Now my text this evening is taken from Mark chapter 10 and
in the verse 45 it reads as follows.
For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but the
minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
And have entitled this message this evening.
Understanding the ransom of Christ the Redeemer in Mark
chapter 10 finds our Lord Jesus Christ in the road to Jerusalem.
Remember, from the day of his birthright up 33 years earlier,
the shadow of the cross has stretched across his life and
ministry. Now the cross is looming large.
What seemed to be in the horizon.
Now his hour has come. So here he is on the road to
Jerusalem. He's just told his disciples for
the third time about his death and suffering.
Listen to what he says there. Verse 33 saying, Behold, we go
up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be delivered unto the
chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn
him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles, and they
shall mock him, and shall scourge them, shall spit in him,
and shall kill him, and the third day he shall rise again.
Now his disciples remain tragically preoccupied, not with
this message about his suffering and sacrifice on the cross, but
preoccupied with status and position.
Both James and John come to Christ requesting seats of
honour in Christ's glorious Kingdom.
Once the other disciples what heard what James and John had
requested, they were filled with a sense of indignation and rage.
You see, sadly, their hearts were being shaped by the world's
view of greatness, by the world's view of power and
possession and prominence. Now, strangely, it was in this
context, in the context of the manifestation of pride, in the
context of a misunderstanding of Christ's true mission, that the
Lord Jesus uttered one of the most important verses in the
entire Gospels. Mark 10 verse 45 is one of the
clearest and plainest statements on the true mission and purpose
of Jesus Christ coming into our world.
It's wonderfully repeated in Matthew chapter 20, verse 28.
And when the Bible says something once, of course it is
very important. But when that statement is
repeated verbatim, that makes it highly significant.
That makes it doubly important. You see, Mark 1045 is not just
merely a a moral example of why Christ came into the world.
This text of Scripture, I believe, is wonderfully A
redemptive declaration because this text explains who came.
This text explains why he came. This text explains what he
actually came to do. This text teaches us what true
greatness really looks like in the cross shaped Kingdom of
Christ. You see, the Lord Jesus is
teaching us here that God's salvation is not accomplished
merely by Human Services or religious rights or ceremonies
done unto God, but that God's salvation has been accomplished
through Jesus Christ and His cross work alone.
Listen to the words again, for even the Son of Man came not to
be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a
ransom for many doing this text of scripture, and this is a
textual sermon. There's four things.
One, the person that is presented for even the Son of
man. Now notice the Lord Jesus begins
with who he is for even the Son of Man.
The words the Son of Man is a great title, and it's
interesting that the Lord Jesus used this title of himself.
It's used about 80 times in the Gospels alone, a rough
breakdown, 30 in Matthew in Mark 14 times, Luke 25 times, and
John 12 times. And outside the Gospels, this
title is rarely used. And this usage of 80 times,
mostly by the Lord Jesus, demonstrates that the Lord Jesus
deliberately chose this title as his own primary self
designation. Who are you?
I'm the Son of Man. Now what is that title saying to
us? When you read those words, the
Son of Man in your Bible, what is it saying to you?
Let me try and teach you what it means.
When Jesus said for even the Son of Man, he was saying, one, I'm
a true human being. You see the Son of Man, there's
a Hebrew expression. It literally means I'm a human
being. The emphasis is on his humanity.
You've got to think of a being of flesh and blood.
He's identifying with humanity. In other words, there was a day
when he was born. He he was born in a flesh and
blood body. It's not what Paul told us in
Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 14. For as much then as children are
partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part
of the same that through death he might destroy him.
That had the power of death. That is the devil.
And in that body he was wearied. In that body he wept.
In that body he experienced hunger.
In that body he was tempted. In that body he suffered.
He knew pain. And in that body he was born to
die. Now that matters.
