On the evening of His arrest, we find Jesus in a state of extreme emotional distress. There is a conflict between His natural desire not to undergo the agony of the cross and His dedication to do God’s will. It took much strength and moral character not to call down 12 legions of angels to save Him from that hour. He could have done exactly that, and it would be difficult to blame Him. But Jesus sought not the glory of men or angels. Instead, He sought to glorify God. It took strength to instead pray, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou will.” (Matt. 26:39).

Of course, ultimately the struggle is won and Jesus did what had to be done with courage and conviction. He loves us that much. Why was Jesus so successful at facing this challenge? Is there insight as to how we may be more successful as we face the difficulties of making hard decisions?

First, He understood His destiny. It was He would pay the price to redeem us from sin. Only He could do it (Matt. 16:11). With that firmly planted in His heart, other options that would fail to fulfill that destiny were removed from the table no longer to be considered.

Second, He knew it was the Father’s will and purpose. He had taught others to always put God’s will first. He would do no less! When God’s will comes first, the decision –making process becomes much, much simpler!

Every Christian faces trials, dilemmas and crises at times. We find success the same way Jesus did.

First, know your destiny. We are not earthbound forever. The time of our departure from this realm will come and we want to be prepared. Remove all options from the table that would deter you from fulfilling your destiny.

Second, know the Father’s will and make it your own. You can find it in His word - the Scriptures - the “words of life.” This will make the decision-making process much simpler for you as it did with our Lord. Fulfill your purpose.

 

By Jon W. Quinn
The Front Page
From Expository Files 14.6   June 2007

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