The Servant King: Bend the Knee and Serve

Mar 22, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Unavoidable Question of Jesus' Identity

The very existence of Jesus forces a decision. He is not a neutral historical figure who can be casually observed; his life and claims demand a response. To ignore the question is, in itself, to provide an answer. This fundamental inquiry into who He is forms the bedrock of faith and shapes the trajectory of one's life. Engaging with this question is the first step toward truth. [00:28]

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:12-13 ESV)

Reflection: As you consider the person of Jesus, what is your current, honest answer to the question, "Who is Jesus to me?" What evidence or experiences have shaped that answer?

Day 2: Recognizing the King of an Eternal Kingdom

Jesus entered Jerusalem not as a political revolutionary but as a different kind of king. The crowds welcomed Him with palm branches, a symbol for a king returning victorious from battle, yet His mission was far greater than any earthly conquest. His kingdom is not of this world, but it is a real and everlasting dominion that will never be destroyed. His authority transcends time and human power structures. [05:57]

I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14 ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you still looking for an earthly king or solution, rather than trusting in the eternal authority and kingdom of Jesus?

Day 3: The King Who Bends the Knee to Serve

The ultimate display of Christ's kingship was not a demand for service but an act of service itself. The King of Kings, with all authority in His hands, humbled Himself to wash the feet of His followers. This shocking inversion of power reveals a heart that seeks not to be served, but to serve. His mission was one of sacrificial love, culminating in the ultimate gift of His life. [17:56]

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:3-5 ESV)

Reflection: Where is God inviting you to lay down your rights or position in order to lovingly serve someone else this week, following the example of Jesus?

Day 4: Our Response to a Servant King

The appropriate response to a king who serves is not guilt or obligation, but a willing desire to bend the knee. His profound love and sacrifice compel a heartfelt surrender to His loving authority. We honor this Servant King not merely with words, but by emulating His example of humble service in our own relationships and spheres of influence. [22:28]

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. (John 13:14-15 ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical way you can "wash the feet" of someone in your life—your family, a coworker, or a neighbor—as a tangible response to the service Christ has shown you?

Day 5: Bending the Knee in Daily Surrender

Bending the knee is both a decisive moment and a daily posture. It is a recognition that we already give our allegiance to something, whether it is our own desires, ambitions, or other worldly things. To bend the knee to Christ is to consciously transfer that allegiance to the one true King who alone offers life, purpose, and salvation. This surrender is the path to true freedom. [29:34]

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 ESV)

Reflection: What is one thing—a habit, a relationship, a pursuit—that currently competes for your primary allegiance, and what would it look like to intentionally surrender it to the kingship of Jesus today?

Sermon Summary

Jesus forces a decision about identity: either a myth, merely a remarkable human, or exactly who he claimed to be — God in the flesh. Historical records and non-Christian historians demonstrate that Jesus lived and left more documentation than most of his contemporaries, so denial of his existence collapses under evidence. Arguments that reduce him to “just a man” fail to explain acts like raising the dead. The most coherent reading holds that Jesus was fully God and fully man, and that claim shapes everything about his purpose and reign.

Crowds welcomed him into Jerusalem as a king, waving palm branches and crying “Hosanna,” but their hope for a political liberator misread the mission. Jesus declared, “My kingdom is not of this world,” signaling a reign rooted in truth and spiritual authority rather than military power. Old Testament prophecy (Daniel) and New Testament vision (Revelation) portray a sovereign, everlasting ruler whose dominion does not pass away and who will return as judge and king of kings.

The king’s method contradicts human patterns of power. Worldly rulers demand submission; Jesus models service. At the Passover meal he took a towel and washed his followers’ feet, making humility the standard of leadership. That humility culminated in incarnation and crucifixion: God made low, obedient even to death on a cross. That sacrificial path proves kingship more than any display of force.

