“Everlasting Life” [Matt's Messages]

“Everlasting Life”

Resurrection Sunday

The King of Kingdoms - The Book of Daniel

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

April 20, 2025 :: Daniel 12:2-3  

Let me read to you what it says in Daniel chapter 12, verses 2 and 3.

These words were given to Daniel the Wiseman in 536BC by a dazzling supernatural being who was sent by God to deliver a prophecy of the future. 

Notice the word “will” or your version might have the word “shall.” This is a true word about what will happen some day in the future. And, in one word, it is “resurrection.” Daniel chapter 12, verses 2 and 3.

“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”

That is what is going to happen one day. It is certain and sure and guaranteed.

Some of you are newcomers or guests this morning and haven’t been around for our study of the Book of Daniel. Welcome! For the last three months or so, we have been analyzing this ancient book of the wiseman Daniel written down in Hebrew and Aramaic almost 2600 years ago. More than 500 years before our Lord Jesus was even born.

Daniel is a wild and wonderful book full of wild and wonderful things, some of which I still don’t completely understand. (And that’s okay.)

And we’ve reached the end of his book. Next week, Lord-willing, if you come back, we’ll finish our study of the last chapter together. We would love to have you all join us once again! We meet every Sunday at 10:00am.

Chapters 10, 11, and 12 are one long vision that God gave to Old Daniel when he was praying by the Tigris River in ancient Babylon.  A heavenly being appeared and told Daniel what was going to happen in the future. And just hearing the prophecy just about killed Daniel, it was so overwhelming.

Last week, we read chapter 11 where the messenger told Daniel a lot of what was going to happen in the next 370 years or so...and then beyond. This king was going to do this and then this king was going to do that and so forth for king after king after king after king. And what we learned last week was that’s exactly what happened! 

The prophecies came true. So much so, that some people can’t believe that they were written down before they happened! But they were. Now, some of the things that were prophesied are still to come. They are still in the future, even our future. Like chapter 12, verses 2 and 3. That hasn’t happened yet. At least...not fully. But it’s going to happen, guaranteed.

Many of the things prophesied in chapter 11 were very depressing. They were disturbing. They were very distressing. There was a lot of oppression and tribulation and injustice and death. But death, as terrible as it is, does not get the last word. God says, in this prophecy, that after death for God’s people, there will be life. 

And not just any life but “Everlasting Life.”

You might be surprised to learn that this is the first time that the phrase “Everlasting Life” appears in the Bible. The concept is sprinkled all over the Old Testament, but this is where it’s first given this name: “Everlasting Life.”

What a thought! Life that goes and on and on forever and ever and ever. Life that is not broken by the ravages of time and age and illness and death. Life that is full and free and joyful. Not just life that goes on and on and on but life that is abundant and vibrant and blessed. “Everlasting Life”

And this life comes, according to verse 2, after death.

This is the perhaps most important passage in the Old Testament about resurrection. It’s the clearest text in the Old Testament about resurrection. About coming back to life in the flesh. There are hints and clues all over the Old Testament, but right here it clearly says, “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt” (v.2).

I have two questions for you this morning to apply this passage to your life today, and here’s the first one:

#1. ARE YOU READY TO AWAKEN FROM DEATH?

The word “sleep” in verse 2 is a metaphor for being dead. The Bible uses “sleep” many times as a figure of speech for being deceased. [See, for example, what Jesus said about Lazarus in John 11.]

I think that one of the reasons for that is to communicate to us that death is temporary. We think of death as final. And it sure feels like it. Any time somebody dies it feels so final. The cemetery feels like the end.

And so many of Daniel’s people were going to die, and did die more than 2000 years ago. And they are still dead! They are still laying down in the dust of the earth.

That word “dust” reminds us of the curse that came from our sin. There is death in the world because of our sin. When our first parents rebelled against God, He pronounced a curse on the ground and told us, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19).

But now He says that, one day, we will come back out of the dust! “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake.”

And that’s everybody! He’s saying, “multitudes” to emphasize the vast number of people who will awaken from the dead. Billions and billions of people will awaken from the dust of the earth.

Death is temporary. Are you ready for it to be over? Are you ready to awaken from death?

Now, of course, we in this room haven’t even died yet. But it’s coming for us all. The oldest person in this room and the youngest person in this room are going to die, and they might not die in that order. And one day we are all going to be awakened from the dust.

But the quality of our lives will not all be the same. Did you see that in verse 2? After we are resurrected, there are two different destinations, and only two.

“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life [what a joy!], others to shame and everlasting contempt.”

And that’s the scariest thing you will ever hear about. Instead of everlasting life, some will awaken to everlasting shame, everlasting abhorrence, everlasting contempt. And that is God’s contempt of those people. That is God’s verdict over their resurrected lives. That is God’s perfect justice. God’s enemies will be forever shamed, forever abhorred, forever condemned.

All of those evil kings who oppressed God’s people in chapter 11 and seemed to get away with it? They did not escape God’s justice. Not one of the LORD’s unrepentant enemies will escape His perfect justice.

And that’s what we all deserve. We all deserve shame and everlasting contempt because we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23).

So, which is it going to be? How do we know if we will awaken to everlasting life or everlasting contempt? Especially if we all deserve shame and contempt?

Here’s what the rest of the Bible says. Listen to the promise of the Gospel of John chapter 3, verse 16.

“God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have [everlasting] life” (John 3:16, NIV & KJV).

God didn’t just leave us on our own. In His great love, He sent His Son Jesus Christ. He GAVE Him to us. He allowed Him to be mocked, flogged, and crucified. Mocked, flogged, and crucified. To be killed on a Roman instrument of torture and death. “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have [everlasting] life.”

Do you believe in Him? Have you put your faith and trust in Jesus and what He did for you on the Cross? That’s how you get ready to awaken from death.

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live....a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out–those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned” (John 5:24-29).

Jesus knew Daniel chapter 12! And He knew that faith in Him was the key to everlasting life.

Are you ready to awaken from death? Do you know what’s going to happen when you do?

