Becoming Like Jesus: Obedience

APPLICATION ARTICLE | Lee Elkins | Jacksonville, Arkansas

Without ever realizing it, most people would condemn Jesus because of what he believed and practiced. This is a serious charge here. How can I make such a statement about what others believe? It is a logical conclusion to the things that they believe and say, that’s how. In our article, we are going to be considering the realities of Jesus and His obedience. Not only would most people condemn Jesus, but many would verbally assault Him with “that is works-based salvation!” or “You are not teaching grace!” Allow me to state the obvious now. We cannot separate the realities of faith from obedience. Faith consists of belief, trust, and obedience (Hebrews 11:6).

Jesus is the ideal model for obedience within our faith. Obedience is a cornerstone of the Christian faith, and no one exemplified this virtue more perfectly than Jesus Himself. His life and actions serve as the ultimate model for believers, demonstrating what it means to live in full submission to God’s will. I hope that this article will help us explore the life of Christ examining His teachings, actions, and sacrifice to illustrate the reality of what true faith looks like and what it consists of.

While Jesus is definitely our primary focus in this article, I believe it would be irresponsible to not include additional examples as well. It is important for us to understand that there is a centralized theme regarding faith and obedience that goes all the way back to Adam and Eve in the garden, Moses being given the law and given to Israel, and many other examples of God’s people being called to live faithful, obedient lives. Throughout much of scripture, disobedience leads man to being separated from God. Obedience doesn’t need to be viewed in some shallow sense of “do this to avoid punishment”. This certainly was not the driving force behind Jesus being faithful and obedient to God the Father. Jesus was willing to submit Himself to the Father because this was and is God’s will for man (John 4:34, John 6:38). He obeyed God from the heart. Every fiber of His being was spent in service to God.

Throughout the scriptures, the concept of obedience includes not just adherence to law but also a heartfelt submission to God’s will. Jesus Himself summed up the law and the prophets with the command to love God and love one’s neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40), which inherently requires a spirit of obedience. It is unnecessary to think that obedience alone is all that is required. If we avail ourselves to water baptism and never repent of our sins, what have we done? If we are baptized in water and yet do not love God or our neighbor, what have we done?

I believe it is important for us to establish ourselves on a good foundation and this ultimately begins in the early stages of our lives. From an early age, Jesus demonstrates obedience to His parents and God (Luke 2:41-52). In this instance, Jesus stays behind in the Temple to engage the teachers and as noted, he astonishes them with His understanding. The response that Jesus gives His parents when they expressed concern because they didn’t realize he stayed behind was “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” What a sense of awareness to have at this early age and for Him to prioritize and align His will with the Father’s will, even over familial expectations.

While recognizing that His will is to align with the Father’s will, Jesus remained obedient to His earthly parents. He returned to Nazareth and was subject to them. Many of us would probably wrestle with this kind of decision as He recognized that He must obey both, God and human authorities.

Coming to the thought around the baptism of Jesus, one must be careful that we do not assume something that is not within the text. Jesus was not baptized for the same reason we are baptized. Jesus was sinless and not in need of repentance. Jesus was baptized to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). This was an act of obedience, but in no way for the same reason why we are baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Through Jesus’ baptism, we see him submit to God and the instance when the Holy Spirit falls upon Him (Matthew 3:16, Luke 3:21-22).

Immediately after being baptized, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1). I can’t help but think that this is another instance that we have in the life of Jesus where there is a test of His obedience. Unlike Adam in the garden and many others who succumbed to temptations, Jesus resisted the devil’s allurements. Each temptation was met with scripture, revealing Jesus’ knowledge and commitment to the word of God. “It is written,” (Matthew 4:4, 4:7, 4:10) sufficed and emphasized the importance of scripture. Jesus demonstrated loyalty to God and never deviated from His mission of service to the Father and to others.

Throughout the life of Jesus, we see His faith and obedience at work. The times that He would pray, the miracles, teachings, and interactions were always in alignment with God’s will. He never sought to do His own or to seek His own. He said that He came to serve, not to be served (Matthew 20:28). Think about His interactions with others. Jesus always displayed the true sense of humility and servanthood. When He washed the disciples’ feet, he set an example of serving and teaching them to do the same thing (John 13:5-17). The Lord is stooping down to wash the feet of others. What act of humility! What a beautiful demonstration of love for one another! We are commanded to love one another and the only way this gets accomplished fully is if we have this same sense of serving others selflessly.

We cannot overlook the garden of Gethsemane. This has to be one of the most profound displays of obedience in all of scripture. The reality of His crucifixion now stares at Him and must pierce through every fiber of His being. Jesus knows, recognizes, and welcomes the coming suffering that is upon Him. “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39) We need to see this moment for what it really is. This encapsulates the essence of obedience. Jesus submitted to God’s will even when it involved an immense amount of personal suffering. This doesn’t do away with communication and seeking honest communication. Jesus expresses plainly His current distress and desire for the suffering to be removed – that does not negate obedience. “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” (Matthew 26:42). He submits to God, prioritizing it over His own desires.

Jesus crucified – willingly laying down His life in obedience to the Father’s plan for the salvation of all who obey Him (Philippians 2:8, Hebrews 5:8-9). Many would describe this to be the ultimate act of obedience, but I want to challenge you about how we may often describe this. I wouldn’t describe it in that manner, “the ultimate act of obedience”. Jesus willingly sacrificed His life – Amen! Think about all the other instances that we considered in this article. Jesus willingly went to the garden, willingly washed His disciples’ feet, willingly faced temptations, willingly baptized to fulfill all righteousness, willingly went back to Nazareth with His parents, and willingly remained at the temple to engage the teachers there. We do not need to minimize all these other instances of obedience within the life of Christ. His sacrifice and resurrection are the culminating work that further accomplished the will of God. Every instance of obedience in the life of Jesus accomplished God’s will and we need not to dismiss or overlook them. These are the things that assure us as believers of our salvation and eternal life. The obedience of Jesus Christ serves as a powerful model for us as believers.

From the early years to His resurrection, Jesus proves the necessity of obedience within our faith. His life clearly demonstrates the importance of living in complete submission to God. As believers in Christ, we too, are called to live our lives in obedience. By seeking to align ourselves with God’s will, through study and application of scripture, we will cultivate hearts of love, embracing the realities of being servants, and persevering through hardships that may come our way – we can show people how to truly glorify God and further His kingdom through our obedience to Jesus – the author and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2).

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January 2025 | GROW Magazine