Proper response follows the king’s example: voluntary submission expressed as sacrificial service to others. Bending the knee becomes less a coercive act and more an offered posture of trust and love in return for a king who served first. The call moves beyond mere agreement about facts into a transformational way of life — reorienting loyalties, replacing lesser rulers with the true Lord, and practicing humble, costly care for neighbors. The invitation stands open: confess the king now, follow his path of service, and live under the rule of one whose throne rests on self-giving love.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus fully God and fully man The incarnation unites divine authority with genuine human vulnerability. That union explains claims of cosmic authority alongside a life that experienced hunger, grief, and death. Recognizing both natures prevents reducing Jesus to a moral teacher or to an impersonal deity. This conviction grounds worship, trust, and the hope of resurrection. [04:10]
2. Kingdom not of this world Jesus defines his reign by truth and inner allegiance, not by territorial control or political dominance. His mission redirects hopes for immediate political rescue toward an eternal governance that shapes hearts and communities. Christians live under a king whose rule wins by conviction rather than coercion. That reality reframes civic hopes without excusing injustice. [09:52]
3. King of kings by sacrificial love Sovereignty appears most clearly where power chooses vulnerability and death for others’ rescue. Incarnation and crucifixion reveal a ruler whose authority rests on giving rather than taking. The cross proves leadership that serves rather than dominates, demanding a response shaped by gratitude and imitation. True lordship calls for costly love, not merely admiration. [21:18]
4. Serving others honors the true king Foot washing turns theology into practice: worship translates into humble service to neighbors. Authority becomes stewardship, and bending the knee becomes daily acts of care that reflect the king’s own posture. Authentic discipleship replaces self-advancement with costly compassion, showing the world an alternative form of power. This service acts as both proof and proclamation of the kingdom. [27:21]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:13] - Jesus provokes the question
[00:42] - Is Jesus fictional?
[01:27] - Historical evidence for Jesus
[03:43] - Claim of divine identity
[05:32] - Triumphal entry: Palm Sunday
[09:52] - Kingdom not of this world
[11:26] - Daniel’s everlasting kingdom
[12:40] - Revelation: victorious judge
[17:56] - Foot washing: humble service
[21:18] - Humility unto the cross
[27:21] - Call to serve one another
[33:41] - Invitation to bend the knee

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: John 13:1-5, 12-15 (ESV)
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.

Observation questions

What specific actions did Jesus perform in John 13:4-5 to wash the disciples' feet?
What two titles do the disciples use for Jesus, and how does he confirm them in John 13:13?
According to the sermon, what was the cultural significance of waving palm branches when a king returned? [05:57]
What did Jesus tell Pilate about the nature and origin of his kingdom in John 18:36? [09:52]

Interpretation questions

Jesus knew the Father had given all things into his hands, yet he chose to wash feet. What does this contrast reveal about the true nature of power and authority in his kingdom?
The people welcomed Jesus as a king but wanted a political liberator. Why does a kingdom "not of this world" often disappoint or confuse human expectations? [08:33]
How does the act of foot-washing serve as a practical example of Jesus' statement in Mark 10:45 that he "came not to be served but to serve"?
The vision in Revelation 19 describes a king whose sword is in his mouth, not his hand. What does this imagery suggest about how King Jesus will ultimately wage war and establish his rule? [13:16]

Application questions

Jesus, the ultimate authority, modeled service by washing feet. In what relationships (family, work, church, neighborhood) do you hold a position of authority, and how can you intentionally "bend the knee" to serve those people this week? [27:56]
We all "bend the knee" to something that commands our time, energy, and thoughts. What is one thing you have given that authority to, and how is its payoff comparing to what the King of Kings offers? [29:34]
The call is to move beyond agreement into a transformed way of life. What is one practical, "costly" act of care you can perform for a neighbor that would reflect the king’s own posture of service?
Peter was initially resistant to having Jesus wash his feet. What is one area of your life where you resist surrendering control to Jesus, and what would it look like to fully trust his serving, loving leadership there? [19:09]
Honoring the king translates into humble service. Who is one person in your life that is difficult to serve, and what is one step you can take to "wash their feet" as an act of worship to Jesus?

