And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
Genesis 26:4,5 NKJV (italics added for emphasis)
In my last blog, we examined the idea of obeying God’s voice alongside His laws. We found our way to Genesis 26:5 as we continued our exploration into the concept of Jesus’ fulfillment of the “Law”, this being the first mention of the word Law, or Torah (hr*oT). We found this passage to indicate that keeping the Torah was actually only one of several actions that God considers important, and only one of those actions that He commended Abraham for. As such, it seems fitting that Jesus would fulfill these other actions alongside His fulfillment of the “Law”.
We saw that obeying God’s voice meant both listening for, and following that voice. So in order to fulfill the “Law and Prophets”, Jesus had to constantly hear and obey God’s voice. Did he do that? Let’s examine some passages that suggest an answer.
Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
The Gospel of John 8:28-30, NKJV (italics added for emphasis)
Notice what Jesus is saying – He does NOTHING of Himself. He only does what the Father has taught Him. But how did He (Jesus) know what the Father was teaching Him? Only by listening. And as He heard, He did as taught. In fact, Jesus taught that others would hear the Father’s voice as well – but THROUGH Jesus Himself:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth — those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
The Gospel of John 5:24-30, NKJV (italics added for emphasis)
Examine the progression: first, as Jesus hears the Father (God), He judges, and judges rightly. Why? Because He seeks God the Father’s will, not His own (as the Son). Jesus is putting Himself in subjection to the Father, and doing as the Father has taught him. And because He is listening correctly, He judges rightly. Next, those that listen to Jesus have the option to believe in “Him who sent me” (the Father) or to choose not to believe. Those that believe then pass from death into life, and gain eternal life. So as the Son, Jesus, listens to God the Father, we ought to listen to Jesus and gain resurrection from death to life. Why does Jesus the Son have authority to bequeath life? Because He listened to the voice of the Father and did His will. But what exactly is that will, the will of the Father?
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
The Gospel of John 6:38-40, NKJV (italics added for emphasis)
What an interesting will! Was His will for Jesus to judge and condemn the world? Apparently not at His first coming, though He was given the authority to judge (as seen in the previous passage). Was it to bow down and worship? Well, not explicitly, though that is right for all of us. But notice the explicit will of the Father: “that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day… and that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” God’s will is that those that believe in Him through His Son would be given everlasting life and raised up at the last day! This is incredible, that the Creator of the universe would have such compassion on His creatures that He would send His Son, not to judge, condemn and destroy, but to speak life into those of His creatures that would listen and receive it, and raise them to everlasting life! But how can we be sure that Jesus heard God’s voice correctly?
It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
The Gospel of Mark 1:9-11, NKJV (italics added for emphasis)
And:
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” — because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.
And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.
The Gospel of Mark Mark 9:2-8, NKJV (italics added for emphasis)
We need not look anywhere other than God’s literal Words to see that Jesus did, indeed listen and obey. How could God the Father be well pleased with Jesus if He did not hear the Father’s voice and obey? In both of these passages, we see the glory of the Father speaking of the Glory of the Son – that Glory bequeathed on Him for doing the Father’s will. And do you see the relationship of the Father to Jesus? Did you notice what He called Him? “This is My beloved Son.” Beloved Son. Can you see the Father’s heart beam with pride and pleasure in His only Son? There is so much beauty and power in the passages that we have seen in this blog, that it is tempting to end the discussion here. But how could we quit when God has given us an unbelievably rich hint of more in His seemingly simple statements? Let’s take our exploration one step further, and listen to Jesus’ voice…
Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.
“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’ But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.”
And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!”
Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone’?*
Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”
And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people* — for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.
The Gospel of Luke 20:9-19, NKJV
Did you notice what the vineyard owner did? The Father (the owner of the vineyard – none other than God Himself) sent “my beloved son” to reason with them. And what did the vinedressers (the Jewish leadership of the time) do when the son came to them? They killed Him. You see, Jesus was predicting His own death through this parable. But don’t take my word for it – take the word of the chief priests and scribes: “And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people — for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.” Which leads us back to the first passage seen in today’s blog:
Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
The Gospel of John 8:28-30, NKJV (italics added for emphasis)
Do you see it? How does this passage relate to the above parable? Is there a link? See if you can figure out the connection! We will examine this in our next blog… Selah!
May God richly bless your study of His holy Word; listen to His voice!
YouJi