Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Philippians 2:6-8Philippians 2:6-8
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
6 Christ was truly God. But he did not try to remain e remain: Or “become.” equal with God. 7 Instead he gave up everything f He gave up everything: Greek, “He emptied himself.” and became a slave, when he became like one of us. 8 Christ was humble. He obeyed God and even died on a cross.
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At some point in their teen years, most children share a similar thought. It typically pops into our minds when we’re feeling especially oppressed by our parents and we’re certain that they just don’t have a clue about anything in life! They seem to know nothing about “true love,” appropriate curfews, cool music, modern fashion, and staying out of our grills. Can I get a witness?! Just because I’m not a teenager anymore doesn’t mean I don’t remember what it was like. Whether we say it out loud or under our breath, or just keep it tucked away in the privacy of our minds, the thought is there, and it goes something like this: “I can’t wait ’til I grow up and get out from under this tyranny so I can do what I want and not have to suffer under their total detachment from reality anymore!” Admit it, you’ve thought it! Maybe you’re a teenager reading this and you’re living it right now?
Here’s something to ponder…we’re supposed to follow Jesus’ example in everything, right? Well, Jesus is God’s Son, and even when He was a human being on earth, did He ever have that thought about not wanting to obey His Dad? Did He ever say or even think that His Father was clueless and knew nothing about what was best for Him and how He should live His life? The answer is no. Jesus never entertained that thought. In fact, the verses above remind us of the humble posture Jesus took in giving up His divine privileges so that He could be completely obedient to His Father and die in your place and mine on the cross.
The closest Jesus ever came to struggling to obey a request of his Dad was in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the night He was arrested. Let’s take a peek at Matthew 26:36-42Matthew 26:36-42
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Jesus Prays
36 Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. When they got there, he told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
37 Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, James and John. z the two brothers, James and John: The Greek text has “the two sons of Zebedee” . He was very sad and troubled,
38 and he said to them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”
39 Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don't make me suffer by having me drink from this cup. a having me drink from this cup: In the Scriptures “to drink from a cup” sometimes means to suffer . But do what you want, and not what I want.”
40 He came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, “Can't any of you stay awake with me for just one hour?
41 Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.”
42 Again Jesus went to pray and said, “My Father, if there is no other way, and I must suffer, I will still do what you want.”
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Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
He went on a little father and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.”
Even though Jesus was the Son of God and could have commanded an entire army of angels to come rescue Him from the agony and grief He was experiencing, His prayer was still one of great humility before His Father as He said, “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” And His sacrificial obedience to His Father proves that He truly did want to do the will of God. He obeyed even unto death. He demonstrated through the crushing pain, the betrayal by friends, the loneliness, and the separation, that He knew what it meant to obey. Suffering would not deter Him from obedience, and He honored His Father all the way through!
Jesus’ obedience secured our salvation and our hope of eternity spent with God. If He hadn’t been obedient, we would all be doomed to forever spend our lives separated from God. As we follow Jesus’ example and live our lives in such a fashion as to obey our Heavenly Father (and earthly fathers too), we too have the opportunity to impact eternity. We’ve been called to tell the world about Jesus and the Good News of the salvation He brings. And as we’re faithful to do that, more people will have the joy and hope of knowing God personally and spending their forever with Him as well. Obedience really does matter.
This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:19-20Hebrews 6:19-20
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
19 This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain i behind the curtain: In the tent that was used for worship, a curtain separated the “holy place” from the “most holy place,” which only the high priest could enter. and into the most holy place. 20 . Jesus has gone there ahead of us, and he is our high priest forever, just like Melchizedek. j Melchizedek: See the note at .
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