Take your Bibles with me and turn to the book of Luke, chapter 22.

As you're turning there, I want to talk about Kim Jong-un, the dictator of North Korea. North Korea, as all of us know, is probably the most oppressive place on earth. It is a place where people starve to death. It is a place where, if you manage to get out, which is very difficult, your family will be tortured or even executed. It is a place where people live in abject poverty, completely cut off from the rest of the world. And all of it serves the benefit of one portly nerdy-looking guy named Kim Jong-un.

Here's the irony. If you watch any of the North Korean media, they call Kim Jong-un their shining sun. They have pictures of him in all of their houses. They literally worship this guy as the greatest person on earth and the savior and servant of the people. He sits fat and happy in a palace while everyone else starves. He rules with an iron fist, and they worship him.

Isn't that ironic? Doesn't fit, does it? That pattern is just one of four ironies that Jesus points out after the Last Supper.

Now don't miss the importance of this. Jesus has just declared the new covenant. He has just instituted the Lord's Supper and talked about how his blood is going to take the place of all the blood of bulls and goats that have constituted Judaism for over a thousand years. He's hours away from the cross. He's going to leave this room, where he's enjoying a meal with his disciples, and go to the Garden of Gethsemane. He's going to be betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. He's going to be taken to the house of the high priest where a sham trial happens, and he's going to be dragged early in the morning before Pontius Pilate, and then before Herod, and then back to Pontius Pilate, and he is going to be tortured and put on a cross. So the fact that Jesus is choosing to have this conversation with his disciples shows how very important what he's about to talk about is.

This speech is expanded upon in the book of John. We'll talk a little bit about that in a few minutes. But what I want to point out today is four ironic things in verses 21 to 30. So let's go ahead and read that.

[21] But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.
[22] And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!
[23] And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.
[24] And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
[25] And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
[26] But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
[27] For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
[28] Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
[29] And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
[30] That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Luke 22:21-30 (KJV)

There are four important ironies that Jesus brings out in these verses as He is sitting around the table with His disciples in what would be their last meal together before the crucifixion.

The first irony is

The irony of arguing who's greatest while Jesus is about to be betrayed and crucified.

Jesus says in verses 21 and 22 that one of the people at this table is going to betray him, and then he says that he's going in the way that it's been determined. Jesus had already told them enough to know that He is looking for the cross; He is expecting the cross very quickly. There is no doubt a lot of solemnity sitting over this meal and over this discussion. Jesus had already talked about his blood being shed and his body being broken as he instituted the Last Supper moments before this.

So here's what happens. Jesus tells them, "Somebody sitting at this table is going to betray me." They get into an argument about who it's going to be. Is it me? Is it me? Is it you? And that argument turns into arguing about who's the greatest.

Now this wasn't the first time that the disciples argued about who was the greatest. In fact, there were several times before this where the disciples got into an argument about who among them was the greatest.

For instance:

[1] At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
Matthew 18:1 (KJV)

[33] And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?
[34] But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
Mark 9:33-34 (KJV)

[46] Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.
Luke 9:46 (KJV)

This was a common topic of conversation. And listen, before you're too hard on them, we do the same thing. Many of you dads spend significant time dreaming about professional advancement, about climbing the ladder, about getting that glory somehow. Many of you moms stake your entire identity on the accomplishments of your children.

There is something in human nature that wants to be great. But here's the irony: they're openly arguing about this while Jesus just talked about being betrayed by one of his closest friends and going to the cross.

Imagine sitting by the bedside of your father, and he is in utter pain, and you know he's about to die, and you're sitting there filing your nails and thinking about how good you're going to look at the funeral. Human beings are messed up, aren't we?

So that is the first irony in this story — the sad irony of disciples who were completely tone deaf to what Jesus was going through.

The second irony in this story we see in Jesus' response to them in verse 25.

[25] And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
Luke 22:25 (KJV)

I know the King James here is a little bit clunky and hard for us to read, so let me explain what Jesus was saying here. He was saying that Gentile kings lord over their people. They dominate their people. And yet they expect their people to call them benefactors.

They expect their people to bless them as if they were servants of the people, when in fact they are holding them down with their boots.

So a second irony that we can see here is...

2. The irony of worldly leaders lording it over others, yet wanting to be called benefactors.

It's the Kim Jong-un thing again. The worshipped dictator. By pointing out that irony, Jesus was saying to his disciples, we're not going to be like that. We're not going to be like the world. We don't operate in the same mental model that they operate in.

Jesus wasn't like that. Jesus is the true King of kings and Lord of lords. And yet Jesus actually was the benefactor of those he leads. Jesus came and spent his entire life serving, not being served. He came and he spent his entire life grinding it out, helping other people, not being worshiped and honored and pampered as he deserved to be. And Jesus truly showed how great he was by going to the cross.

He didn't just serve people. He died for people.

Look with me at Philippians chapter 2, verses 1 through 8.

[1] If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
[2] Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
[3] Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
[4] Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
[5] Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
[6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
[7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
[8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:1-8 (KJV)

Notice it says, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory. That's how the world works. They're in constant competition with each other. They're constantly trying to get glory, to be the top dog. And as Christians, we're not to be like that at all. We're to be like Christ. Christ deserved all the glory.

