Mark 10:45 AV
For even¹ the Son of man
came not to be ministered² unto,
but to minister³,
and to give⁴ his life⁵
a ransom⁶ for many.
¹) Also, even, indeed, but.
²) To be served.
³) To be a servant, to serve.
⁴) To give one to someone as his own; to give over to one’s care.
⁵) His soul.
⁶) The price for redeeming, paid for slaves, captives, for the ransom of life; to liberate many from misery and the penalty of their sins.
Other translations
For even the Son of Man came not to have service rendered to Him, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for (instead of) many. [AMP] For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." [ESV] That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served--and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage." [MSB] For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. [KJV] For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." [NIV] For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many." [NLT] For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." [NKJV]
Study
For even the son of man
The son of man, that is, Christ himself; a name by which he frequently goes both in the Old and New Testament to the arguments before produced, Christ adds His own example, to teach His disciples humility and lowliness of mind and to check their ambitious views and desires
Came not to be ministered unto
Not, but that he was ministered unto even by the angels of God, who ministered to Him in the wilderness, after he had been tempted by Satan; and He was also ministered unto by some women out of their substance; but these show the low estate He was in to stand in need of such ministrations.
Here the sense is that He did not appear as an earthly prince, with a fine equipage, a large retinue and attendance.
But to minister
To be a servant, as He is in His mediatorial office and capacity:
He was sent, and came as the servant of the Lord, and he ministered, in His prophetic office, the Gospel unto men, and went about in the form of a servant, doing good, ministering medicine both to the souls end bodies of men.
But the great work He came for, was the work of man’s redemption; which He willingly and cheerfully undertook, diligently and faithfully prosecuted, and has completely finished; to which respect is had in the next clause
To give his life a ransom for many
Even for all the elect of God, to redeem them from sin, Satan, and the law; and secure them from the wrath of God, and eternal death.
This He has done, by laying down His life as the ransom price for them.
He came to give His life, which was His own, and nothing is more dear and precious.
His life was an uncommon one, being not only so useful to men, and entirely free from sin in itself, but was the life of the man Jesus, who is in union with the Son of God.
He came to “give”, and He even did give Himself into the hands of men, to the justice of God, and death itself.
This giving of His life, supposes that it was His own, and at His own disposal.
▪︎ It was not forfeited by any act of Him,
▪︎ nor was it forced from Him,
▪︎ but His life was freely laid down by Him;
and that as a “ransom”, or redemption price for His people,
▪︎ to deliver them from the evil of sin,
▪︎ to deliver them from the bondage of Satan,
▪︎ to deliver them from the the curses of a righteous law,
▪︎ to deliver them from eternal death,
▪︎ and to deliver them from the future wrath,
in short, to deliver them from from all their enemies.
This ransom price was paid
▪︎ “for” them in their room and stead,
▪︎ by the Christ, as their substitute;
▪︎ Who put Himself in their legal place,
▪︎ Who laid Himself under obligation to pay their debts,
▪︎ Who laid Himself under obligation to clear their scores,
▪︎ Who laid Himself under obligation to redeem them from all their iniquities,
▪︎ Who laid Himself under obligation to redeem them from all the evil consequences of their sin.
And this he did “for many”;
▪︎ for as many as were ordained to eternal life;
▪︎ for as many as the Father gave unto him;
▪︎ for many out of every kindred, tongue, and people, and nation;
▪︎ but not for every individual of human nature; for many are not all.
We have a free will, and some (how stupid they are) will, willingly and knowingly refuse Him, and consequently it will not be for them.
Life
Or, soul. Cf. Isaiah 53:10,12 (Greek – ” the soul or the essential life, not as commonly, “zoe,” the active life
A ransom for many
“instead of many,”
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In the kingdom about to be set up, this principle shall have no place.
All My servants shall there be equal; and the only greatness known to it shall be the greatness of humility and devotedness to the service of others.
He that goes down the deepest in these services of self-denying humility shall rise the highest and hold the chiefest place in that kingdom; even as the Son of man, whose abasement and self-sacrifice for others, transcending all, gives Him of right a place above all!”
As “the Word in the beginning with God,” He was ministered unto; and as the risen Redeemer in our nature He now is ministered unto, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him” (1 Peter 3:22).
But not for this did He come to us.
The One who should be served of all, came to us to be the Servant of all.
And the act of even giving His life was the greatest service ever seen in the universe.
“HE GAVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR MANY!”,
Many” is here to be taken, not in contrast with few or with all, but in opposition to one; the one Son of man for the many sinners.
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Jesus sets Himself (the Son of man) as an example to His disciples.
He did not come into the world to be served as a ruler, but to serve as a slave (cf. Philippians 2:6-8). The serving of the Son of man is evident, in that He even gives His life as a ransom for many ”(cf. Mark 14:24; 1 Timothy 2:6; Titus 2:14).
Just as Jesus’ submission to death benefits many, so the disciples too are to be committed and submissive to the salvation of others.
The background of Jesus’ statement may be Isaiah 53 about the vicarious suffering of the Servant of the Lord. Jesus ‘death is a sacrifice (to give His life’; cf. Isaiah 53:10; John 10:11,15,17), it accomplishes redemption (‘ransom’; cf. Isaiah 53:5,11) and is vicarious (the preposition ‘anti’ means “instead of”, or “in exchange for”; cf. Isaiah 53:6,8,12).
However, the emphasis in this verse is not on how Jesus’ suffering and death benefits others (there is no mention of to whom the ransom is paid to, nor from where, or from what, the many are redeemed), but on the effect that Jesus suffered dying for others has: Jesus’ death benefits ‘many’ (polloi).
The thought is not “many as opposed to all,” but “many as opposed to few.”
In Semitic speaking, ‘many’ can sometimes even be used as a synonym for ‘all’ (Isaiah 53:6,12; Daniel 12:2; Romans 5:12,19). The parallel text in 1 Timothy 2:6 makes it clear that that meaning is also intended here.
Devotional
The Christ wants to serve. His whole life consists of serving.
As the Messiah sent from God, His glory is hidden.
The salvation He brings does not consist in earthly freedom.
Then the disciples could serve Him.
His work is like the Servant of the Lord, bringing salvation.
This is only possible through complete obedience.
He is the least among men to make His way across the earth.
There’s not even a place where He can lay His head.
Soon there will be nowhere more room, than just on the cross and in the grave.
Then comes the culmination of His service: He gives His soul.
He will do anything to save sinners.
He also wants to serve you as your Savior!
That’s what He came for.
Seek Him while He may be found!
Twitter: @SchoemakerHarry
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