Christ’s allegiance to his Father produced his uncompromising obedience, even if it meant death on a Roman cross.
Jesus calls us to enter “by the narrow gate. Broad is the way that leads to destruction.” Or to change the metaphor, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.” The way to God’s kingdom includes our obedience as we follow the example of the Servant of the Lord - (Matthew 7:13, 16:24).
Jesus Christ is our trailblazer,
the shepherd who established the only certain path to the kingdom of God. The
narrow road that leads to the kingdom is that of the suffering servant of the
Lord:
- “Therefore, we have boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” – (Hebrews 10:19-20. Compare John 14:6, Hebrews 2:10).
The Nazarene gave the ultimate example
by submitting to an undeserved death on the Cross. He was the Servant of the
Lord who suffered for his people. Despite his fears and entreaties to avoid this
horrific fate, Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let
this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” His loyalty to God exceeded
even his fear of death – (Matthew 26:39).
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| [Photo by Darya Luganskaya (LONDON) on Unsplash] |
Christ rejected Satan’s offer of absolute political power when he was tempted in the wilderness. After all, the Scriptures had promised that the Messiah would rule the nations and kings of the earth.
But how could Jesus subjugate nations
and kings without the might of the Roman Empire? Imagine the
immense good he could accomplish if he commanded the legions of Caesar - (Psalm
2:6-9, 89:27, 110:1):
- “Again, the devil took him to an exceeding high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. And he said to Jesus, All these things I will give you, if you will fall down and render homage to me. Then Jesus said to him, Depart, Satan! For it is written, YOU WILL RENDER HOMAGE TO THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND WORSHIP HIM ONLY” – (Matthew 4:8-10. Note the citation from Deuteronomy 6:13. Compare Luke 4:6-7).
According to the
methods of the existing world order, the Son of God was required to acknowledge
Satan as his overlord in order to obtain absolute political power. The
temptation was real. The Messiah was destined to reign over all things.
The Devil was
offering Jesus a way to avoid the Cross and achieve world domination, but the
real choice was between allegiance to God or submission to Satan. Would Christ
obey his Father by becoming the servant who suffers for his people or the emperor
who dominates the nations? The sacrificial Lamb or the conqueror who subjugates
humanity?
Jesus was not naïve
about the nature of political power. When James and John asked him to appoint
them as his coregents, Christ responded by comparing his method of governing to
“the way the world works”:
- “You know that those men who presume to rule the nations dominate them, and their great men tyrannize them. But it must not be so among you! But whoever would become great among you, he will be your servant. And whoever will be first among you, he will be the slave of all. For THE SON OF MAN also came not to be served, but to serve, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR MANY” - (Mark 10:42-45. Compare Isaiah 53:10-12, Daniel 7:13).
Jesus was alluding
to a passage from the Book of Isaiah about the Servant of the Lord who
poured out his life to ransom his people. The Messiah was sent to sacrifice his
life for God’s people, not to become a tyrant who exploits his subjects. “I am the good shepherd, and I lay down my life for the sheep” - (Isaiah
52:13 - 53:12, John 10:14).
THE SERVANT’S PATH
The Apostle Paul echoed
the words of the Servant of the Lord when he exhorted members of the church in
Philippi to have the same mind as Jesus. Christ submitted to an unjust death rather
than attempt to seize the divine likeness, and this is the example we must
emulate:
- “Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, considered not LIKENESS WITH GOD something to be seized, but POURED OUT HIS LIFE, taking the form of a slave, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, BECOMING OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH, indeed, the death of a cross. Wherefore also, God HIGHLY EXALTED HIM, and gave Jesus the name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus, EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that EVERY TONGUE SHOULD CONFESS, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” – (Philippians 2:5-11. Note the verbal allusions to Genesis 3:5, Isaiah 45:23, 52:13, 53:10-12. Compare Ephesians 5:1-2, Titus 2:13-14).
- “Let us put aside every weight and the easily entangling sin, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking away unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who, instead of the joy placed before him, endured the cross, despising shame, and he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” – (Hebrews 12:2).
Rather than yield to the temptation of political power, Jesus embraced the calling of the suffering servant. He gave his life freely to save us from the penalty of sin and provide us with everlasting salvation.
Jesus achieved victory through sacrificial
service, and so must we. The narrow path to the kingdom of God passes through
Golgotha, not Rome. We are saved by the “word of the cross,” not the
decrees and edicts of Caesar:
- “For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God” – (1 Corinthians 1:18).
- “He that overcomes, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat with my Father on his throne. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches” – (Revelation 3:21-22).
- “And they overcame the Dragon by of the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and because they loved not their life even unto death” – (Revelation 12:11).
- “Behold! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome to open the scroll and its seven seals. And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though slain” – (Revelation 5:5-6).
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[Citations of Old Testament passages in this article are based on the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint (see the links here and here). Text printed in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS represents quotations and verbal allusions from the Old Testament. The Septuagint is represented by the Roman numeral for ‘seventy’ or LXX based on the Latin name of the translation, ‘Interpretatio septuaginta virorum’]
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SEE ALSO:
- Who is this Man? - (In Mark’s Gospel, no one recognizes who Jesus is except demons. Only in his death on a Roman cross was his identity understood by men)
- Servant of Yahweh - (Paul summons believers to adopt the same mind that Jesus had when he poured out his life unto death for others – Philippians 2:5-11)
- The Anointed Son - (Jesus is the anointed Son of God whose life and ministry are filled with the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit)
- El Camino Angosto - (La lealtad de Cristo a su Padre produjo su obediencia intransigente, incluso si significaba la muerte en una cruz romana)