All the glory belongs to Jesus. And yet he came and served. And he served so much that he went to the cross.

Mark 10:45 puts it like this:

[45] For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45 (KJV)

So we see the irony of the disciples arguing about greatness while Jesus has just announced betrayal, and the irony of worldly leaders lording it over others, yet wanting to be called benefactors. But there's a third irony that we see in this passage. And that is...

3. The irony of the greatest one, putting on a towel to serve.

I want you to hold your finger here and I want you to turn to John chapter 13 with me. John chapter 13. This is a much more detailed account of the same thing that we just read about in the book of Luke.

Let's read the first five verses:

[1] Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
[2] And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;
[3] Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
[4] He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
[5] After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
John 13:1-5 (KJV)

Can you see the timeline here? This is the same night that Luke is talking about. And Jesus doesn't just talk to the disciples about the silliness of their arguments about who's greatest. Jesus shows them what true greatness looks like by quietly getting up, putting on servants' clothes, kneeling down on the floor, and washing their feet.

In Bible times, washing someone's feet was considered the lowliest job, and only the lowliest servant would do it. A rabbi's disciple didn't have to wash his master's feet. It was too low for him. But Jesus here does what nobody was willing to do.

He humbles himself and he starts washing their feet.

Then Jesus says:

[13] Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
[14] If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
[15] For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
[16] Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
[17] If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
John 13:13-17 (KJV)

This is the greatest irony, that the master of the universe would kneel down, humble himself, and wash the feet of these guys.

Church, if you are a Christian, that means you are a follower of Christ. An emulator of Christ. And what did Christ do? Did He rest on rank? Never — He served.

A Christian should not go around trying to be the greatest. A Christian should go around trying to serve the neediest. Not because men will see you — but because God sees you.

He doesn't say, "Think about this." He says, "I have given you an example." The basin was there the whole time, and the only one who picked it up was the Lord. If you know that, you're not done. Happy are you if you do it. So look at the room you're actually in this week — house, church, work — and take the job everyone else is leaving on the floor. You don't need a lower rank to do it. In this kingdom, the highest one already did.

Back in our text, Jesus asked the question, "Who is greater, the guy who is sitting at the table being served or the guy waiting the table?" In every culture everyone would say "the guy getting served" — but Jesus said no. It's the guy serving who is greater.

And He didn't just tell them. He showed them.

I remember hearing a sermon from the founder of the Wilds camp in North Carolina, and he said, "He that dies with the dirtiest towel wins."

That is what it means to live as a Christian. To live humbly. To live in service. To live for others. Not to be recognized by anyone but Christ.

So we've seen three ironies in this story. There is one more, and it may be the greatest irony in these verses. Look at verses 28 through 30 again:

[28] Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
[29] And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
[30] That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Luke 22:28-30 (KJV)

4. The irony of Jesus giving a kingdom to people who don't deserve it.

Let me ask you something — are you impressed with the disciples so far? Are they being impressive in this instance, callously arguing about who is greater when Jesus is bearing the weight of the cross?

I'm not impressed. They are despicable.

And Jesus knows what they still don't know. In a few hours they are going to scatter. Peter is going to deny him three times. The rest are going to run. If this were you or me, this is where we would fire the whole team. We would say, "I need a new group."

That is not what Jesus does.

Look at verse 28. After he has just rebuked their pride, he turns around and commends them. "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations." He is not talking about the wilderness. They weren't there for that. He is talking about the whole road — the plots, the insults, the crowds that walked away, the nights they still stayed. Their hearts have been right even when their heads have been thick. They have stayed. Judas is the contrast. These men, with all their ugliness in this room, are still his.

And then he says the most stunning thing. Verse 29: "And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me." That word appoint is covenant language. The Father has covenanted a kingdom to the Son, and the Son covenants it to them. He does not say, "Win the argument and I'll give you a throne." He says it to men who just lost the argument, who are about to fail him, and who have nothing to bargain with.

That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The same men fighting about the head of this table are promised a seat at his table. The same men grabbing for greatness are promised thrones they did not earn.

Do you see the irony? They are jockeying for rank, and he gives them a kingdom. They are small, and he treats them like heirs. First the towel, then the table. First the cross, then the crown.

And listen — he is not done serving them even then. Look with me at Luke 12:37.

[37] Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
Luke 12:37 (KJV)

The Master still puts the towel on in glory. Kingdom greatness does not retire the servant. It just means the King who served you at this table will serve you at that one.

So how do you live now? You do not serve so that you can claw your way into the kingdom. You serve because the King has already appointed you a place. You can take the lowest job in the room this week because you are not trying to become somebody. In Christ, you already have a seat. The men who understood that stopped fighting about the chairs and started picking up the basin.

If you are here this morning and you are not a Christian, this is the gospel. You do not need to make yourself great enough for God. You cannot. The Son of God took the form of a servant, went to the cross, and died for people who were arguing about themselves while he was going to bleed for them. That is us. Come to him. Let him wash you. There is no share with him if he does not.

If you are a Christian, stop waiting for a lower rank before you serve. You already have the example. You already have the promise. The basin is still in the room. Happy are ye if ye do them.

He that dies with the dirtiest towel wins. And the One who already won is the One who put the towel on first.