Now, this passage is not telling us WHEN this is going to happen. And there are some details about the timing of the resurrection that Christians differ on in their understanding.

It may not be that everyone gets resurrected at the exact same time. We’re going to see in just a minute that Somebody has already has been! Somebody has already gotten this resurrection thing going.

And so it stands to reason that it might come in stages. Some think that the church gets resurrected before a great tribulation period and then Israelite believers after the tribulation and then unbelievers after a millennium. Other see it as all the believers at one time and all the unbelievers at another. And still others see it all going down at once.

It’s okay for us to have some different takes on that. Daniel 12 is not telling us when this is going to happen but that it is going to happen! This shall surely occur. “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.”

Are you ready to awaken from the dead?

Are you sure? As we’ve been studying the Book of Daniel, we’ve said this one thing again and again on some of the more minor points of interpretation. The things that faithful Christians have disagreed about over the centuries, especially timing of certain events.

“I’m not sure. And that’s okay.” 

But, friends, it is not okay to not be sure if you will awaken to everlasting life or everlasting contempt. This is something you need to be sure about! Because death is temporary, and we’re all going to wake up one day out of the dust, and then what’s next? God gave His One and Only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

“Whoever believes!” That can be you. I sure hope it is. It is this church’s hope and prayer that every single person here would be sure that they have everlasting life. We invite you to trust in Jesus right here and right now.

Are you ready to awaken from the dead? I am. I can hardly wait. Not only do I believe in Jesus and what He did for me on the Cross, but I can’t hardly wait to live in a world that is resurrected, too. And to live a resurrected body. The older I get, the more I look forward to what that body will be like. Amen?

D.A. Carson likes to say, “There isn’t anything wrong with me that a good resurrection won’t fix!”

Now, of course, Daniel 12 doesn’t tell us much about what our resurrected bodies will be like. He just says, “everlasting life,” and that’s plenty to go on, isn’t it? But the New Testament fills out the picture for us by giving a sneak peak of coming attractions by telling us that we’re going to have a new body like the body of the Person who already came back from the dead.

Who is that? Yes, that’s Jesus! That’s what we are celebrating this very day. Jesus died on the Cross, yes, but He did not stay dead! He did not stay in the tomb. He did not stay in His grave. He walked out alive again never to die again! That’s everlasting life!

And the Bible says that Jesus is the “first-fruits” of the resurrection. 

Do you know what “first-fruits” are? (See 1 Cor. 15:22-25.)

It’s an agricultural term that describes the first crops that pop up, the early crops in the field. Like the first row of corn to be ready for harvest before all the others. And the first-fruits tell you two things about the crop.

The first thing it tells you is that the crop is going to come up! It is guaranteed. If the first-fruits popped up, then the rest will surely follow. Isn’t that good news?! Because Jesus has come back from the dead, we know that Daniel 12:2 is going to happen! It is guaranteed.

And the second thing that the first-fruits tell us is what the crop will actually be like. Will it be healthy? Will it be fruitful? Will it be abundant? Will it be blessed? Do you want to know what your resurrected body will be like if you are a believer in Jesus? Then look at what Jesus’ body was like.

The Bible says, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Phil. 3:20-21).

I can’t wait! I’m ready. How about you? See, this isn’t just “going to heaven when we die.” Immaterial. Incorporeal. Just a naked spirit. This is resurrection. This is coming back from the dead in the flesh and having a new body that is like Jesus’ body. This isn’t some kind of zombie existence, either. Not just un-dead but truly alive! This is life to the fullest. This is everlasting life. Are you ready?

Here’s the second and last question for application today:

#2. ARE YOU LEADING OTHERS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS? 

If you are ready for your resurrection, are you taking somebody with you to get theirs? Are you leading other people to have what you have? Look again at v.3. This is what it’s going to be like in the resurrection.

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”

Wow. That’s Hebrew parallelism. He’s saying the same thing twice with slightly different words to emphasize it. “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens...” I don’t know if that’s literal or a figure of speech. Either way, it’s awesome. I want to “shine like the brightness of the heavens!”

We learned in chapter 10 that the brilliant being that is telling Daniel these amazing things had a “face like lightning” and “eyes like flaming torches.” Our Lord Jesus once gave His followers a glimpse of His glory. He was shining like the sun (see also Revelation 1:10-16)!

I want to share in God’s glory and be dazzling and resplendent myself. And the way to get there is through...wisdom. 

“Those who are wise.”

“Those who have insight.”

“Those who has spiritual discernment.”

Like Daniel. Daniel was a wise man. He knew what was right and wrong and what to do when life got tough.

Dare to be a Daniel and be wise.

In chapter 11, when things got really hard, some of the believers would become wise (vv.33, 35), and they would teach others their wisdom. They would help them to stand firm in troubled times. Last week, we said wise people make people wise. And so chapter 12, verse 3 says what wise people do is “lead many to righteousness.” And when you do that, you’ll shine like the stars forever and ever.

I want to do that. I want to shine! How about you?

Are you living in wisdom and teaching others to? Are you walking in righteousness and leading others to do so, too?

This can be through our example. Like how we live our lives. Because people are watching! People are watching how you live your life. What you do, what you say, what you post on social media. They are looking at your life and learning things. Are they learning righteousness?

But it’s more than just our example, we have to open our mouths, and we have point people towards the source of eternal righteousness. We have to tell people about Jesus and His death and His resurrection.

Because they won’t know about it unless somebody tells them! They won’t know that everybody is going to die and then one day everybody is going to awaken from the dust of the ground. And they won’t know what Jesus did for them–mocked, flogged, and crucified–unless somebody tells them. They won’t know that Jesus came back from the dead unless we tell them! And they won’t know that He’s coming back again to bring His kingdom here on Earth as it is in heaven.

But if we tell them, then they will know. I’m telling you right now.

I’m trying to lead you all to righteousness right now so that we all shine together forever (see Matthew 13:38-43, Philippians 2:14-16)!

Christ is Risen! 

He Is Risen Indeed!

