For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Most people who gain power use it to be served. Jesus, according to His own words, came for the opposite reason — to serve, and then to hand His life over as payment for others. It's a strange kind of King.
If you're skeptical of religion, part of what might turn you off is the sense that it's about control — an institution asking things of you. But this verse describes someone doing the reverse: not collecting from people, but giving Himself away for them, including the ones who'd never ask for it.
You don't have to accept every claim about who Jesus was to notice how unusual this is. A ransom is paid by someone with something to lose, for someone who can't pay their own way out. That's the shape of the story here — worth sitting with, whatever you currently believe.
If the idea of a King who serves instead of demanding sounds too good to be true, it might be worth looking at who Jesus actually claimed to be.
A short video on this is coming soon — for now, read on.