Chapter 34
The Obedience of the Messiah
The Reading: See verses listed in the text below
The Problem:
The Bible highlights the total depravity of the human race. Every aspect of every person has been corrupted by sin. “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10–12).
Because of our sin, we all deserve death (Romans 6:23). While the physical consequence of sin is physical death, that’s not the only kind of death that results from sin. All sin is ultimately committed against an eternal and infinite God (Psalm 51:4). Because of that, the just penalty for our sin is also eternal and infinite. What we need to be saved from is eternal destruction (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:15).
Because the appropriate penalty for sin is infinite and eternal, only God could pay the price, because only He is the only Person Who is both infinite and eternal. But because God has a divine nature, it’s impossible for Him to die. So God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. And Jesus lived a life of complete obedience to His Father, proven by these incidents in His life.
- At the age of 12, when Joseph and Mary found Jesus teaching in the temple, He “was subject unto them” and obediently returned home with them (Luke 2:42–51).
- Although Jesus was without sin, he submitted to baptism “to fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 3:13-17; John 3:5).
- Jesus kept the Sabbath and attended services in the synagogue (Luke 4:16–44).
- Jesus was tempted by Satan, but He refused to yield (Matthew 4:1–11).
- Though He asked if the cup could pass from Him, He agreed to the suffering ahead while still in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36–44; Luke 22:39–54).
- Jesus submitted to be judged of men that the Father’s work and glory might come to pass (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 26:53).
- Jesus finished His work by allowing sinful men to crucify Him (Matthew 27:35; John 10:17–18; Galatians 1:3–5).
It was impossible for Jesus, Who was one with the Father, to act independently of Him in anything, whether in His actions or in His decisions. He viewed and judged everything, not as they affected Himself, but in relation to the will and glory of His Father. This was in marked contrast to the Jews who viewed everything in relation to their own interests.
The Turning Point:
When the people rejected Jesus and His message, and sought to kill Him, Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself for us, allowing Himself to be crucified (John 10:15). Because Jesus Christ was human, He could die; and because Jesus Christ was God, His death had an eternal and infinite value. Jesus’ death on the cross was the perfect and complete payment for our sin (1 John 2:2). He took on the consequences that we deserved. Three days later, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead proved that His death had been accepted by God the Father as the perfectly sufficient sacrifice for our sin.
Jesus obeyed the Father in this willingly, saying, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (John 10:17-18).
Jesus’ entire motivation throughout His life was to obey the Father, and in the Gospel of John, there are several verses where He commented on this.
- “I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me" (John 5:30).
- “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38).
- “When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him” (John 8:28-29).
- “But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do” (John 14:31).
In other words, Jesus suffered and died for our sins because He purposed to do it. He did it intentionally, and in this way demonstrated that He was in agreement with His Father. The whole plan of salvation that Jesus carried out and finished was motivated by His love for the Father and obedience to His will.
Jesus wasn’t a helpless victim. He had both the right and the power to become the instrument of reconciliation between God and men – or not – and the course He chose was that of obedience.
The Miracle That Followed:
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). God has already done all of the work. All you must do is receive, in faith, the salvation God offers (Ephesians 2:8-9). Fully trust in Jesus alone as the payment for your sins. Believe in Him, and you will not perish (John 3:16). God is offering you salvation as a gift. All we have to do is accept it. Jesus is the way of salvation (John 14:6).
The Bottom Line:
Have you ever given a gift to someone and they neglected to thank you? How did you feel? Or have you ever given a gift to someone who treated it carelessly, lost it or ruined it, or put it away in the drawer and never used it?
God has given us the greatest Gift of all - His obedient Son, who died on the cross and rose again so that we can know Him personally and spend eternity with Him in heaven. I wonder how God feels when people show little gratitude for this amazing gift of grace and salvation He has given?
Let us never forget to thank the Lord for all His gifts, but especially the gift of salvation. With the Apostle Paul, let us remember to say every day, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