Why does it matter? Because only a real true man
could die as a ransom for men. You see the Bible says in First
Corinthians 1522, as in Adam all dies, so in Christ will all be
made a lie. The first man was Adam, and he
brought death into the world. And therefore a man must undo
the penalty and power of death. If sin came in by man, by one
man's disobedience, so sin must be dealt with by a true man, a
man of flesh and blood. And that's exactly what Hebrews
10 and 12 teaches us. But this man, Speaking of
Christ, after he'd offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat
down on the right hand of God. So the the very title the Son of
Man teaches us I'm a real true human being of flesh and blood.
The second thing it teaches is this, I am the king.
You see this title points us to the divine messianic figure who
was to come 80 times when the Lord Jesus used these words, the
Son of Man making this a self designated title.
He was thinking I believe of Daniel's prophecy.
Listen to Daniel Chapter 7 and verse 13.
I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man
came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancient of Days,
and they brought him near before him, and they were given him
dominion and glory, and the Kingdom that all people,
nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass
away, and His Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Daniel 713 and 14. Think of these words.
One like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and
there was given him dominion and glory in the Kingdom, and all
people should serve Him. You see, this title means more
than saying I'm a real true human being.
Now does mean that I'm truly human, but it also means I'm a
heavenly being. I am one who's been given
eternal authority and power and destined to rule over men
forever. So when the Lord Jesus used his
title 80 times, the person that was presented here in the text,
he was quietly and clearly claiming to be the person
mentioned in Daniel. I've thought of this.
Why did he choose the designation the Son of Man?
Why did he not just come out and say I'm the promised Messiah?
Well, was it not to try and avoid political
misunderstandings? You see, in the mind of the
Jews, the one who would come saying I'm the promised Messiah
was looked upon as a a military political revolutionary type
figure. And this designation, the Son of
man, I'm truly human, but I'm also the divine heavenly King
who was to come. Surely it let him showcase his
true mission in a progressive and in a gradual way.
This title combines the humanity of Christ and the glory of
Christ. It teaches us this, that Christ
is not only a real, true man of flesh and blood, but Christ is
the true suffering servant, the coming King, the crucified
Christ, the eternal Judge. Because this title holds both
the cross and the crown together, it highlights His
authority. Do you know what it really says?
It says the Son of Man have power on earth to forgive sins.
He said that himself. He said the Son of Man is Lord
also of the Sabbath. He testified he shall see the
Son of Man coming in the clouds. A real man, yes, but more a
royal man from heaven, the God man, as we'll see in a moment.
This is not just a great title, folks.
This is a great truth. The glorious king came to
minister, the servant of servants came to serve to give
us life, A ransom for many. And the word ransom refers to a
vicarious substitutionary atonement.
And this announcement has been made, this glorious son of man
who's come as a real royal heavenly man, this one is
announcing that he's going to fulfil his Kingdom and his
kingship by dying for others and rising from the dead.
And I learned that from that title.
The person that is presented, what's he saying to us?
He's saying I'm a true man 80 times.
He's saying I'm the promised heavenly king 80 times He's
saying I will reach my throne through sacrifice and suffering.
I will build my Kingdom by my death and resurrection.
That's what he's saying. The person that's presented very
quickly, the purpose that is proclaimed.
Notice if you go back to the text, there's a wee word that
stands out. It says in Mark chapter 10 and
in the verse 45 for the Son of Man for even the Son of Man
came. Now pause there underline the
word came because you see that word speaks volumes.
How did he come came as in the past tense.
Surely that word came speaks of intentional something that's
voluntary, an intentional voluntary mission.
Why did he come? So let the Scripture speak for
the Son of Man. Luke 19 and 30.
I am come to seek and deceive that which was lost.
You see, the word came ties into the incarnation.
Great is the mystery of God in us.
God was manifest in the flesh. See the liberal modern churches,
they tell us Jesus was just a good man.
Some would even say, well, he was a great man.
He he did some miracles. They might even tell us he was a
gracious man. Point us to his speech.
