Servers

I could never be a server at a restaurant.

I have really bad short-term memory for one. Also, the idea of interacting with random people all day would be exhausting for me as an introvert. Most likely, I would have the hardest time with the serving part!

When Jesus was on earth, He certainly took on the form of a servant. A well-known example of this is where Jesus stooped down and washed his disciples’ dirty feet (John 13). There Jesus humbled Himself and did an activity that only a lowly servant would do in His day.

But was this a one-time event? When Jesus ascended, did He leave the whole “servant thing” behind? When Jesus returns, is He is only coming back as a Judge?

Word Pictures of the Second Coming

When referring to the Second Coming, the New Testament does depict Jesus as a Judge (James 5:9). But the New Testament also depicts the Second Coming using several other word pictures. Here are a few:

-Bridegroom bringing others to a marriage feast (Matthew 25:1-13)

-Thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2)

-Shepherd separating the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31-32)

Many of these word pictures are familiar to Christians, but there is one that is often overlooked:

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them” (Luke 12:35-37).

Like several other passages in Scripture, Jesus reminds us to always be ready for his return. But when you think about Jesus’ return in all of His glory, do you picture sitting at a restaurant with Jesus as your server?

I sure don’t.

This passage describes a unique and mind-boggling perspective of the Second Coming. God Himself will encourage believers to sit back and relax as He once again takes on the role of a servant!

A God Who Serves

We serve a God of mercy and grace. We serve a God who humbled Himself to be a servant on earth. We serve a God who serves.

This is not to say that God is obligated to serve us or that we can expect Him to serve our every need in this life or the next. In fact, it is quite the opposite. God doesn’t owe us anything. There is nothing that we have done or will ever do to deserve this. But that’s what makes it so amazing.

So the next time you are being served at a restaurant, think about what your server does. Take note of how that server emulates the return of Jesus. Oh, and make sure you leave a good tip!