Every year, about this time, we get so excited and look forward to the weekend where we gather together with other believers in different areas to celebrate the days of our redemption and our hope for eternity. Yet for us to get the privilege of celebrating, Christ had to willingly sacrifice His life.
“Christ’s willingness did not merely encompass His voluntary death on the cross. Rather, His entire life was an offering and one of willing obedience to God’s will.” (Mark Jones, Reformation21).
You see, Christ’s entire life was centered on obedience. In Luke chapter 2, we read of how Mary and Joseph looked for the twelve-year-old Jesus for three days and “finally discovered Him in the Temple…” He asked His parents, “Didn’t you realize that I would be here at the Temple, in my Father’s house?” (v. 49). He knew His mission. He had a heavenly goal to accomplish. But Luke writes in verse 51, “Then He returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them…” He was an obedient child, setting an example for all the children of God who would believe in Him and follow in His footsteps.
Later in years, before starting His earthly ministry, Christ showed His humility and obedience in that He came to the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptist (Matt. 3:13–15).
We can follow Christ’s life of obedience through Scripture:
- Luke 4:1–13: He obeyed God. “Worship and serve God only,” He said.
- John 4:34: He denied Himself to obey His Father’s will.
- John 5:30: He seeks the will of God.
- John 6:38: He does what the Father sent Him to do.
- John 10:18: He lays down His life in obedience to God.
- John 12:49: He says and speaks what His Father has commanded.
- John 15:10: He exhorts His followers to walk like Him in obedience.
It is in obedience to the Father that Christ sacrificed His all for the redemption of humankind. Isaiah prophesied about obedience in Christ’s sacrifice when he said, “He carried our weaknesses… our sorrows… our troubles… our punishment… He was pierced for our rebellion… crushed for our sins… beaten so we could be whole… whipped so we could be healed” (Isaiah 53:1–6).
In humility, He obeyed and gave up His life to reconcile humanity to God (John 10:14–18). Even as He faced the humiliating condition of the cross, we meet Him praying in obedience, “Oh, my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). In pain, He was willing to sacrifice His life in obedience to His Father. Jesus was committed to His Father’s authority and fully obeyed in everything, and teaches His disciples to live in obedience, too (John 15:10).
Our salvation, friends, comes to us as a result of Christ’s obedience. As we look forward to celebrating what Christ did on the cross for us, may we also listen and hear what He commands His disciples to do: “If anyone loves Me, he will obey My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23).
Paul wrote this exhortation to the Philippians, and I believe the message applies to us today:
“Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ who, though He was God, did not demand and cling to His rights as God… And found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5–8).
May we look at the cross and see Christ hanging there in obedience, sacrificing His all for our redemption. I pray that we too might strive to live as obedient children to Christ who has sacrificed so much for us.