Never man speak like this man and all that's true, but he's
more. And this is where the liberal
and modern churches feel down, because he's the God man, great
as the mystery of God and as God was manifest in the flesh.
And as I told them a few weeks ago at the 5th module of the
Beginner's Bible class, that there's 9 explicit references in
the New Testament that teach us that Jesus Christ is called God.
That's only one of the lines of evidence to prove His deity.
It ties in not just to His incarnation, but to His virgin
birth. And I'm glad that I can say I
believe in the doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
Remember what we read? Mary asked the question there to
the Angel Gabriel in Luke chapter 1 and verse 35, and she
said this tremendous statement to the Angel, Luke 1 and 35.
Mary said unto the Angel, How shall this be saying, I know not
a man look? 134 The Angel answered and said
unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee.
The power of the Highest shall over shadow thee.
Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee
shall be called the Son of God. And Galatians four and four and
five tells us, But when the fullness of the time was come,
what did God do? God sent forth His Son.
Hi, me a different woman made under the law to redeem them
that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of
sins. Do you see that He came when the
time was right and the time was ripe, and He came according to
the eternal purposes of God, and it ties into his mission.
The Word came because if the doctrine of the incarnation is
true, God was manifest in the flesh, and He was born
supernaturally of woman only by the power of the Holy Ghost,
Then what was His ultimate mission?
What did He come to do? Here's the answer.
If you look again at Luke 10 and verse 45, to give His life a
ransom for many. We'll come to that in a wee
minute. Could I inform you Christ didn't
come into the world to help us to get along with each other, so
we'd stop fighting and arguing, so we'd start loving and serving
one another. He didn't come to teach us to
take care of the poor and feed the hungry and tend to the sick.
That's a part of it, but that's not the ultimate or the real
reason. Christ didn't come into the
world to help us to restore social justice.
He didn't come into the world to help us to live a better life.
He didn't come into the world to show us what love is and what
sacrifices. He didn't come into the world to
show us you need to save the planet from self destruction and
heal the environment. Now all of these things are
there, but they're on the periphery.
They're not the heart. And the purpose of his mission
know his coming into the world as God manifest in flesh was for
this ultimate reason to OfferUp himself in the cross as a ransom
for sinners, to OfferUp himself as a once and for all sacrifice
for sin. And that goes to the heart of
the gospel. And that's what's missing from
liberal churches. That's what's missing from
modern, modern churches today. That is, the heart of the gospel
is missing. That's why things are in such
dire straits in which we're in. Salvation, remember, begins with
God. Salvation's all of God's Amazing
Grace. And God's salvation was
accomplished and fulfilled only in the personal work of Jesus
Christ. And God's salvation is not just
soul saving, but it's, it's life transforming.
It's, it's based on sovereign grace.
It's scripturally rooted in God's Amazing Grace.
Notice these words. Look again at the text.
It says, for even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto,
but to minister. Do you feel the weight of that?
The rightful king doesn't demand service.
He's not demanding bow down to me and do this and that.
Although when he come into the world, the Bible says, let all
the angels of God worship him and all of creation obeys from
the sun and the moon and the stars, And yet for his
creatures, you and I, sinful as we are, he doesn't demand
service. He delights in service.
He gives the service because the Lord of glory has come and he's
come to take the form of a servant.
Listen to these words in the book of Philippians.
In Philippians chapter 2, it says, let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself
of no reputation and took upon Him.
The form of a servant was made in the likeness of men, and
being found in fashion as a man who humbled himself and became
obedient on the death, even the death of the cross, you see His
coming into the world and setting aside and veiling His
glory. It was not a denial of His
dating. It was a display of His dating
the truly great One. His entire ministry was a life
of act of obedience rendered unto God to accomplish eternal
salvation. He healed the sick, yes, He
touched the lepers. Yes, He met with sinful men and
women. Yes, He taught the truth, but He
also in his life kept the law of God perfectly.
That's why Paul called him the sin, the spotless Lamb of God.