Who are you going to tell? Who are you going to lead to righteousness? I love that we can go from one day deserving condemnation and eternal contempt to one day shining like the stars forever and ever.

In the kingdom that is forever. Because, remember, the Son of Man is receiving a kingdom that is forever.

Remember our previous memory verse from Daniel 7, where Daniel said, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.

He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting [similar root word in Aramaic word and Hebrew translated as "everlasting" in 12:2!] dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13-14).

And neither will He! Because Jesus has an everlasting life.

He lives!  

“He arose a Victor from the dark domain

And He lives forever with His saints to reign!”

And all who believe in Him will enjoy everlasting life in the everlasting kingdom of the King of Kingdoms.

***

Messages in This Series:

01. The King's Service - Daniel 1:1-21
02. The God of Heaven - Daniel 2:1-49
[Bonus Message: "No Matter What" - Daniel 3:1-30 from Family Bible Week 2012]
03. The God We Serve - Daniel 3:1-30
04. The King of Heaven - Daniel 4:1-37
05. The Lord of Heaven - Daniel 5:1-31
06. The Living God - Daniel 6:1-28
07. The Ancient of Days - Daniel 7:1-28
08. The Prince of Princes - Daniel 8:1-27
09. “O Lord, Listen! O Lord, Forgive! O Lord, Hear and Act!" - Daniel 9:1-27
10. "Before Your God" - Daniel 10:1-11:1
[Bonus Message: "The Son of Man" - Matthew 20:17-28]
11. "The God of Gods" - Daniel 11:2-12:1

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“The God of Gods” [Matt's Messages]

“The God of Gods”

The King of Kingdoms - The Book of Daniel

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

April 13, 2025 :: Daniel 11:2-12:1 

Daniel chapter 11 is about “The God of Gods.”

Daniel chapter 11 is about the God above all other powers and authorities.  The God Who is God above all. “The God of Gods.”

Everything we think of when we think of what “God” means--this God is the God that is all of that and infinitely more.

For the messages in this series, I have scoured the passage that we’re studying for key names of God which show up in that particular passage and have then titled and centered the message on that name. And this passage is no different. I pulled the name, “The God of Gods” from verse 36 of chapter 11. The quintessential God. “The God of Gods”

And that name is good for us to focus on because, even though it’s kind of obvious, it’s also easy to miss and easy to lose sight of even if you know it’s there.

Because Daniel chapter 11 seems to be about a bunch of kings. I’m not sure how many kings are actually mentioned. At least 13 different kings and probably more. 

Kings, kings, kings, kings, kings, kings, kings, kings, kings.

And while God is mentioned from time to time, there are a lot more words about all these kings, kings, kings, kings, kings. And so we might lose sight of the forest for all of these trees. Because the Book of Daniel is ultimately about the King of Kingdoms Who is the God of Gods.

For example, we might forget that the Person telling Daniel about all of these kings, kings, kings, kings, kings is God Himself! 

We’ve reached the very end of the Book of the Wiseman Daniel. We learned last time we were in Daniel that chapters 10, 11, and 12 are all one thing. These three chapters tell the story of Daniel’s fourth and last recorded vision. Do you remember that? Chapters 10, 11, and 12 are one big long thing. Daniel’s fourth and last recorded vision.

And what a vision it’s been so far! We learned at the beginning of chapter 10 that Old Daniel was still praying. It’s the year 536 BC, the third year of  Persian King Cyrus ruling over Babylon which he had conquered in 539. 

Daniel was about 83 or 84 years old, and he was praying, fasting, and praying for three weeks of days (21 days), probably about the troubles he’s heard were happening to the Jewish people who had returned to Judah when King Cyrus allowed them to, three years before.  And Old Daniel was fasting and praying near the Tigris River, and he was visited by a being unlike anything else!

And it just about killed him. Do you remember this? The dazzling person?!

Daniel said he, “looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude” (Dan. 10:5-6).

And that just about did him in. He fell flat on his face. But Daniel was strengthened by being touched and told that he was highly esteemed by God Himself.

And Daniel was told by this messenger from God (who might have been Gabriel or the Angel of the LORD or even the pre-incarnate Person of God the Son Himself!), “I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come” (Daniel 10:14).

And that’s what we are reading in Daniel chapter 11. It’s a message about the future. And it’s a message from God. It’s a message about the future from the God of Gods.

I have three points this morning, and they are all very simple even though the chapter is complicated. 

#1. THE GOD OF GODS KNOWS THE FUTURE, TELLS THE FUTURE, RULES THE FUTURE.

And that’s good news for you and me.

First, that He knows the future. What we’re about to read was given to Daniel in about 536BC, and it’s all about what is still to come from Daniel’s perspective.

A lot of it is history to us. It was future for Daniel, but it is history for us, at least verses 2 through 35. 

And it’s very detailed. In fact, it’s so detailed that a lot of unbelieving scholars assume that it must have been written after the fact! That’s a weird thing about most of Daniel chapter 11, almost everybody agrees about who the kings are! We don’t have the problem of identification that we’ve struggled with so much in the previous 10 chapters. Who is who and what is what?

So many scholars agree on which king is which king in Daniel chapter 11. If you have a study Bible on your lap, you probably have half or more of the page taken up with footnotes about who is who and which king is what king. Unlike most of the rest of Daniel, it kind of seems obvious! So obvious that unbelievers have to think that this was written down after all of these things had happened. 

But that’s not what I think. I think that the God of Gods knows the future. Because He lives in the future. He lives over and above time itself. 

And I think that the God of Gods not only knows the future, but chooses to tell us about the future. He doesn’t tell us everything we want to know about the future. We couldn’t handle it if He did. But He tells us everything we need to know about the future. 

And that’s encouraging and comforting because it gets us ready for the future. But it’s even more encouraging and comforting that when He tells us about the future, it’s abundantly clear that He rules the future. That the future is not just known by Him but controlled by Him. The future is not out control. It is firmly in His hands.

