The Example

Daily Bread

Daily Bread Devotions by Chuck Myer Daily Bread Archive | Sign up for our resources

From Luke’s gospel we read,

“And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples also followed Him. And when He arrived at the place, He said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’ And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and he knelt down and began to pray, saying, ‘Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will but Thine be done.'” (Luke 22:39-42 – NASB)

I find myself hard pressed to always walk as my Lord would have me to do. I struggle with this old flesh, too many times giving into it and its desires. When this occurs I am often reminded of this particular event in my Lord’s life on this earth, His total obedience to the Father . . . . . and my spirit is grieved.

Brethren, great works had to be carried out to pay for our sins. It is a most certain thing that I would never of had the resolve to do what Jesus did. Besides the fact that I am a selfish sinner, a finite being bent on meeting my own needs, I would be incapable in and of myself of actually being willing to carry out a plan of saving anybody’s soul from eternal condemnation by suffering what Jesus suffered. I am, as Scripture describes me, oh so very given over to my own will. And this self will is even more pronounced when it comes to sacrifice, especially the thought of sacrificing myself for those who have so blatantly wronged me.

But Jesus . . . the God-Man;

“And it came about, when the days were approaching for His ascension, the He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51 – NASB)

Knowing, to the very detail what awaited Him, Jesus “set His face to go to Jerusalem.” He knew that He would bow down in prayer to the Father in that garden called Gethsemane, and say, “Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me.” The sinless Son of God, bearing a burden that no human will ever be able to fully understand, praying in sweet communion to His “Father” and in this holy communion inquiring as to if this bitter “cup” that He was about to partake of might be “removed.” Then, in glorious submission to the divine plan of redemption, the Lord of glory says, “yet not My will but Thine be done.” The plan of the holy Trinity, the very “will” of God, that Jesus, the righteous One, might suffer for the unrighteous . . . “the Just for the unjust” (I Peter 3:18 – NASB), was to be fulfilled just as the Father desired.

The Example! That’s what He is to each of us who profess Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

But Lord, how am I to rise above this horrid self-will, this destructive will of the flesh that caters to self and follow Your example? How am I Lord to overcome and say as You said, “yet not My will but Thine be done?”

For one thing, in response to my own question, I believe I understand a little bit more what Jesus meant when He said,

“. . . for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 – NASB)

The power to follow the Example and to say, “yet not My will but Thine be done,” this power comes from Him. We have it now! We can follow the Example, we can say “yet not My will,” and we can say it right now. We can live above the flesh and its selfish desires.

“But I tell you the truth . . . the Helper . . . I will send Him to you . . . (and) . . . you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (John 16:7; Acts 1:8 – NASB)

“Power” to follow the Example! To say as He said, “yet not My will but Thine be done,” and to say it at every turn.

Have a good day brethren . . . and my desire for you would be that you realize the power that is within you and submit to His leading, knowing the Example and following in His steps.

A Room with a View of Eternity—The Last Will & Testament of Jesus Christ Take a seat at the Master's table. Learn about the riches He gives to all who are His. This book will bless and encourage you, give you hope, and help you live in the joy of your salvation and the riches of Christ that are yours.