Blog: April 2025 - ‘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.’ Mark 10:45

 Easter being late this year on 20th April, this month contains the end of Lent, Holy week and Easter week.  Last year by April we’d had Easter!

But this verse sums up why Jesus came into this world – to serve – first God our Father’s will, and secondly for us, to die for us, to conquer sin and be raised again to conquer death itself which we celebrate at Easter.  And God sent His Son Jesus for our sakes, not for His own, giving us Jesus - God’s one and only Son.

We are used to the word ‘service’ and forget what a commitment and obligation it is.  We are not forced like slaves, but invited freely to give ourselves in service to God and one another.

We use the word ‘service’ to refer to our gatherings together to praise and worship God and learn from Him and encourage one another.  Some churches use the word ‘gathering’ or ‘meeting’ – in the Bible the word ‘service’ is never used to describe Christians coming together to meet, but this description of our gatherings ‘service’ has emerged over the centuries to remind is why we meet.  Not primarily just to get together, nor just pray for the needs of our world, nor just sing the hymns and songs we like, nor even just to listen to or read the Bible or learn from sermons.  But we meet in ‘services’ to serve God and one another.

So we serve and honour God by obeying and focussing and praising Him.  The Psalmist writes ‘O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness’ – meaning holy lives.  We serve one another in our services by encouraging and praying for one another and praying for the world and God’s church in the world.  We sing to encourage and build one another up, and sometimes we challenge one another as we read and hear the Bible and what it stirs within us.

And those who lead us in our services are also serving.  That’s why we’re called ‘Ministers’ which is another word for those who serve.  Whether we’re ordained or lay ministers.

The Bible may not use the word ‘services’ for when God’s people meet together.  The Bible does however often use the words ‘Ministers’ and ‘Ministry’; and this refers to all of us not just those Ordained or trained, licenced or authorised.

So as we celebrate again this Easter all God has done for us in sending His Son Jesus Christ to serve us in giving His life and in His resurrection, lets also resolve how we can better serve and minister to Him and one another.  Maybe you might consider how you can deepen your service to God and His church in leading and encouraging others to serve in a variety of ways as well as in our services?

Timothy Wilson