March 3rd, 2026
by Ryan McAllister
by Ryan McAllister
John 6:38
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
Jesus is obedient.
Obedience is a word that makes many uncomfortable. It can sound like control, oppression, or loss of freedom. Yet obedience itself is not the problem. What parent wants disobedient children? What employer wants disobedient workers? What citizen wants law enforcers who ignore the law?
Ultimately, obedience depends on who is being obeyed. For the Christian, our highest concern is obedience to God (Acts 5:29). And if we want to see perfect obedience, we look to Christ — who submitted His will, His life, and His death to the Father.
When Christ obeyed, He submitted His will to the Father. Christ was no renegade. He did nothing independently. Everything He did flowed from the Father’s will. His obedience was not mere compliance but loving alignment. In the Garden He prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Should we not also seek such alignment with the heart of God?
When Christ obeyed, He fulfilled the Law perfectly. Obedience is more than avoiding sin; it is active righteousness. Jesus did not merely refrain from evil — every thought, word, and deed was in harmony with the Father’s will. Where Adam failed, Christ prevailed. Where we stumble, Christ stands.
When Christ obeyed, He endured the cross willingly. His obedience led to suffering and death, yet He did not turn back. “For the joy that was set before him [He] endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). The joy was accomplishing the Father’s will — redeeming His people.
This is our hope: Christ’s obedience is not merely an example, it is our substitution. Where we have resisted, He has submitted. Where we break the law, He fulfilled it. Where we deserve death, He endured it. We do not obey to earn God’s favor. In Christ, we already have it. We obey because redemption is finished — and because His will is good.
Let us obey, then, with gratitude and joy.
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
Jesus is obedient.
Obedience is a word that makes many uncomfortable. It can sound like control, oppression, or loss of freedom. Yet obedience itself is not the problem. What parent wants disobedient children? What employer wants disobedient workers? What citizen wants law enforcers who ignore the law?
Ultimately, obedience depends on who is being obeyed. For the Christian, our highest concern is obedience to God (Acts 5:29). And if we want to see perfect obedience, we look to Christ — who submitted His will, His life, and His death to the Father.
When Christ obeyed, He submitted His will to the Father. Christ was no renegade. He did nothing independently. Everything He did flowed from the Father’s will. His obedience was not mere compliance but loving alignment. In the Garden He prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Should we not also seek such alignment with the heart of God?
When Christ obeyed, He fulfilled the Law perfectly. Obedience is more than avoiding sin; it is active righteousness. Jesus did not merely refrain from evil — every thought, word, and deed was in harmony with the Father’s will. Where Adam failed, Christ prevailed. Where we stumble, Christ stands.
When Christ obeyed, He endured the cross willingly. His obedience led to suffering and death, yet He did not turn back. “For the joy that was set before him [He] endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). The joy was accomplishing the Father’s will — redeeming His people.
This is our hope: Christ’s obedience is not merely an example, it is our substitution. Where we have resisted, He has submitted. Where we break the law, He fulfilled it. Where we deserve death, He endured it. We do not obey to earn God’s favor. In Christ, we already have it. We obey because redemption is finished — and because His will is good.
Let us obey, then, with gratitude and joy.
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