Love Does Not Insist on Its Own Way
"So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.'" (John 5:19)
Jesus lived a life of perfect submission and obedience to God the Father. Being One with the Father, Jesus understood that in every circumstance, God’s plans were good.
Immediately following His baptism, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by Satan. After 40 days of fasting, Jesus resisted the temptation to satisfy the desires of His flesh by turning stones into bread. He resisted the temptation to put God to the test by throwing Himself off a mountain. And He resisted the temptation to glorify anyone other than God when Satan offered Him kingdoms and power in exchange for worship.
The temptations of the enemy always fall into these categories, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride. Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the beginning this way, and he tempts each of us daily this way. And when we consider even these things, don’t they all come down to insisting on our own way rather than following God’s way? God supplied all of Adam and Eve’s needs, yet they decided to test the one limit He gave them and how quickly they learned how dire the consequences for sin are. Every command God gives us is for our good, the enemy knows it, and because he’s hell bent on destroying our relationship with God, he is going to give us every reason to doubt God’s goodness and seek our own way rather than submitting to the perfect will of God.
Jesus ultimately showed us this love as He willingly went to the cross in our place, for our sin. Having succeeded in resisting temptation His entire life, He now gave Himself up in perfect love and obedience.
“And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:41-44)
Jesus was so agonized over the task before Him, knowing not only the physical suffering He was about to face, but the separation He was going to experience from God for the first and only time in all eternity, that He sweat actual blood. Jesus still obeys. He did not insist on His own way, He laid His life down in love for us.
Jesus lived a life of perfect submission and obedience to God the Father. Being One with the Father, Jesus understood that in every circumstance, God’s plans were good.
Immediately following His baptism, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by Satan. After 40 days of fasting, Jesus resisted the temptation to satisfy the desires of His flesh by turning stones into bread. He resisted the temptation to put God to the test by throwing Himself off a mountain. And He resisted the temptation to glorify anyone other than God when Satan offered Him kingdoms and power in exchange for worship.
The temptations of the enemy always fall into these categories, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride. Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the beginning this way, and he tempts each of us daily this way. And when we consider even these things, don’t they all come down to insisting on our own way rather than following God’s way? God supplied all of Adam and Eve’s needs, yet they decided to test the one limit He gave them and how quickly they learned how dire the consequences for sin are. Every command God gives us is for our good, the enemy knows it, and because he’s hell bent on destroying our relationship with God, he is going to give us every reason to doubt God’s goodness and seek our own way rather than submitting to the perfect will of God.
Jesus ultimately showed us this love as He willingly went to the cross in our place, for our sin. Having succeeded in resisting temptation His entire life, He now gave Himself up in perfect love and obedience.
“And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:41-44)
Jesus was so agonized over the task before Him, knowing not only the physical suffering He was about to face, but the separation He was going to experience from God for the first and only time in all eternity, that He sweat actual blood. Jesus still obeys. He did not insist on His own way, He laid His life down in love for us.
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