Matthew 20:28 kjv
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Matthew 20:28 nkjv
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Matthew 20:28 niv
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."
Matthew 20:28 esv
even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Matthew 20:28 nlt
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Matthew 20 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 10:45 | For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give... | Direct parallel passage. |
| Php 2:5-8 | Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who... | Christ's humility, self-emptying, and servant-hood unto death. |
| Is 53:10-12 | Yet it was the will of Yahweh to crush Him; He has put Him to grief; when... | Prophetic foundation for the suffering servant, life as a guilt offering, and bearing the sin of "many." |
| 1 Ti 2:5-6 | For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all... | Clarifies the universal scope of Christ's redemptive work. |
| Rom 3:23-26 | ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified... | Redemption and propitiation through Christ's blood. |
| Eph 1:7 | In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses... | Emphasis on redemption and forgiveness through Christ's sacrifice. |
| Col 1:13-14 | He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption... | Redemption as liberation and forgiveness. |
| Ti 2:14 | who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify... | Christ's self-sacrifice for redemption and purification. |
| Gal 1:3-4 | Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins... | Christ's giving Himself for the forgiveness of sins. |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | knowing that you were ransomed, not with perishable things...but with the precious blood of Christ... | Redemption through the precious blood of Christ. |
| Heb 9:12-14 | He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats...but by means of His own blood... | Christ's unique and perfect sacrificial work for eternal redemption. |
| Lk 22:27 | For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as one who serves. | Jesus' own illustration of servant leadership at the Last Supper. |
| Jn 13:12-15 | When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments...he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you?" | Jesus' act of washing feet as an example of service. |
| 1 Jn 3:16 | By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. | The ultimate demonstration of love as laying down one's life. |
| Jn 10:11, 15 | I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep... | Jesus as the Good Shepherd who willingly sacrifices for His flock. |
| Mk 9:35 | And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” | Prior context where Jesus teaches humility and servanthood. |
| Mt 25:40, 45 | And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” | Serving others, especially the least, as serving Christ Himself. |
| Acts 20:28 | Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he obtained with His own blood. | The Church was acquired at the cost of Christ's blood. |
| Rev 5:9 | And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll...for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation," | The praise of Christ for His atoning ransom for all peoples. |
| Rom 5:6-8 | For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person... | Christ died for us while we were sinners, demonstrating God's love. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. | Christ's sin-bearing work for our righteousness. |
| 1 Co 6:20 | for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. | Christians are redeemed by a great price, belonging to God. |
| Mt 12:40 | For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. | Reference to "Son of Man" often connected to His suffering, death, and resurrection. |
| Lk 9:22 | saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” | Jesus frequently linked His identity as "Son of Man" with suffering and death. |
Matthew 20 verses
Matthew 20 28 Meaning
Matthew 20:28 encapsulates the core of Jesus Christ's messianic mission: a radical reversal of worldly power structures. He clarifies that His coming was not to receive service, as human leaders might expect, but to exemplify true greatness through selfless service to others. Furthermore, the pinnacle of this service is the giving of His life as a "ransom," a propitiatory sacrifice to redeem humanity from the bondage of sin and its consequences, benefiting a vast multitude.
Matthew 20 28 Context
Matthew 20:28 follows immediately after the disciples, specifically James and John (and their mother), request prominent positions of power and glory in Jesus' coming kingdom (Mt 20:20-21). This ambition leads to indignation among the other disciples (Mt 20:24). In response, Jesus addresses their misunderstanding of true leadership in the Kingdom of God. He contrasts the self-serving model of gentile rulers, who "lord it over" their subjects, with His own paradigm of servant leadership (Mt 20:25-27). Verse 28 serves as the profound summation of this teaching, revealing His divine nature and ultimate purpose for His redemptive mission. Historically, this message was radical in a society structured by power and hierarchy, particularly under Roman imperial rule where emperors were often revered as gods and expected to be served. It also implicitly corrects prevailing Jewish expectations of a conquering Messiah who would lead a political revolution.
Matthew 20 28 Word analysis
just as: (ὥσπερ - hōsper) Implies a comparison or direct correspondence. It presents Jesus's mission as the exemplary standard, establishing the rule for His followers based on His own conduct.
the Son of Man: (ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου - ho huios tou anthrōpou) A key self-designation used by Jesus, combining humility with messianic authority and eschatological judgment. Rooted in Dan 7:13, it implies both earthly suffering and heavenly glory, making Him identifiable yet transcendent.
did not come: (οὐκ ἦλθεν - ouk ēlthen) Emphasizes the purpose or intent of His advent. It denotes His voluntary arrival for a specific mission, contrasting with accidental occurrences.
to be served: (διακονηθῆναι - diakonēthēnai, passive infinitive of diakoneō) To receive service. In a world accustomed to leaders receiving deference, this is a radical counter-cultural statement about Christ's disposition and leadership style.
but to serve: (ἀλλὰ διακονῆσαι - alla diakonēsai, active infinitive of diakoneō) Indicates a direct contrast and proactive self-giving. Diakoneō implies humble service, often practical, hands-on, and attentive to others' needs, similar to that of a table-servant. This reflects God's own nature.
and to give: (καὶ δοῦναι - kai dounai, infinitive of didōmi) Connects service to the ultimate act of giving: His life. This reveals that His service isn't just about moral example but culminates in a costly, saving act. It denotes an intentional, voluntary sacrifice.
