OBEDIENCE UNTO DEATH

• DAY 106
• Faith File: The Courage of Jesus
• Scripture: Philippians 2:8

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Philippians 2:8 NKJV

Yesterday, we talked about Jesus’ experience at the Garden of Gethsemane and how the assignment weighed heavily on His heart. In the garden, He negotiated with God trying to find a solution that didn’t include the cross. He was faced with the most difficult assignment of His life, and He prayed. And while He prayed, He found the courage to say “Not MY will, but YOURS be done”. 

Our study today is a continuation of yesterday so if you missed it, click here to catch up.

As we read in our text today, we discover Jesus’ surrender at Gethsemane meant being obedient unto death. Whenever we hear the word obedience we rarely ever consider great hurt and pain. Sure, we account for inconveniences but never rejection, abuse, suffering, and death. But when we look deeper, especially in light of Jesus’ journey, we see that the word “obedience” explains more than an inconvenience. It meant dying. 

A Picture Of Jesus’ Obedience

‘Surrender’ is what it meant for Jesus to obey. He surrendered His throne and became a man. Surrendered His divinity and was led by mortals. His pride and was baptized by John. Surrendered His self-pride and obeyed His mother. 

Obedience meant that He had to accept that one of the people He confided and trusted would betray Him. 

Obedience meant that when they came to arrest Him, He went willingly. He had the power of nature, legions of devoted angels and a swordsman at His disposal, but, He went willingly. 

A Silent Lamb

Obedience meant that He was silent when He was brought to Pontius Pilate by the same Brood of vipers that John encountered, and He was accused wrongly. He could have, but He didn’t defend Himself, because He was to be a silent lamb 

“He was treated badly, but he never protested. He said nothing, like a lamb being led away to be killed. He was like a sheep that makes no sound as its wool is being cut off. He never opened his mouth to defend himself. He was taken away by force and judged unfairly. The people of his time did not even notice that he was killed. But he was put to death for the sins of his people. He had done no wrong to anyone. He had never even told a lie. But he was buried among the wicked. His tomb was with the rich.” Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭ERV‬‬

He could have walked away, instead, He submitted and was whipped and flogged mercilessly in obedience. And He made His way to Calvary, with pain, tiredness, and a very big, very heavy CROSS. He was in pain from all the flogging that at a point His body couldn’t carry it. Simon the Cyrene had to come and help Him. 

A Choice

Obedience for Him was a choice. He could have quit, But thank God He didn’t. the thing is that He is God and if He decided not to die, it wouldn’t have changed that He was still fully God. But He made the decision to obey His Father, just to deliver and to save us. 

Courageous people are obedient people, and obedience isn’t always pretty. Obedience could mean that God will ask you to leave somewhere you’re comfortable with. It could mean that you go against everything that you are and embrace everything that God is. Obedience looks like knowing you’re being cheated but acting the fool. Obedience could mean not speaking badly about that spouse who abused and despitefully used you to your kids.

A Difficult Instruction 

I heard a woman tell how God asked her not to divorce her cheating husband. This was tough because his cheating was publicized and disrespectful and both of them were ministers of the gospel. She packed her bags and her kids and was set to leave and God said “Put your bags down and trust me to handle it.” She stayed. It took a while for the husband to be remorseful and a longer while for them to heal and become a wholesome family again but out of that came a ministry that is helping people like them. Their children testified to knowing by experience how dangerous cheating is and would never come close to it.

Beloved, obedience is one of the greatest marks of faith and courage, because God would always relay His plans and wills through us. And if we are not willing and obedient, we will not be able to reap the benefit of those things that He has preserved and prepared for us on this earth. But beyond that, if we’re not willing and obedient, then His agenda on this earth will not come to pass. 

A Great Consequence 

So imagine with me for a moment that Jesus had decided to be disobedient. Imagine that He decided to walk away. What would have happened to us? Because what we may not know is that our obedience may be tied to somebody’s deliverance. God’s plan always comes with an agenda. His agenda is always bigger than us, and it is always about humanity, always about souls, always about the kingdom. And so imagine for a moment that Jesus decided not to be obedient. What would your life have become? 

Now ask yourself what would happen if I decided to be disobedient? What would happen to my family? God’s instruction to me might be the key to their deliverance. That instruction that you disobeyed may have been what will change someone’s life, it may be what will change the world. 

Be Obedient

So let this be your encouragement to be obedient to the will and plans of God concerning you. 

You can do that by praying. As we said countless times, courage and confidence come by praying. So, pray and say, God, I want to be willing and obedient to your word and to your will. I am asking for grace to be obedient. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Tomorrow we will look at the benefits that came with this obedience.

Shalom