Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.
(Isaiah 53:12 NASB)
There was and is no one greater than Jesus Christ.
The reasons for His greatness are manifold. But from the human side—from Jesus in His humanity—notice what the prophet Isaiah lists as the reason for Christ’s greatness:
- His willingness to die for us
- His willingness to pray for us, to be our intercessor, i.e., the one who stands in the gap for another
The World’s Definition
The world has its idea of greatness. We promote the most ridiculous models of people and exalt them on the front pages of modern newspapers.
Greatness, though, is not measured by the size of the paparazzi, but by the depth of sacrifice for the lives of others. No one gave themselves like Jesus, therefore no one is greater.
I’m not sure if it’s a bad desire to want to be greatly used for God. In fact, if the motivation is right and the heart is pure, it might be a good desire.
But I know this: If our lives will ever be seen as making a significant impact for what matters, it will not come through exalting and promoting ourselves, but in our willingness to be “poured out” unto death for our mate, our children, our neighbors, our colleagues, the lost around us who need Christ, and to pray and intercede on their behalf.
Great Need Calls for Great Sacrifice
The greatest seasons of need call for the greatest levels of sacrifice. What is the need around us now? In our family? Our church? Our nation? Certainly our national need is as high as at any time in recent history.
Such a profound need calls for a higher level of sacrifice and intercession than we have ever known. We can walk away from that need, or we can give ourselves to it in sacrificial intercession.