Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Hebrews 5:8-9 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.
JESUS GAVE UP INDEPENDENCE AND CONTROL
In the 1800s there was a tightrope walker named Charles Blondin. He walked a tightrope over the Niagara Falls river gorge -- some 300 times. The tightrope was three inches wide and a quarter of a mile long.
One time Blondin was about to walk the rope, when he turned and harangued the crowd saying, "Do you believe that I can walk all the way across this rope?" The crowd responded enthusiastically, "Yes!" Blondin asked again, "Do you believe that I can do it with a man on my back?" The crowd roared with delight, "Yes!" Blondin spoke one more time asking, "Then who's coming with me?" The crowd lost its voice.
It was one thing to say that they believed he could do it, it was another thing to put their own lives on the line.
But that's what Jesus did.
It's impossible to think of anyone being more independent and in control than God. But when God the Son came to earth to rescue us from hell, He gave up independence and control. He trusted His Heavenly Father, and His Father's plan. He went to the cross and offered His own sinless soul. He suffered our hell. He died our death. And He trusted that the Father would be true to His word and raise Him to life on the third day.
The fully human Jesus learned obedience through what He suffered. He learned complete trust by experience. And by His sacrifice, we are pronounced clean. Forgiven of all our sins.
The Son of God put aside independence and control in order to pay our debt. And He invites us to trust in Him in the same way He trusted the Father. Thank God that He sends us the Holy Spirit to create this faith in our hearts. Through the Gospel we believe. We trust. We are redeemed.