As we’ve seen time and time again in Daniel, God has a perfect plan on a perfect schedule, and His perfect plan is perfectly on schedule. 

So let’s wade in here. Let me give you a few things to look for as we read.

The first thing to notice is that Daniel 11 is not so apocalyptic. That is, it doesn’t have as many wild images and symbols. There are no monsters, no beasts, no horns, no giant animals. It’s more prosaic. And while it’s still vague (to us) if you know your history, look backwards, it’s almost obvious who the various people are. God knows the future, and He’s telling it to His people.

As we go through, I’m going to say this phrase over and over again, “And that’s exactly what happened.” Because God knows the future and He tells is to His people.

The second thing to look for is the word “BUT” (b-u-t). This is a little word with a big meaning. It shows up again and again in chapter 11. There are these kings and they have power, BUT things don’t always go according to their plans. These little turns of history. They think they are in control, and for a time they are, BUT then they are not. And we’re going to see that again and again and again in these verses.

And that points to the fact that God is in ultimate control. He allows them to do what they choose to do (and they are freely choosing these things), but He is also directing the whole shebang to His own ends.

And with that word “but,” we’ll also see the word “appointed” and “determined.” There are these limits placed upon all of these kings. None of them goes beyond the limits of God’s perfect plan. Because God not only knows the future and tells us about the future, but He also rules the future. Let’s jump in, and I will show you what I mean. 

The first verse of chapter 10 said that Daniel’s fourth vision was about “a great war.” And the messenger from God pulled back a corner of the curtain at the end of  chapter 10  to give us a peak about the great war going on in the heavens with the angel Michael and the Prince of Persia and the Prince of Greece (cf. 10:20-11:1). Now we’re going to be told about the great war (or wars) going on on the Earth. Here’s what He reveals. Daniel chapter 11, verse 2.

“Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will appear in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. Then a mighty king will appear, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases” (vv.2-3). 

Those two verses just covered about 200 years of history.

God’s not going to tell Daniel everything that’s going to happen. He’s going to be selective. He tells Daniel about four more Persian kings after Cyrus. He doesn’t say their names, but most scholars think they know who they are: Cambyses (530-522), Smerdis [522], Darius I Hystaspes [522-486], and the fourth (far richer who attacked Greece): Ahauserus also known as Xerses I (486-464), and we know him more because of his famous wife, the queen named Esther.

You know that big banquet that the king is holding in Esther chapter 1? Many people think that was part of Xerxes’ fund-raising for his big attack on Greece. But that didn’t go very well for him. 

And, before long, the Persian kingdom is no more. The Medes dropped off from prominence long ago, but even the Persians disappeared from the scene of world dominance.

Who was the next world power? Golden Babylon, Silvery Medes/Persians, then? Bronzish Greece.

And who was the mighty king of Greece described in verse 3? Alexander the Great. We’ve talked about him before in chapter 7 and 8. He’s probably the big horn on the goat of chapter 8. And he quickly conquers the whole world, but then he dies. He gets just 1 verse here!

And which of his sons took over him? He didn’t have a son that lived to rule. Verse 4.

“After he has appeared, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.”

And that’s exactly what happened.

Does anybody know how many pieces the Greek empire was broken into after Alexander? Remember how there were 4 heads on the leopard-like beast in chapter 7 and there were for 4 horns that replaces the 1 big horn o the goat in chapter 8? And there are four winds here in verse 4?  There were 4 Greek kings who took over from Alexander.

And 2 of them were far from Israel, and 2 of them were very near it.

The king called Seleucus ruled to the North of Israel, like Syria and over to Babylon. And the king called Ptolemy ruled to the South of Israel (like Egypt and over there). And so did their sons.

And in between those two kingdoms was Israel. 

How do you think it felt to be Israel?

Let me ask you a question. Which you rather be? The Pittsburgh Steelers,  the Philadelphia Eagles, the referees, or the football that they play with? Israel felt like the football. They were caught in between.

Or maybe it would be better to say Israel felt like the football field that the two teams were always trampling all over as they fought with each other.

So verses 3 through 20 tell the story of about 150 years of various kings of the North (Seleucid kings) and kings of the South (Ptolemaic kings) vying for power over their territories and trampling over Israel in between. Verse 5.

“The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be handed over, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her. One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone.

Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress. Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant.

For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped. In those times many will rise against the king of the South. The violent men among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. 

Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. The invader will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land [Israel] and will have the power to destroy it. He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans will not succeed or help him.

Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back upon him. After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more. His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle” (vv.5-20).

Did you hear all the of “buts,” all of the “yets,” all of the turns of events?

It’s amazing because we have pretty good names for all of these kings. Everything that God told Daniel is exactly what happened. We won’t go into all of the details because they really are, to us, ancient history. Greek history! You see that there isn’t just one King of the North and one King of the South. They have different people take up that position and wrangle with each other. Sometimes they’re friends and allies and most of the time they are in conflict with each other.

And Israel was the football. Between North and South was the Beautiful Land being trampled on.

Interestingly, one of those queens mentioned in there (v. 17) was a woman named Cleopatra. She wasn’t the famous one with Julius Ceasar and Mark Antony, but the famous one was most probably named after her. 

You can read about all of these people in the history books. I have several I can loan you which go into deep detail about all of these events. I read 88 pages in one of them just about the identification of all of these people in this chapter.

This is exactly what happened.

The God of Gods knows the future and chooses to tell His people some of that future, and rules all of that future.

That must have been encouraging to old Daniel. If you remember, his people were suffering in Israel in 536 BC. They had returned from exile but they had not been able to rebuild the temple yet and were opposed and discouraged. And then they were going to get kicked around for hundreds of years.

Wait. Is this encouraging? 

It is if you know there’s a grand plan. And if you know that the plan is on track. It’s tough being the football. But not as hard if you know that there is a game on and if you know that you (the football!) belong to the real winner.

Do you feel like you’re the football right now?

You and I are small and have only a small amount of control over our lives.

Some of you feel like a football because of Governor Shapiro and some of you feel like a football because of President Trump. And some of you feel like a football because of both of them.