Sermon Clips

50s

“What is God saying? What is Jesus saying to them right now? Like like, no. I I'm washing you because I'm showing you I have come to serve you. I have come to serve you. That's that's why I am here, to serve you. Imagine a human king coming into winning a battle, marching into the opposing city, to people he just conquered, who has now he has authority right over, and then bending his knee to the people of that town, a commoner in that town, a child in that town, and saying, I'm here to serve you. I've come to serve you. Imagine any human in a position of authority going to someone else, and and and bowing the knee to them and saying, I've come to serve you. I'm here to serve you. That's exactly what Jesus was doing.”

from 00:19:35

#ServantKing

50s

“I love what Jesus says next. Let these words just soak in. When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments, resumed his his place his place at the head of the table, he said to them, do you understand what I've done to you? You call me teacher and lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you also should do as I have done to you. The way we honor a sacrificial, loving, giving king is by being sacrificial and loving and giving to one another. That's what he asked for. That's what he wants.”

from 00:26:51

#ServeOneAnother

49s

“I love it that most kings' swords are in their hand. Jesus' sword is in his mouth. It is his words. It is truth. A sharp sword which would strike down the nations with truth. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress and the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On the robe and on his thigh is written the name king of kings and lord of lords. John is showing us this vision of of of the future. We see to the past. We see that Jesus was with God at the beginning, creating this universe that we know for us. And he's gonna be there in the future ruling over a king of kings, lord of lords. Not just a king, they king. That leaves us with a question.”

from 00:13:24

#TruthIsHisSword

35s

“And that's probably where a lot of people today land. You saw a lot of people on video. Yeah. He was a good teacher, a philosopher, or even something more, that guy. He's all the good stuff in the world. Right? But here's the problem with all that. If Jesus was just a dude, how did he do all the things that he was documented in doing, especially raised from the dead? Just dudes don't raise from the dead. No one has ever done that. We can't do that. Jesus did because he was fully God and fully man.”

from 00:02:30

#ResurrectionProof

43s

“No one is more deserving of being served, and his whole mission, whole goal is to serve us. And by doing so, shows us how he deserves to be served. Does that make sense? Paul said this about him writing his letters to Philippians, Philippians chapter two. And being found in human form, Jesus humbled himself. That Greek word humbled means to make low, physically make low. He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. A good king serves his subjects sacrificially.”

from 00:20:45

#HumbleServantKing

59s

“Okay. I to you, I would just say that's not true. But that's just that's just false. You do. Whether you realize it or not, whether it's money, maybe it's your job, maybe it's the praise of others, physical pleasure, maybe it's sports, maybe there's another person. There's something in your life. Maybe it's just yourself. There's something in your life that you have bent the knee to, meaning you've given it authority. Your time, your energy, your thoughts are for that thing. And so to you, I would ask yourself, what is that thing giving back? Can it change your life? Can it can it can it fill that place in your heart, that longing that you have? And can it save you when your body is done? There's only one king. There's only one authority that can both love you in this life and save you in the next, and that's Jesus.”

from 00:29:03

#WhatAreYouServing

49s

“So the people of the people of of Jerusalem are like, please god, send us a savior. They're waiting. They've been waiting for generations and hundreds of years for this savior to come. And here comes this man who can do things no one else can do, speaks like no one else speaks. And, of course, it makes sense. They're thinking to themselves, this could be the guy. Maybe this is the guy. Let's welcome in this king. But here's the problem. That's not Jesus' mission. That's not why he came. That's not what he did. So was Jesus any less of a king? Because he didn't come, and he didn't come with a sword to to deliver the people from from from the Romans.”

from 00:08:13

#MisunderstoodMessiah

41s

“And Pilate said to him, so you are a king. Jesus answered, you say that I'm a king. For this purpose, I was born, and for this purpose, I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice. So Jesus Jesus says, my kingdom is not of this world. I'm here, but I've come for other purpose. Right? And those who know me, those who are are getting it, that I am God, they're they can hear the truth and what I'm saying. Their hearts are burning when I talk. I've come for a different purpose.”

from 00:09:52

#BornToBearWitness

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The Servant King: Bend the Knee and Serve

Devotional

Day 1: The Unavoidable Question of Jesus' Identity

Day 2: Recognizing the King of an Eternal Kingdom

Day 3: The King Who Bends the Knee to Serve

Day 4: Our Response to a Servant King

Day 5: Bending the Knee in Daily Surrender

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

The Servant King: Bend the Knee and Serve

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