Automatic Transcript Generated:
Speaker 1
Yunda asks, what does it mean to be first or last in heaven? Jesus says that whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant. Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be last. Matthew 27. Does this mean that there are servants in heaven? Perhaps the ranking system in heaven? Or is Jesus saying serve on earth, be first in heaven?
Speaker 2
Love that question. Yeah, just want to say hi to Lucas before you go. Yes. Hi Lucas, thanks for joining us.
Speaker 3
Hi Diana as well. Again. Happy Sabbath. And Merry Christmas to you as well. Thank you so much for your comments. We appreciate that. Our wonderful family here on Facebook and YouTube. So we thank you so much for joining us at Bible Ask Live. So, yeah, sorry. Getting back to the question, that’s a very great question. I love when you think about how the meaning of what Jesus said because it can be very deep. And so let’s go there to Matthew chapter 20 and 26 and 27. So basically where it says yet it shall excuse me, I’m in the wrong chapter, sorry about that. Is it Matthew 2026? Because I’m in Matthew 2026. Yes. Yet it shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant and whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave. So when you’re looking here, it’s very easy to be confused in saying like, are there slaves in heaven? If I go to heaven, will I be a slave because I was great on earth or will somebody else be my slave when I’m in heaven? And the word here for slavery server isn’t the same word that you see used in American English today.
Speaker 3
So basically this would be more along the lines of just being great in the kingdom of heaven. Just like that. You would be in a high position if you are humble here on earth. That’s I think more the gist of what is being said by Jesus. I used to think about that because it also depends on which version of the Bible that you’re reading. Because when I read, I’m trying to remember the other verse off the top of my head, but it says who would be first in heaven? Whose last on earth will be first in heaven? Does that mean like there’s 1st, 2nd, 3rd, last? No, not necessarily. I don’t think that there’s like a ranking system of who’s the best in heaven. I think it’s more that how much you’re recognized for what you did for the Lord when you were here on earth. If you were on earth just serving and serving, I think God will give you a great reward. I think he’ll give you a certain blessing that maybe other people who didn’t do as much wouldn’t see. But I think heaven is going to be so wonderful. I don’t think you’re going to really mind maybe not having as much of an honor when you get to Heaven jr really quick.
Speaker 3
Do you have any other thoughts on that before I keep going?
Speaker 2
Yeah, sure. This is like a huge topic to me. If you look at who has stooped the lowest of anybody, and that will be Christ. I mean, it is he who descended. Like, if you read Philippians, too, he talked about Him, how he did not consider His Godship or being equal to God, something to cling to. But he gave that up, became a human being. So he gave up being in Heaven, gave up being God, gave up being in such a wonderful place surrounded by armies of angels and commanding them to become not just human being, but then also a servant among human beings. And talked about how foxes have dens, wolves have holes, but I have nowhere to lay my head. He had nothing. He was basically homeless from the day he was born. His life was in peril. He had to go spend time in Egypt, you just name it. Like he had all these strikes against Him and he pulled through. He did it all. Why did he give it all up? Why did he even suffer on the cross? Why did he die? So that we could be with Him again.
Speaker 2
But because he did that, we’re told this is why Christ is more glorified. This is why the Father exalts Him, because of what Christ gave up, because of how he humbled Himself. So he’s the ultimate example. Like God leads by example. God always follows his law. And so when it comes to humbleness, nobody has been humbled more than God Himself. And we contrast this now, who’s going to be the lowest of all in heaven or in the eyes of heaven? It’s going to be he who wants to be like the Most High, who wants to be like God, who wants to have the throne of God, and that’s Satan. And he’s all about exalting Himself and glorifying Himself and serving himself. And it’s that attitude that’s completely contrary to what the Bible teaches and calls for. And so when we look at what’s real Christianity and what’s false Christianity, if you go back in time, one of the tell us most true signs of whether someone is actually true Christian or not is are they actually humble? Do they actually live in a way that shows they don’t exalt themselves? Or do they expect you to exalt them?
Speaker 2
Do they expect you to glorify them? Do they expect you to hail them? That might be a sign to be careful of that person.
Speaker 3
Yeah, amen. That’s very true. And the thing is, too, when I read this verse, I always like to go, we always promote blue letter Bible because it goes back to the original language. And what’s really interesting too, when you look at this verse and you look at the original Greek, that was the new Testament was written in the word here where it says servant is actually DEACONES, which is where we get the word deacon. And it just means somebody who ministers. So just somebody who’s a giving, caring person. It doesn’t mean that in heaven you’re going to be a slave or here on earth you need to be a slave. Like you have a master and you’re beaten. It’s not that way. It just means somebody who’s minister, someone who cares and helps other people in a giving and caring way. And so that’s an attribute that God is trying or Jesus is trying to say, like that’s an attribute of somebody who belongs in heaven is that you’re a person who loves to give, to care for the needs of other people. Like when Jesus washed his disciples feet, he was being a servant in a sense because he was ministering to their need of cleaning their feet.
Speaker 3
And so Jesus again, is like you’re saying, the ultimate example of what it means to be worthy of exaltation in heaven. Because that’s where true greatness is in the love and giving character of God that we see there.
Speaker 2
And really our church leaders should be the greatest service I’ve of all. And there’s some that do that right. I mean, the best passes are the ones who just sit back and navel their people. That’s really the way the biblical model is. Amen.
For full episode:
https://youtu.be/a8phIvwjYtU
Share this video with a friend:
https://youtu.be/mXB6W4gbLsc
in His Service
BibleAsk Team