His life: (τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ - tēn psychēn autou) Literally, "His soul" or "His self." It means His very being, His essence, the sum of His vital functions, offered as a total sacrifice, extending to the point of death.
as a ransom: (λύτρον - lytron) This is the central sacrificial and redemptive term. A lytron was a price paid for the liberation of a slave, a prisoner of war, or a captive, securing freedom. It signifies a substitutionary payment, emphasizing atonement for sin. This echoes Old Testament concepts of redemption (e.g., Ex 21:30, Num 3:51).
for many: (ἀντὶ πολλῶν - anti pollōn) The preposition anti explicitly means "instead of," or "in the place of," highlighting the substitutionary nature of His sacrifice. "Many" is used here not to imply exclusivity or limitation but expansiveness, signifying a vast, innumerable number (cf. Is 53:11-12 where "many" means a multitude from all nations). In a parallel sense, this means Christ’s ransom applies to all who believe and are thus among the redeemed multitude.
Words-group analysis:
- "Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve": This phrase redefines Messiahship, replacing conventional notions of earthly glory and rule with self-emptying, sacrificial ministry. It directly counters the disciples' worldly ambitions. This statement emphasizes the missio Dei, that the very purpose of Christ's incarnation was redemptive action, not passive reception of homage.
- "to give His life as a ransom": This signifies the climax of Christ's service. His death is not merely a consequence of His ministry but its deliberate, preordained goal. It underscores the sacrificial nature of His work, essential for liberation from sin and its penalty. It introduces the core concept of atonement: that Christ's life pays the price for human bondage.
- "ransom for many": This specifies the beneficiaries and efficacy of His sacrifice. The ransom establishes the ground of forgiveness and new life. The many encompasses all who receive this liberation, demonstrating a wide-reaching yet specific redemptive act, fulfilling prophecies like Isa 53.
Matthew 20 28 Bonus section
The specific choice of "Son of Man" (Danielic term implying sovereign rule) alongside "came to serve and give His life as a ransom" presents a profound theological paradox. The heavenly sovereign condescends to the lowest position of servanthood, specifically to lay down His life as a ransom. This fusion highlights that His ultimate rule is established through suffering and sacrificial love, not earthly conquest. It reshapes the understanding of Messiahship from a king who demands allegiance to a savior who sacrifices His all. This concept was utterly revolutionary and difficult for the disciples, and even many contemporary scholars, to fully grasp without divine revelation. The idea of "ransom" was understood in the Greco-Roman world in relation to the liberation of slaves, where a price (often money or value) was paid. Jesus transforms this concept by making His own life the cost of freedom, thereby initiating the "new covenant" promised in the Old Testament, sealed by His blood (cf. Jer 31:31-34; Lk 22:20).
Matthew 20 28 Commentary
Matthew 20:28 is a cornerstone statement on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, providing both a paradigm for Christian leadership and the theological bedrock of the Gospel. It stands as Jesus' most explicit statement in Matthew regarding the substitutionary nature of His death. He deliberately contrasts worldly greatness, characterized by domination, with Kingdom greatness, which manifests in humble service. The disciples' ambition for power (Mt 20:20-24) provided the perfect backdrop for Jesus to unveil the true nature of His kingdom, which operates on an entirely different economy of value—one rooted in self-giving love rather than self-exaltation.
The culmination of Jesus' "serving" is the giving of His life as a "ransom." This signifies the unique, voluntary, and purposeful nature of His death. It's not a martyrdom of a good man, but a divinely purposed redemptive act. The term lytron (ransom) points directly to the Old Testament concept of redemption through a payment. Humanity, enslaved by sin, unable to free itself, requires a mediator and a price paid. Christ's life becomes that precious price, effectively releasing believers from the curse of sin and the bondage to evil. The "for many" signifies the vast number of individuals—all of humanity who will turn to Him—for whom this sacrifice is effective, indicating a widespread redemptive scope. This verse underscores that Christ's primary mission was salvific, emphasizing His atoning death as central to His identity as the "Son of Man" and the Messiah.
Practical usage:
- It challenges us to reconsider our notions of greatness and influence, prioritizing serving others over seeking personal acclaim.
- It reminds us that the cross is not an unfortunate end to a good life, but the very purpose for which Christ came—a deliberate, loving sacrifice.