Passion 1

Yesterday I had a thought occur to me:

The biggest miracle in my mind that Jesus ever performed was never once doing his own will.

Seriously, I know he walked on water, healed the sick, released the possessed, spoke the truth with wisdom and authority and was resurrected from the dead through the power of the holy spirit - but all that would have been for naught if he "just wanted to do his own thing."

I don't say this lightly, I look at the state of my persistent rebellion against God, whether inspired by fear, laziness, pride or arrogance and I realize - I simply can't do this. I can't do what God wants me to all the time - its nigh impossible for everyone. And yet Christ did just that. I know some people who have the wrong concept of sin think "No big deal, I think Jesus was a good person" because Jesus is as good as or better than them or hundreds of thousands of other people on earth. However, ask the same person if they can go through a day without being self-centered or self-interested or continually ensure that their actions are at the prompting or benefit of someone else ahead of their desires.

So the reason I bring this up is today is Palm Sunday - the liturgy starts Joyous - the triumphal entry - and ends sadly and suddenly - Christ's betrayal, trial, and crucifixion. This reading stuck out to me glaringly from the bulletin and reminded me that through it all, Christ was in this for the glory of God:

"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point death - even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

- Philippians 2:5-11

Paul is right, this is the facet of Christ that is most impressing me and and making me praise him is the fact that he did it all for the Glory of God, for 33 years whereas I can't be bothered to think of someone else for more than 3 seconds. Praise Him who did this for you and I, praise Him who did this with the end in mind of God's glory and our benefit. His greatest miracle is an everlasting one as he changes our hearts to do the same.