And they are both elected officials! We all have a small say in that in America. Israel had almost no say with the Kings of the North and the Kings of the South trampling all over the Beautiful Land. 

And then it got worse. 

One of those Greek Seleucid Kings of the North was much worse than any that had come before.

And his name was Antiochus IV Epiphanes. We’ve talked about him before, especially in chapter 8.  Antiochus IV Epiphanes came to power in 175BC and he was a precursor of the Antichrist.

Almost everybody agrees that verses 21 through 35 are about his time as king. Look at verse 21.

“He [This is probably Seleucus IV] will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. [Antiochus was not next in line for the throne, but somehow ended up on the throne anyways...] Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. [Perhaps that was the removal of Onias from being the High Priest in Israel and Antiochus’s man put in his place]. After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power.

When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses–but only for a time.

With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South [Ptolemy VI]. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. Those who eat from the king's provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle.

The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time” (vv.21-27).

You know what? That is exactly what happened!

Antiochus IV and Ptolemy VI met together of their own free will. And they ate together, and they lied to each other! Each trying to get the best of the other. But the God of Gods rules over even the evil choices of evil men!

Of course, it still hurts when they run over you. But at least you know that it’s for a limited time and an ultimate good end.

If you like history, you might want to read the books of 1st and 2nd Maccabees written between the Old and New Testaments. This next part was predicted in 536 BC and happened just as predicted 370 years later in 167-164BC and was written about afterwards in 1st and 2nd Maccabees. Look at verse 28.

“The king of the North [almost certainly Antiochus IV Epiphanes] will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant [God’s law and promise to Israel]. He will take action against it and then return to his own country. At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before.

Ships of the western coastlands [lit. ships of Kittim] will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant” (vv.28-30a).

Here’s what happened. Antiochus was humiliated.

He went up further north to fight and some Romans (that’s the next kingdom to come, right?, and some Romans) beat him. One of them named Gaius Papillius Laenes met with him after a battle and took a stick and drew this circle around him in the sand. And he said something like, “AntiFour, go back home to your circle or we’ll take it all away from you.”

And Antiochus hated that and went back and took it out on Israel. Do you remember what he did? How he was worse than anyone before him? He didn’t just conquer Israel and make them work for him or even drag them off into exile. He went against their God. He stopped them from worshipping their God. He stopped them from observing the Sabbath or circumcising their baby boys. And killing them if they did. And he forced them to worship Greek gods. And he rewarded those who stopped worshiping Yahweh and started worshiping these other gods. Verse 30.

“He will return [from losing this battle] and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant. His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation” (vv.30b-31).

And that’s exactly what happened. Antiochus told the Jews they could not sacrifice to the LORD in their own temple, and then Antiochus went into that temple, and sacrificed a pig on the altar.  And he put some kind of Zeus statue in the Holy of Holies.  And he killed thousands of Jews, as much as maybe 80,000.

A contemptible king indeed. Verse 32.

“With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time” (vv.32-35).

 

And that’s exactly what happened. What a terrible time that was. What a terrible king that was! What a terrible thing to have to live through. What a terrible thing to know was going to happen to your people some day!

I don’t know about you, though, but I would still want to know. I’d be glad to know that my God knows all of what is going to happen and has told me enough to know that all of these things that are happening to me have not slipped past Him somehow but are (even though they are evil) still a part of His perfect plan being worked out in His perfect timing. Even Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

Knowing that and knowing the God of Gods would give me great comfort and hope. And it would make me wise. Verse 33 says that wise people (like Daniel) are always needed during times of trouble. And wise people make people wise.

“Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or killed.”

Just because you are wise doesn’t mean that you get to escape suffering. In fact, the wisest Man ever died of crucifixion. But the wise don’t give in when the hard times come. Verse 32 says that the people who know their God (who know the God of Gods) will not give into the temptation to worship other gods–even if it makes life much easier.

They will firmly resist it.

And that’s exactly what happened.

In this time period, 167-164 BC, the Jews revolted against Antiochus and the Greeks. Under the Maccabees, they pushed back and eventually won a modicum of freedom. They got to purify the temple once again and restore true worship in the land.

It was messy. Not everyone did things in a godly way. Verse 34 talks about those who were “not sincere.” Verse 35 says that some of them stumbled. But the LORD was at work. His people were (v.35), “refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end.”

The God of Gods knows the future, tells the future, and rules the future for the good and sanctification of His people.

Now, here’s point number two.

#2. THE GOD OF GODS WAS ATTACKED, IS ATTACKED, AND WILL BE ATTACKED AGAIN.

Yes, you heard me right. This God Who can tell the future and Who is directing the future, has often been opposed. He has enemies. Obviously, Antiochus thought that the LORD was no-one to worry about. In fact, Antiochus set out to snuff out His worship.

And so did this next king in verse 36.

Now, verses 36 through 45 are hotly disputed among interpreters. At first, it seems like it’s just the same sort of thing as verses 2 through 35, but at verse 36 we are actually right back to struggling over identification. Who is who and what is what.

A lot of people think that it’s still just Antiochus IV Epiphanes. And there is no hard break here.But the problem is that only parts of these verses sound like him. It’s not like, “And that’s exactly what happened.” It’s not. It’s not exactly what happened. 

So some people who don’t believe the Bible think this is the point (at v.36) where whoever wrote “Daniel” must not have known was going to happen next and started to get it wrong.

But why would the Jews include it in their Bible if it was all wrong? If it was all bad history and fake prophecy? I don’t think they would.

Now some people who do believe in the Bible still think this is Antiochus IV Epiphanes. But they don’t think that it’s in chronological order. They think that it’s like a jump back and looking at his life again from a different angle. And I think that’s possible. Good, faithful Christians see it that way.

But most Christians throughout church history think that there is a change of subject between verse 35 and verse 36, a line drawn, and another jump–this time even further into the future. And most think that it’s still in the future-future, the time of the end. As in, not just the time of Antiochus’ end, but of history’s end. The end-end. 

