This is the day. The day it all changed. To those that loved him it was a day of sadness. Defeat. Gloom. The One that was sent to save the Jews is….dead? Could this be? “Maybe He wasn’t the Savior…” they must have thought. “Maybe that special something that I saw in Him wasn’t what I thought it was…but I was sure He was the One.” Confusion. Despair. Shame. As He walked through the streets with His body broken, ripped to shreds by wipes and tools of torture, they spit on Him, and yelled “Crucify Him!” like he was a common criminal.
The only “crime” He had committed was declaring who He was…The King of the Jews. Instead of embracing this message, the people…the religious people in fact…crucified Him. The thing they were looking for was right before them, but since it didn’t come the way they expected it to they decided to get rid of it…to get rid of Him. And so, they opted to kill Him. And He was quiet as a lamb. He didn’t argue. He didn’t perform miracles. This was the time for submission to the will of the Father.
It’s vital to understand that He could have changed the circumstances. He could have rewritten history and chosen to change this moment. In His might and power He could have come off that cross, but that would have required doing His own will and not the Father’s, so instead He submitted…He submitted to the will of the Father.
He submitted through them beating Him. He submitted through them spitting and cursing Him. He submitted as the crowds, the same crowds that earlier in the week yelled “Hosanna!" now instead yelled “Crucify Him!” He submitted to their ridicule. He submitted to massive nails being driven through His hands, and feet. He submitted to the pain and shame of being nailed naked to a cross. He submitted to His body dying before Him. He submitted….to the Father’s will. He submitted so you and I could be made clean by His blood. The ultimate Passover lamb quietly and victoriously submitted.
Jesus submitted because He knew His purpose was to carry out the Fathers will. He would have preferred to not go through this painful ordeal, for the Father to change the plans, but set His face towards the cross and submitted to the Fathers will, and because of this won the greatest victory in all of History. Jesus blood made atonement for all who would believe He is the Savior and Messiah.
We learn what it is to submit from the One whose submission cost it all. I’m thankful today to serve a Savior who submitted past His comfort and desires. As I look ahead to a year of submission past what I’m comfortable with, I thank Jesus for His ultimate example of true submission to the Father, and pray for a strengthening of my spirit to walk in the Fathers will for my life.
What about you? Who are you submitting to today? Are you following in Jesus footsteps and submitting to the will of the Father? As we remember the sacrifice King Jesus made today, lets ask the Father “What is Your will for my life?” & “Am I living out that will today?” Then ask God to strengthen you and guide you, and resolve to daily 'set your face' towards God's will for your life.
