Christ, the Servant of Mankind

I am among you as one who serves" (Luke 22:27).

"Jesus Christ," said one writer, "is the most powerful spiritual force that ever operated for good on and in humanity." He came to earth to do us good—only good. He came "not . . . to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). Jesus did not live for Himself, but to serve others. Though He was Lord of heaven and earth, He was the servant of mankind.

God in heaven does not live to Himself. He who created the worlds sustains all things moment by moment and upholds these "things by his powerful word" (Hebrews 1:3). And He reveals Himself as an active God who is interested in all His creatures and supplies them with the necessities of life.

"He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45).

Not only does the Creator have a special interest in mankind, but He cares for the animals and the birds, supplying them with food.

"The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing" (Psalm 145:15, 16).

As the head of the human race, Christ showed us that the great purpose of life is to give of yourself—all of yourself—to bless others. And those who follow Christ and catch His spirit suddenly find themselves. They discover that God has a blueprint for their lives and that life takes on new meaning when they are willing to follow it.

The reason Christ is the greatest man, the best man, is that He is the most helpful and the most humble man. He taught that true greatness is in proportion to true goodness. His life and teachings were full of this principle, as we will see.