. 584s

Keep your finger here. Would you please? And turn over to the gospel of Luke chapter 22. 603s

It's page 75, if you're in a Pue edition. Luke 22nd chapter. 610s

I'd like to pick up in verse 15. 621s

There the Scripture says, that He, that's Jesus, said to them, I have eagerly desired to eat this 629s

Passover with you before I suffer. The cross is imminent here. So they're gathered to 637s

celebrate the Passover and it's at this Passover celebration that Jesus institutes communion 644s

for the first time. So jump down then to verse 19, then he took a loaf of bread and when he had given 650s

thanks, he broke it and gave it to them saying, this is my body which is given for you, do this 659s

in remembrance of me. And he did the same thing with the cup after supper saying, this cup that is 667s

poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see the one who betrays me is with me and his hand 674s

is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined but woe to that one by whom he is 683s

betrayed. Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this. 692s

See the scenario in your mind's eye, right? The cross is imminent. Jesus' reference the fact 703s

that there's going to be suffering at this Passover celebration. This gathering to celebrate 709s

the Passover Jesus institutes holy communion for the first time. He says that he is going to be 717s

betrayed, betrayed by one of them that had been with him for these three years. He's going to suffer. 726s

He's going to go to the cross. He institutes communion. He says that he's going to be betrayed 734s

and now look at verse 24. A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded 743s

as the greatest. Really? The Savior is about to go to the cross and die. He's about to be betrayed. 761s

The passion prediction that he shared of exactly what's going to happen to him. The cross is so 778s

dominant. They're receiving communion for the first time being instituted at the Passover celebration 786s

and what they start arguing about is which one of them is the greatest. 798s

You see in Mark 9, that's not the only occurrence of this argument. Is it? 809s

This is an ongoing issue with the disciples who have heard the teachings of the Lord Jesus and the 819s

Paul to serve and tohood and here at the table with the cross hours away, they're back at it again 830s

which one of them is the greatest? Beloved, we can struggle against the call to serve 847s

and we can struggle against that paradox that if you want to be first, be last. 867s

Our significance, our life that matters, our life that counts, our life that has impact, our 886s

way can we serve others. Our significance is not found in our job. 912s

Our significance is how the job can be used to serve others. Our significance is not found in 928s

how large our bank account is, but our significance is found in how we can use the bank accounts 944s

to serve others. Our significance is not found in how high we can climb the corporate ladder. 956s

It's not found and if we can get that corner office, it's not found in who's going to get 970s

that promotion. Our significance is not found in how far we can climb up on that social 979s

strata. Our significance is found in how far we can stoop. 990s

Verse 35 of our text, he sat down, called the 12, and said to them, whoever wants to be first, 1004s

must be last of all, and servant of all. That describes Jesus, doesn't it? 1024s

The book of Colossians tells us the first chapter. He's speaking of Jesus is the image 1045s

of the invisible God, the first born of all creation, that word there, first born. It means 1051s

preeminence. You can't get higher than God. God is number one. The Lord Jesus Christ is preeminence. 1060s

Scripture tells us that all things were created through the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is 1071s

first. He's preeminine over all of creation, and Jesus Christ is last. 1078s

Philippians, the second chapter, says, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality 1087s

with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself. Taking the form of a slave, 1094s

the one who is first becomes last in order to be what? A servant. Scripture tells us in 1102s

2 Corinthians 5, for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might 1113s

become the righteousness of God. Jesus said, whoever wants to be first must be last of all, 1122s

and servant of all, and that describes Jesus to the T. He's first, he's last, and he is servant of 1133s

all, and he goes to the cross in that act of service. And upon the cross he bears your sin and 1142s

my sin upon him, including all of the sin for how we search for significance in all those multiplicity 1152s

of ways. As we try and make ourselves first and great, and on the cross, the one who is first, 1168s

who is last, who is servant of all, he bears at all, all of our sin, and God says to us, 1189s

forgiven, forgiven, redeemed. The Lord Jesus coming out of the tomb and reigning redemption. 1206s

Look at verse 36, please. Then he took a little child and put it among them and taking it 1223s

in his arms, he said to them, whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me and whoever 1235s

welcomes me, welcomes not me, but the one who sent me. A child in ancient day was considered 1246s

in the culture in significant. Now that's not right, it's just how it was. A child was considered 1259s

insignificant in the culture. Why? Because of the high child mortality rate. It's incredibly high. 1271s

And so a child did not gain significance in the society until the society believed that the child 1284s

would be able to grow to full maturity. Until then, the child's insignificant in the culture. 1292s

Jesus takes the child, takes the child in his arms, and says, you receive this child, you receive 1307s

it. He takes that which was considered insignificant and says, as you serve this insignificant one, 1319s

you serve me. Servanthood is the call that God gives to us. Servanthood that comes from the 1334s

middle of an world with this quest for significance. But significance is gifted to us. It's gifted to us. 1364s

As God turns to us in our baptism, claiming us as His own and grants to us the significance 1378s

of being His servant. Significance isn't that which is attained. Significance is that which is 1389s

given. And Jesus then empowers the expression of the very gift that He has given. 1403s

A redeemed child of God called as a servant and expressing that servanthood. That's a life. 1419s

That's a life that matters. That's a life that has impact. That's a life that makes it 1440s

sense. Whether nobody knows your name outside of your little circle, living that life, that's 1460s

significance. And that's a life. Well lived. Isn't it? 1482s