He did no sin. He knew no sin.
In him is no sin. And we can give you the
references tonight. He kept and fulfilled the
precepts of the law of God perfectly on our behalf.
And the testimony of the Father was this, This is my beloved
Son, in whom I well pleased. Did you know the Lord Jesus
said, which of you convinced of me of sin?
He said, the Prince of this world cometh and of nothing in
me. There's not even a spark of sin
within me. Remember Pilate's wife came out
to Pilate and said, I have nothing to do with this just
man. That word just means righteous.
Pilate, when he examined him, said I find no fault in him.
What was Judas Iscariot's testimony before he went out and
hanged himself? I betrayed innocent blood.
Not only the purpose that was presented, but very quickly
think about the price that was paid.
If you turn back in our text, it says here and to give us life a
ransom to give us life a ransom. You see the birth, the life, the
sinless life, the life of service and ministry of the Lord
Jesus was all a pathway inexorably towards his vicarious
substitutionary death on the cross.
His death on the cross was not an accident, not a tragedy.
It was not a a martyrdom gone wrong.
It is not even just purely the love of God theory.
Listen to the text. It says and to give us life.
He was truly born a woman. He took on humanity permanently.
He retained his Godhead. He lived in a truly human body.
He lived a sinless life. He lived a.
Life of perfect obedience to the love God, a life of unsullied
purity, not able to sin, able not to sin.
And I put it to you tonight, This is the kind of Saviour we
need. A Saviour who kept the law of
God perfectly, but a Saviour who gave us life and paid the
penalty for death on the cross, because he truly gave up his
life unto death. The language here is voluntary,
it's deliberate, it's sacrificial, it's atoning.
Remember Isaiah the prophet said he was wounded for our
transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement
of our peace was upon him, and with the stripes we are healed.
Isaiah went on to say in Isaiah 53 and in the verse 10 he poured
out his soul unto death. You see, he didn't just risk his
life on the cross, He voluntary relinquished it unto death.
He said it is finished. He bowed his head, and triumph
gave up the ghost. See the death.
Of Christ in the cross. And this is where I have again
with the liberals and the modernist and the ecumenist.
The death of Christ. In the cross is more than just a
good example, more than just a demonstration of love.
Oh yes, it is that. But a snore much more.
The death of Christ and the cross at his heart was a
voluntary, necessary atonement for sin.
His death was a ransom. And the ransom?
Is the real price paid to secure the freedom of captives Now?
What does that mean? It means this.
That we're born in. Sin and shapen and iniquity.
The Bible teaches us we're not only born in sin and shapen and
iniquity, but we're born slaves to sin and Satan.
We're not neutral. We are guilty, polluted rebels
in the sight of God and in that condition.
Christ Jesus come into. The world to pay the ransom
price to God for her freedom and our deliverance.
He came to. Satisfy the divine wrath of God
against sin. He came to satisfy.
The divine justice of God. He came to satisfy the divine
law of God. He came to satisfy the divine
holiness of God. And Christ's death accomplishes
something. Christ's death secures eternal
redemption. Remember what we read in the
book of Hebrews, in Hebrews Chapter 9 and in the verse 12.
Let's listen to the Word of God. Hebrews 9 and 12.
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood
He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us over there in the book of Hebrews again and
Hebrews 13, and in the verse 20, we read these words.
Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our
Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood
of the everlasting covenant. Whenever the Lord.
Jesus presented his life to the Father and gave his life a
ransom on the tree and paid the penalty that the broken law
demanded for sin, which was death, and shed his blood, His
death in the tree. Revealed to us the.
Horrible nature of sin. It revealed the divine wrath
against sin, because he, he suffered the full penalty of the
law. It revealed divine satisfaction
force. And you see, the Bible teaches
for he that is Christ rendered unto God a full satisfaction for
sin, for. It says in second.
Corinthians chapter 521 For he that is God had made him, that
is Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him.
