Following Christ: Obedience of Christ

Obedience of Christ

Collin Leong. 25/8/2017

I. Introduction


1. Can perfection be made more perfect?

• Can a man be “perfect” in kindness and generosity, if he had only given from unlimited wealth, and never had to make a decision to give away his last loaf of bread while starving?

• Can a woman be “perfect” her love for others, if she had never had to forgive someone who had hurt her to the extreme, and yet continue to love?

• Can God be a perfect saviour, if He had never experienced unjust oppression, inhuman cruelty, temptations, cry over the loss of a loved one, hungry and sleepless over poverty, pain of a frail body… and still die for us?

Can perfection be made more perfect? Yes, only through Obedience in Suffering.



“It was fitting that he [God], for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.” (Heb 2:10)

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. (Heb 5:8-9)






2. Was Christ imperfect before he went through the suffering and death? NO.

• In some tribes, a boy of age is sent into the jungle or wilderness for several days without any supply. If the boy survives the ritual and returns to the village, he is then accepted as a matured man. But the wilderness does not make a boy into a man. The boy proved he was a man by surviving the wilderness

• “Perfect [gk. teleiotheis]” – to be made complete; bringing to maturity; to finish. Jesus was the incarnate of God, the perfect man, the second Adam. However, to be the “complete” substitutionary sacrifice for sin and to be our perfect saviour, Christ must perfectly obey God throughout his life until death on the cross, without sinning.

• “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me… Behold, I have come to do your will, O God…” (Heb 10:5,7)

• “It was necessary that Christ should suffer to make him a perfect Savior” – Charles Spurgeon. http://www.biblebb.com/files/spurgeon/0478.htm

II. The Nature of the Obedience of Christ

1. His obedience was in Active sense (not passive).

• Christ's birth was an active obedience. "For I came down from Heaven not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38)

• Christs death was an active obedience. “The Son of Man came …. to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mat 20:25)

• Active obedience involves attentive listening and taking the urgent effort and initiative to make things happen according to what God wants us to do - eg, to volunteer in serving or go on missions, etc..  Passive obedience is a reluctant obedience - it sits and waits for God to bring in circumstances that corner us into doing His will. Examples:

• God tells us to witness to a relative. Active obedience means cooking a meal and bringing the food to the relative to BLESS the relative. Passive obedience waits until there is a marriage or funeral where both parties happen to be there. 

• God brings to mind the need of a poor person/family. Active obedience means immediately collecting funds and visiting the family to give the help. Passive obedience waits for months until someone else pass around a collection, because the father is in jail for stealing food for his family.

• A delayed obedience is no obedience at all. That's what I teach my kids when they were young.

2. His obedience was in Action and Speech

• For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. (John 12:49-50)

•  "I do always the things that are pleasing to him. I do nothing of myself, but as the Father taught me, I speak these things" (John 8:29, 28)

3. His obedience was to human Authorities placed by God

• Laws of Moses – “I did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfil it”
• Ceremonial rituals of the culture – “"I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?" Jesus answered him, "Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness." (Matt. 3:13-15).
• Authority of His human parents. – “And he…was subject unto them…. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” (Luke 2: 51-52)
• Laws of the land – “Render to Ceasar the things that are Ceasar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mat 22:21)

4. His obedience took him “All the way” from heaven to hades.

• “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant…he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Phil 2:5-8)'

5. His obedience in suffering made him the All-sufficient saviour for us.

• “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Heb 4:15)

6. His obedience proved him All-worthy to be Lord of Lords, and King of Kings!

• “…Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:9-11)

III. Discussion

1. 15 minutes: Break-out and discuss the passage and answer the FIRST THREE questions in the guide book, using the above references as insights. (John 4:27-34)

2. 15 minutes: Discuss the difficulty of obeying God in the same manner as Christ. Share an example where you had failed or succeeded in going “all the way” to obey God in very difficult or illogical situation – eg, disobeying your boss, refusing profit, daring to suffer, etc.. (“How far can/should we go in this secular world?”)

3. 15 minutes: Off your head, list 4 to 6 areas of your life that comes to mind where you believe God wants you to pay attention to right now.

i. Read the list of these areas to the group ii. Share specific actions within one of these areas with the group

4. Pray for each other in the areas shared – to practice Active Obedience.