"Jesus, I will ponder now on your holy passion; with your Spirit me endow for such meditation. Grant that I in love and faith may the image cherish of your suffering, pain, and death that I may not perish." We began our worship this evening with those words. "Jesus I will ponder now." It is the theme of our Lenten worship this year. The word "ponder" means to "weigh something that is heavy in your mind." It is more than just casually thinking about something or wondering about something briefly. The word "ponder" has much more depth to it. It requires more effort.

Why such a heavy word for us? We've all had long days. It is dark. Many of you have just had a big meal. Do you really have to ponder? Can't you just sit back, listen, and then go home? Why do you have to put any work into it? It is because of what we are pondering. "Jesus, I will ponder now on your holy passion." We are going to be pondering the Passion of Christ. Throughout Lent, on Sundays and Wednesdays, we will be weighing in our minds the heavy burden that Jesus bore for us with his suffering and death. Tonight we are here to ponder Jesus - the World's Servant.

Our verse to ponder this evening begins "The Son of Man did not come to be served." Could we just gloss over those words quickly and rush to the next part? Yes. But we aren't going to because we are pondering. Remember? So let us weigh those heavy words.

The Son of Man is God's only Son, the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings. Yet he did not consider equality with God something to hold over mankind. And so he became flesh. He came down to our level. He was born in stable and wrapped in swaddling clothes. He grew up a child in Nazareth and listened to his mom and dad. He put himself under the rule of the heavenly Father and the rulers of man. He allowed humans to insult him and challenge him. Jesus is the Son of Man, true God made flesh.

This verse tells us that the Son of Man did not come to be served. He did not come and make the world subject to him. Jesus came in humility, not to be served.

Oh what a contrast to our black hearts! We are so arrogant. It is all about us. It is all about what we want. Someone gives you something out of the generosity of their heart and you are ungrateful and want more. You serve others only to get recognized or patted on the back. You stake out your claim and you fight and scrap for what you want instead of serving those around you. You are so focused on things inside your heart or inside this building that you fail to see the suffering and pain and broken hearts in others. Why are we so selfish? Why do we demand to be served? The Son of Man did not demand this for himself.

Our Scripture verse tells us that Jesus came to serve. He came to serve because we so desperately needed it. We, in our sinful selfishness, have dug our own graves. Our sin is really about selfishness. We either disregard what God wants or what others want. And that sin condemns us to an eternity hell. Do you feel that guilt? Does your conscience tell you that you are selfish sinner who deserves hell? Don't be deceived. God cannot be mocked! We all deserve God's punishment.

Thankfully the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, came to this earth to serve the world. We all were in desperate need of it. We were lost and condemned, prisoners of the devil. We were held in slavery and our ransom price was too high for us to pay. On our own, we had nothing to offer to God. And God demanded life. It had to be perfect, sinless, and holy. That life had to be offered up into death as sacrifice for the world. Only this would be a proper payment for sin. Only this would get us into the realms of heaven. Only the Son of Man could accomplish this.

And Jesus did. His motives were pure. He did it only because he loves us. Can you truly understand that? As you are pondering the World's Servant this evening, can you understand the incredible self-sacrifice? In selfless love, Jesus served us by giving his life as a ransom for many. That is the greatest act love. Jesus told his disciples that during Holy Week. In John's gospel Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

As we ponder the Passion of Christ this Lent, we will walk together and see the Savior's unselfish love, the love that moved Him to be the World's servant. In the sights and sounds of Lent, Jesus' love will be revealed. We will hear the water splash as Jesus lowers himself to wash the disciples' feet. We will hear the silver coins clink as Jesus allows himself to be betrayed and arrested. We will see the hurt look on Jesus' face when Peter denies him. We will hear the nails being pounded into wooden cross. We will see the darkness come over the world as Jesus gives up his life on that cross as a ransom for the world. The love of God is displayed in the vivid imagery of Lent.

I pray that you will ponder this love in your hearts. I pray that this love will touch you deeply. Jesus became the servant of the world so that you would be comforted. He wanted you heart and mind to be free of guilt. He loved you so much he wanted you to be assured that you would be in heaven. And so ponder the servant's nature of Jesus so that you understand that your sins are forgiven and Jesus' life, death, and resurrection give you heaven.

Now here's your warning and your encouragement. Repent of all your sins and turn from them. That means giving up your selfish attitudes. That means giving yourself to others.

Serve one another. Open your eyes to the needs of those around you. Focus your attention outward instead of always inward. There are needs that need to be met right here in the congregation. The World's Servant, Jesus Christ, wants you to serve each other.

And serve those outside of this house of God also. Jesus came to be the World's servant. That means he died to take away everyone's sin in the whole world. That means that we too should be concerned about those who are outside these walls. That means we are to welcome everyone into our house of worship, and we are to go out and actively bring people into this house to hear about Jesus. Serve all people.

Jesus looked beyond himself when he came to earth to be our Savior. See Jesus and ponder His loving service to you. Repent of your sins of selfishness. Give yourself to God and others.

Christ is the World's Servant. "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Jesus we will ponder now on your holy passion. AMEN.