That we’re not just reading about a Greek King of the North but about a wicked king still to come. Notice it doesn’t say, “The King of the North” in verse 36, but just “The king will do as he pleases.”

Many many Christians throughout church history have thought that this person in verses 36 through 45 is the same person as the little big mouth horn from chapter 7 or the Man of Lawlessness of 2 Thessalonians 2 or the Beast of Revelation 13, someone we often call “The Antichrist.”

Now, I’m not sure, and that’s okay, but I think that’s highly likely. There’s a vibe shift here. It begins to feel different. And it grows to epic proportions, and then the end of time is indicated, which we will see next week (see 12:1-3).

What I want to point out right here is how this wicked king attacks not just the people of God but the God of Gods. Look at verse 36.

“The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place.”

Now, that could be Antiochus. He called himself “Epiphanes” which means “The Manifestation.” He definitely thought he was all that. 

But I tend to think, as terrible as he was, Antiochus was just an Antichrist wannabe. This person really thinks that he is god. 

It’s scary to think what he might be saying in verse 36. “...unheard-of things against the God of gods.” Just that preposition with that name. “Against the God of gods.” I kept thinking about that phrase this week again and again. “Against the God of gods.”

God has been attacked. And it has seemed to be successful. For a time it is. Look at verse 36 again. “He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place.”

Notice that it’s still limited. This wicked king wins and wins and does whatever he wants, but only until the time of wrath of completed, only until what has been determined (by God!) has taken place. Even these attacks against God are not outside of God’s plan! Verse 37.

“He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all.”

Now, that doesn’t feel like Antiochus to me. He did show regard for Zeus and Adonis (if that’s the god desired by women). But this person doesn’t regard the god of his fathers. Perhaps he’s a rebellious Jew! And maybe the “one desired by women” is the Messiah, the one that every Jewish woman wished she could carry in her womb. This wicked person exalts himself above them all. V.38

“Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. [You can bribe him, and every single dollar he has will go into making war and trying to take over the world (see Revelation 13:4). V.40]  At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.

He will also invade the Beautiful Land [Israel]. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission. But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him” (vv.38-45).

Now, I’m not sure (and that’s okay) about a lot of the details here. They are disputed. Some people think that there are 3 kings here. The king of the North, the king of the South, and the wicked king who does what he  pleases. He’s fighting both of them in the future. Others think that the King of the North of that era is the king who does everything he pleases. I’m not sure and that’s okay.

What I am sure of is that one day we will be able to look back over history and say with absolute certainty, “And that’s exactly what happened.” Whether it was actually in the second century BC or at the future battle of Armageddon.

And what I’m also sure about is that the God of Gods has been attacked, is being attacked (as His church is attacked around the world in persecution), and will be attacked once again.

But not forever.

In verse 45, it says that this wicked king who has been so successful at attacking the God of Gods will pitch his royal tents between the seas (Dead Sea and Mediterranean) at the beautiful holy mountain (on which Jerusalem sits). And YET!

“And YET he will come to his end, and no one will help him.”

The beast will go down. The fourth beast of chapter 7 will be slain and be thrown into the blazing fire that comes out from the throne of the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:11). The “Lord Jesus will overthrow [the lawless one] with the breath of his mouth and destroy [him] by the splendor of his coming.” (See 2 Thess. 2:8.)

And all of God’s people will be saved forever!

That’s point number three and last:

#3. THE GOD OF GODS WILL FOREVER SAVE HIS PEOPLE.

Look at the first verse of chapter 12 and then we’ll go to the Table.

“‘At that time [the time of 11:36-45, the time of the end] Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people–everyone whose name is found written in the book–will be delivered.”

The God of Gods will forever save His people. He has always has, and He always will.

I think that verse 1 is talking about the Great Tribulation. During that time there will be great spiritual warfare (the archangel Michael is fighting once again for Daniel’s people) and there will be great distress like never before.

But there will also be a great deliverance. A great salvation.

For all of God’s people. For everyone (v.1) “whose name is found written in the book.”

How can you be sure that your name is written in that book? Repent of your sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, the King of Kingdoms. Put your faith and trust in what He did for you at the Cross and the Empty Tomb. And you will find at the end of time that your name was there. And you will be saved forevermore.

That’s exactly what will happen because of the God of Gods.

***

Messages in This Series:

01. The King's Service - Daniel 1:1-21
02. The God of Heaven - Daniel 2:1-49
[Bonus Message: "No Matter What" - Daniel 3:1-30 from Family Bible Week 2012]
03. The God We Serve - Daniel 3:1-30
04. The King of Heaven - Daniel 4:1-37
05. The Lord of Heaven - Daniel 5:1-31
06. The Living God - Daniel 6:1-28
07. The Ancient of Days - Daniel 7:1-28
08. The Prince of Princes - Daniel 8:1-27
09. “O Lord, Listen! O Lord, Forgive! O Lord, Hear and Act!" - Daniel 9:1-27
10. "Before Your God" - Daniel 10:1-11:1

[Bonus Message: "The Son of Man" - Matthew 20:17-28]

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“The Son of Man” [Matt's Messages]

“The Son of Man”

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

April 6, 2025 :: Matthew 20:17-28

What was Jesus’ favorite name for Himself?

In this passage, Jesus uses His favorite title for Himself to teach us about Himself.

What was Jesus’ favorite appellation for Himself?

“The Son of Man.”

You might have guessed “The Son of God” which He surely was. But that’s what others called Him. Like His Father. And like the Roman Centurion at his crucifixion.

Jesus likes to use this phrase for Himself, “The Son of Man.” And I think He liked it for various reasons. One was its ambiguity and the mystery.  It could just mean someone who was a human. A son of man is himself a man, and He was that! 

But there’s obviously more to it. Israelite believers who had read the Book of Daniel may have interpreted this title, “Son of Man,” as a name for the coming Messiah.