And on the cross, the Father treated the Son guilty of the
sins of his people. He's held fully responsible.
He's held accountable. You see, the Lord Jesus on the
cross was not just an innocent spotless son, an innocent,
spotless Lamb of God. Our sin is put to His account,
our sin is imputed to Him, and He took full responsibility for
that sin, and He took the full wrath of God upon Himself.
That's why He cried out. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me, forsaken of the Father?
Why? Because He was paying the ransom
price, a price paid to redeem His people.
So we can be set free from sins, penalty and power and pleasure.
Should we set free from the the guilt and corruption,
condemnation of eternal hell. I finished tonight not.
Only with the price. That was paid, the person that
was presented and the purpose that was proclaimed and the
price that was paid. But think lastly of the people
that is purchased. Notice the wording here to give
us life, a ransom for man. I don't see that.
As a limitation, I see that as a definition or a declaration of
intent. Christ's ransom.
Praise is efficient for all who will trust him as Lord and
Saviour. He He didn't come and die to
make salvation possible. It's not.
Hypothetical He came to accomplish redemption.
He came to make it actually a reality.
I believe that Jesus saves and his blood makes me whiter than
snow. The Bible teaches.
Psalm 23 and verse one the Lord is my shepherd.
It it says in John chapter 10 and in the verse 11 I am the
Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep. And here's the question, are you
one of the many? Are you one of his sheep?
Can you say in truth the Lord is my shepherd?
It is the blood applied. You see this silence?
Is human pride this magnifies the grace of God.
If He is the servant king, truly human and yet a heavenly person,
then the question is this, have we bowed the knee before Him?
Remember what the psalmist said in Psalm 2.
He made this tremendous statement in Psalm 2 and in the
verse 12. Listen to the word of God.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish from the way when
His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all day that put their trust in Him.
Have you come to His seat? Have you knelt before Him?
Have you cried out, God be merciful to me, the Sinner.
Have you been redeemed by His blood?
Have you been reconciled to Him? That's what kissing the Son
means. Have you put your faith and
trust in Him as Lord and Saviour?
I finish with this. Think of this tonight.
Remember the story of. The dying thief.
Let's suppose we're. Transported to heaven.
And in heaven we. Meet the dying thief.
Now we don't know his name because his name is not
disclosed to us. And we say to him, excuse me,
are you the dying thief? One of the thieves that died on
one side of the Lord Jesus when he's been crucified?
Yes, that's me. Well tell me this.
How did you get in here? Sure that you.
Were a thief and a robber. That's right.
And you were being justly punished on the cross.
You were being crucified for your crimes That that that
that's right, and and you didn't go to church.
He didn't pray so many Lords prayers.
He didn't read the Bible even through most he didn't live a
good life. He didn't give things to the
poor. You stole things from people.
That's why you're we were crucified yes and how did you
get in here? Now here's the answer do.
You want to hear the answer? The Lord on the middle cross
said I could come. And why did the?
Lord, in the middle cross say to that man, today shall thy be
with me in paradise, because there was a time in that man's
life when he even in that dying moment, said this Lord, Remember
Me when thy comest into thy Kingdom.
And there's the. Faith and trust Lord, Remember
Me when thy comest into thy Kingdom and here's the
outworking of that today shall they be with me in paradise and
when you and I get to heaven and somebody says to us, how did you
get in here? It'll be the Lord in the middle
cross said I could come the people that is purchased because
the ransom price has been paid. All is done.
You have to come thy and repentance and feed by before
the sun, Be redeemed and reconciled to him, receive him
by faith, become one of his sheep, and know that for
certainty. May the Lord bless you tonight.
Thank you for coming. Thank you for listening to this
exposition of this powerful text of Scripture.
I made reference to it some time ago at her first communion in
January and it's been in my mind ever since then.
I trust and pray. The Lord will bless this textual
exposition to your heart. We're going to sing in closing
540.