It's total obedience

I can’t remember what causes me to think in the past that Jesus was very willing to die for us. Is it because of my understanding of him as our savior and thus he is destined to die for our sin? How selfish was my thought then and how shallow my understanding of God’s salvation.

Last week, when I was reading the passage where Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, I noticed that the narrative in the synoptic gospels was contrary to what I thought.

In Mark 14:33, Jesus was deeply distressed and troubled. He told his disciples Peter, James and John that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. He prayed to the Father to take “this cup” from him. Apparently, Jesus’ will was not to die in the manner as he predicted. Instead, he asked the Father to spare him. He knew the Father is able to do everything. Nonetheless, one thing Jesus never wished for was to go against his Father’s will.

Jesus is sinless. Going against the Father would be sinning against God. Jesus is obedient to the Father even though it means death.

Death on the cross is a horrible death. Its punishment is to torture and shame the political prisoners to deter those who intended to rebel against Rome. It was instituted to bring shame, pain, and fear onto the traitors who failed their mission. Crucifixion in public crushed the rebel’s spirit of being the hero. It was a powerful symbol of death brought by Rome to defeat those who rebelled against the empire.

Jesus did not defend himself for all the charges brought again him but that did not mean he volunteered to die on the cross. Crucifixion was not what Jesus wanted and he actually prayed three times to have the cup removed from him.

Mark 14:39 says, “once more he went away and prayed the same thing.” What did Jesus pray? If you don’t think Jesus said the same thing as in v. 36 “Abba Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (NIV), you can look up Matt 26:42. Although it is a bit different here, still he meant the same.

“My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” In addition, Matthew stressed Jesus prayed the third time, saying the same thing in v. 44.

Have you ever prayed the same thing my friends? I did. Most of the time I pray to the Father to do my will but Jesus is just the opposite. He prayed that the Father’s will be done even though it meant death to him on the cross. It is about obedience isn’t it? Obedience comes out of submission rather than willingness. Jesus was never willing to die. If it is of willingness, I don’t think he would have prayed three times in one night. If Jesus were willing, he would have said, “Yes, Father. I will.” We know that Jesus didn’t say that. Instead, He left us a greater lesson to learn from him and that is – OBEDIENCE!

When God called me to leave everything back home, I was never willing. I know the Father’s will is always good for us. He never fails to keep his promise and neither will He ever hold back his blessings for his children, but I found it hard to let go of what I have. I struggled with God for a while until my pastor told me, “Brother, it is about obedience, about submission, about trust…”

Yes, it is not about whether I am willing to obey but whether am I obedient to Him. Amen.