Remember how “Son of Man” shows up in the central vision in the Book of Daniel, chapter 7? The last chapter in Aramaic and the first vision of the wiseman Daniel himself. Listen again to Daniel chapter 7, verses 13 and 14. It’s in the vision of the Ancient of Days. Keep your eyes on the Ancient of Days. 

Daniel writes, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

Wow! That’s the Son of Man! The Son of Man is the King of Kingdoms!

He is human, yes. But so much more! He is a human who rides on the clouds! He is a human who can approach the Ancient of Days without fear and trepidation. He is a son of man who is welcome in the presence of the Ancient of Days and given the kingdom of kingdoms! Which He then shares with His people!

And that’s how Jesus saw Himself! In Matthew chapter 19 (the chapter right before this one), Jesus said this. Look at chapter 19, verse 28 & 29. 

“Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”

The Son of Man coming in glory and sitting on His glorious throne and giving away glorious gifts! That’s the Son of Man!

But that’s not all that the Son of Man is. That’s not all that the Son of Man is going to do. It turns out that the Son of Man is going to be very different than many people expected.

Jesus is often different than we expect, is He not? You could never predict Jesus. The more you get to know Him and become like Him, the more He makes sense to you, but He’s definitely counter-intuitive and counter-cultural.

We’ve seen that again and again, haven’t we? For example, when Jesus describes His kingdom. What is the kingdom of kingdoms actually like? Read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-8.

It’s upside-down and inside-out. The opposite of what we’d ever predict.

Blessed are the meek?

Blessed are the poor in spirit?

Blessed are the persecuted?

Love your enemies?

Do not judge?

Pray in secret?

It’s upside-down and inside-out.

In fact, what does Jesus say in verse 30? Chapter 19, verse 30, right after that prediction of the glorious coming, the glorious throne, the glorious kingdom?

“But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”

It’s not just an upside-down kingdom. It’s a back-to-front kingdom. It’s a last-to-first kingdom. In Jesus’ kingdom, the last will be first and the first will be last.

And that goes for Him, as well! In today’s passage (Matthew 20:17-28), Jesus shows us how He Himself will live out this first and last theology.

The Son of Man will not just come in kingdom glory. 

He will first come in suffering service.

I only have two points this morning, and they are both things you would never expect the Son of Man to do if all you had was Daniel 7.

Here’s the first one:

#1. THE SON OF MAN CAME TO SUFFER.

I know that we’re used to that idea, but the disciples sure weren’t.

"The Son of Man comes in glory! He rides the clouds! He sits on a glorious throne! He doesn’t come to suffer?!"

But that’s exactly what Jesus predicts in Matthew chapter 20. Look at verse 17. 

“Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!’” (Matt. 20:17-19).

Isn’t it amazing that Jesus knows exactly what is going to happen to Him? Jesus is on His way up to Jerusalem. He’s almost there!

We know what’s going to happen in Jerusalem. We just studied the Gospel of John last year.

And Jesus knows what is going to happen in Jerusalem. He pulls His followers aside on the road, and He tells them so that they are prepared!

“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man [“The Son of Man, that’s Me.”] will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified” (vv.17-18).

Listen to those verbs:

Be betrayed.

Condemned to death.

Turned over to Pilate and the Romans.

Mocked.

Flogged.

Crucified.

The Son of Man was going to be:

Mocked. Flogged. Crucified.

Mocked. Flogged. Crucified.

Mocked. Flogged. Crucified.

Jesus knew what was coming.

In fact, He chose it!

Praise the Lord for verse 19, and “On the third day he will be raised to life!” Jesus knew that, too. He knew that suffering was the true path to glory. He knew about His resurrection. That the last will be first. 

But He also knew about the Cross. Mocked. Flogged. Crucified. Jesus took the last place to get the first place. Mocked. Flogged. Crucified.

As we enter Passion Week next Sunday just think of those 3 words from Jesus’ lips. What He knew was coming. The Son of Man would be mocked, flogged, crucified.

What’s really sad about verse 20 is that they clearly were not listening. I know because of what James and John do. They bring their Mom to Jesus to try get to be first in the kingdom. They are clearly not paying attention. Verse 20.

“Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. [This ought to be good.] ‘What is it you want?’ he asked. She said, ‘Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.’”

What do you think of that request? Well, it’s great that she and they believe in the kingdom. Many people then did not believe that Jesus was the coming king. And many people today still do not believe that Jesus is the coming king. They got that right. They believed what He said in chapter 19, verse 28.

“By the way, you mentioned twelve thrones. I was just wondering if my two sons could be on the thrones immediately to your right and to your left. What do you say?”

[By the way, it’s possible that James and John were actually half-cousins of Jesus and this woman named “Salome” was Jesus’ aunt. It’s not at all for sure as the Bible never comes out and says it, but if you follow the names and relationships in the gospels, it’s definitely possible. So this could be Jesus’ Jewish aunt trying to get some special favors in.]

"So what do you say, Jesus? I mean everybody’s got to have a right hand man!" V.22. Truer words were never spoken.

“‘You don't know what you are asking,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?’” Stop there for a second.

These folks have no clue. Jesus just said that He was going to be mocked, flogged, crucified. And they’re like, “Yeah, whatever, sure. But can we be glorified? We want to be first in the kingdom!”

And Jesus says, “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” 

What do you think is in that cup? I believe they think that cup is the cup of victory. “Can you drink from the cup of glory that I drink from?” “Sure! Hand it over.” v.22 “‘We can,’ they answered.” “I’ll drink to that!”

But it’s not the cup of glory. It’s not the cup of victory. It’s the cup of death. It’s the cup of God’s wrath. It’s the cup of suffering. When Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, He asked His Father if there is any way that this cup could be taken away from Him (cf. Matthew 26:39)! And they say that the could drink it with Him.

“You don’t know what you’re asking.” This cup is the cup of being mocked, flogged, and crucified. And even more, bearing the just wrath of God. That’s what the Son of Man is going to do. The Son of Man Came to Suffer.

So we shouldn’t be surprised if we have to follow in His footsteps. V.23

“Jesus said to them, ‘You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.’”

