And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me, nevertheless, not My will, but Thine, be done. Luke 22:41,42
We say it is human nature for people to resist submission, for children to be defiant and rebellious, for servants to challenge their masters, for the younger to reject the guidance of the elder. Actually, it is Adam’s nature, the spirit of the fall, that resists subjection. Just as the submission that God required of Adam was for his own good and happiness, so too submission to God for us is for our own blessing. But people don’t see it that way, it seems, as so much of humanity goes through life beating the drum of defiance as we go our own way. As Ol’ Blue Eyes once defiantly sang, ‘I did it my way’.
These words of the Lord Jesus in Gethsemane are a dramatic contrast to the words of the rest of humanity. Here was One who was totally willing to submit to the Father’s will. There were no surprises about Gabbatha and Golgotha; He knew all that lay before Him in the greatest degree. He understood what was to transpire, and could wish for the tremendous depths of anguish and shame to be removed. But He was 100 percent willing to endure it because it was His Father’s will.
There is a spirit of submission today as we gather in His name to remember Him. We bow low in humility to realize that for our sakes, He humbled Himself in perfect obedience. He was totally submissive, in such contrast to ourselves. As we consider the anguish of His body and soul, not only at Calvary, but also at Gethsemane, we cannot imagine such submission. It causes us to realize what sinners we are that we have such difficulty understanding the submission of our Saviour.
What is there of pride today as we consider Him? Let us be ashamed of our lack of submission as we consider His absolute surrender to His Father’s will. -Jim MacIntosh