That’s another surprise. Jesus says that they will drink, to some small degree, from His cup. They too will suffer. Not exactly like He did. But kind of like He did.

The Sons of Zebedee? James will be killed by Herod in Acts chapter 12. Killed by a sword. John will be exiled to the island of Patmos. The Sons of Zebedee will suffer for Jesus’ sake.

And we, too, should not be surprised when are called to suffer for Him, as well. Because that’s the path that Jesus took. Suffering is the path to glory. Why would we think that we would get there without any pain?

But they all did. All of the disciples thought this way. V.24

“When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 

[They weren’t more godly, they were jealous. “Hey, you’re trying to take our place! We want to be first.”]

 

Jesus called them together and said, [No way, guys.] ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave–just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

#2. THE SON OF MAN CAME TO SERVE.

They all want to be first. And Jesus says, “No, no, no. You want to be last. Don’t be like the world. The pagans want to be lords and authorities and little potentates. They want to be kings! But my kingdom is upside-down. If you want to be great, you must be a servant. If you want to be first, you must be last. You must be a slave.”

Jesus says, “Don’t be like them. Be like Me!” 

How counter-cultural. How counter-intuitive. Nothing has changed. The world still clamors to be first. Nobody runs to the back of the line. Nobody lives to die to self and deny themselves. Everybody loves to live for their selves.

Think about it. What is the number one thing the world tells you today:

“Be yourself.”

“Trust yourself.”

“Love yourself.”

Jesus says, “Die to self.”

And serve others.

Now, of course, this doesn’t mean that someone who is in authority no longer exercises authority. Jesus has all authority and exercises it. But He does so as a servant. He is the prime example of serving others, putting them before Himself. And His Crosswork is the prime example of His Servanthood. His suffering was His way of serving.

Verse 28 is so wonderful! One of my favorite lines of Scripture.

Serve others, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

I’ll say it this way: The Son of Man from Daniel 7 is also the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53.

He is worthy of the crown because He drank from the cup.

One of the reasons why Son of Man was welcome in the presence of the Ancient of Days was because He had suffered for His people! Because He  had given His life as a ransom FOR many.

That means “in place of” many.

A ransom is a price paid for someone’s freedom.

On the Cross, Jesus was paying the price of freedom from sin and guilt and shame.

Isaiah 53:12 says that the Suffering Servant will be rewarded “because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Jesus is “riffing on” that language. He’s alluding to Isaiah 53 and saying that He will fulfill it. The Son of Man came to serve.

And so, we who follow Him, should choose to serve, as well.

Are you a servant? Would that appellation be appropriate for you? Would it go on your business card? Would that fit on your social media bio? And nobody would laugh? “Matt Mitchell, servant.” I want it to.

When was the last time you put somebody ahead of yourself, and you didn’t do it to manipulate them? When was the last time you took the last place because you were following Jesus?

The Son of Man deserved to be served, but instead He served. How much more should we serve the people around us?

How could you quietly up your servant quotient today, this week?

At work?

At home?

In the neighborhood?

At church?

Today is our quarterly church family meeting. Does anybody remember what I said at our last quarterly church family meeting as my vision for 2025? I don’t expect anybody to remember!

But what I said was my vision for 2025 was “Serving the King.”

Serving. This year, we have a number of things planned that call us to serve others:

We are planning to serve the people of Hazard Kentucky who were severely affected by flooding a few years ago by sending an 11 member ministry teams in July.

We are planning to serve our neighbors with the first full year of the Lanse Free Fridge. It’s been used left and right.

We are serving our community through a Egg Hunt outreach–maybe the Pavilion will be done in time to use it to serve the community that day, too!

We have an exciting proposal to lay out today in our meeting in how to serve the people of Malawi in a new way.

Our church is full of servants who follow their King’s example! 

I am so proud to pastor this church because so many of you put other people ahead of yourselves.

The Deaconnesses, the Facilities Team, the Elders, the Missions Ministry Team. Jenni, Jordyn, Cindy! Ladies Fellowship Group. The Hospitality Team that prepped everything for the meal we’re about to enjoy.

All of those Kids Bible Class teachers! Because we have grown in here, the classes have grown back there. And it’s hard to keep up. There were 20 kids back there, and for those long Daniel sermons! Thank you, KBC servants, for serving our kids.

Thank you for applying this teaching to yourself? For being different from the world. 

“Not so with you...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave...” 

Just like the Son of Man did. 

The Son of Man? The One rides the clouds? He gave His life as a ransom for many. Even though we don’t didn’t deserve it! Even though he knew what we were like. We were “completely known.” He was eyes-wide-open about who we are and what we are.

But He still went to the Cross for us.

Mocked. Flogged. Crucified.

Mocked. Flogged. Crucified.

Mocked. Flogged. Crucified.

Completely known and yet completely loved! We are covered by our Savior’s blood. The Son of Man suffered for us.

Have you put your faith and trust in what He did for you? How He suffered for you? How He paid the ransom to set you free from sin and death and Hell?! He drank the cup of suffering so that we would not have to. His suffering was serving us. His suffering was saving us.

The Son of Man came to save. And (v.19), on the third day He was raised to life! He didn’t stay dead. (Spoiler alert for the next couple of weeks.) He came back to life and will never die.

And He’s coming again. “[A]t a time known only to God” the Son of Man will return (Matthew 24:44). 

During Passion Week, Jesus will use this name for Himself over and over again, “The Son of Man...the Son of Man...the Son of Man.”

And He will emphasize again that He will be betrayed and suffer (Matthew 26:45).

But also that He will return.

In fact, at His trial, right before He went to the Cross, they were asking Him if He was the Messiah the Son of God, and He answered, “Yes, it is as you say...But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:63-64).

He came to suffer.

He came to serve.

He came to save.

And He’s coming again to receive and reign over the Kingdom of Kingdoms.

May He get all of the glory He deserves. 

***

Astute readers will recognize how much of this week’s message was adapted from “The Suffering Serving Son of Man” which I originally preached on July 7, 2019. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share it again.

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