He committed no sin…
Peter has written that we should be willing to suffer unjustly because Christ suffered for us. Jesus, in fact, set the example. We are to do likewise. Having said that Jesus is our example, Peter then goes on and describes more about this example we are to follow. He begins with four simple words that changed the world: “He committed no sin.”
What does that mean exactly?
“Sin” is one of those words that we toss around without having a clear, consistent definition.
The Genesis 3 account of the “Fall of Man,” tells a story of two aspects of sin. The first is disobedience. Doing what God has told us not to do. The second is a story about a broken relationship with God.
The Jewish world is full of rules. Jesus lived in that world and submitted to those rules. (Not the rules made by man, but the rules laid down by God.) Jesus was obedient to God’s will.
More to the point, Jesus remained in relationship with his Father all his life. There was not a time when he put his own will before his Father’s will.
Before his life on earth, it was not possible for man to please God every day. Maybe on a good day, we might stay out of trouble for a few hours, but we still suffered from a broken relationship with the Father. Only through the power of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection from the dead are we able to be reunited with our Father in heaven. Only because we are reunited with God, can we have his Holy Spirit. Only because of the Holy Spirit can we act as God wants us to act.
Application: Try and imagine what a day without sin would be like.
Food for Thought: How did Jesus’ relationship with the Father help him to avoid sinning?
Why and how Jesus did not sin is diving into deep and much debated theological waters. Good for you 😉.
One example I find interesting is in Luke 22 and Matthew 26. Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane contemplating the cross. He told His disciples to stay alert and pray that they not enter into temptation. Jesus Himself prayed and we are told that as a response an angel strengthened Him. He was then prepared to complete His mission through His relationship with the Father. The disciples slept instead of praying, and we all know what happened. Jesus sets an example for us of being alert through prayer and regular interaction with the Father.
“The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
(Matthew 26:41)
Jesus’ words really sum up the situation well.
On your application – sometimes my prayer is a simple ‘God, I really look forward to when I don’t sin’.
I’m pretty sure that day that I slept a whole 24 hours I didn’t _overtly_ sin…
Have a great day! Brent
Oh Brent…
Thank you!! You made me laugh. 🙂
Submission is the key, and like Rich I focused on Luke 22
John 5:19, The Son can do nothing by himself; whatever the Father does the Son does, John 6:38, I have come not to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me, John 15:10, Abide in My love; just as I abide in His love.
Jesus came to live his Father’s will, John 5:30, I seek not my own will but the will of Him who sent me.” Although tempted by satan, Jesus never performed a miracle on His own behalf. He only displayed righteous anger, cleansing His Fathers house. He served and Glorified His Father, did not seek glory for Himself. Everything He did was according to the will of his Father, and His Father’s will was for Jesus to communicate His Father’s love for us.
Luke 22:39-46, Shows us the unfathomable strength of His submission to His Fathers will over His own.
V41,He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed.
Here Jesus kneels, His submission to His Fathers position as Lord over Him.
V42, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
The prayer has four parts:
1.) FATHER “ABBA”, Approaches God as a Son approaches His Father.
2.) IF YOU ARE WILLING, First and foremost, His request is subordinate to Gods will.
3.) TAKE THIS CUP FROM ME, Jesus fully understood God the Father was asking
Him to fulfill Isaiah 53:4-6,12. “But the destiny of the sin-bearer is utter desecration as the gross and despicable sins of mankind begin to weigh upon Him with an unbearable weight of filth before the Lord. He would Feel all the penalties of sin. Sins that deserve death, iniquities that inevitably drive their perpetrators into the lake of fire prepared for the devil and His angels. Revelation 20:14-15; 21:8; Matthew 25:41. Jesus KNEW that He would personally for the first time ever, experience, pay the full price of sin which is TOTAL SEPARATION FROM HIS HOLY FATHER. In agony, He expressed this on the cross, Matthew 27:46, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME.”
4.) YET NOT MY WILL, BUT YOURS BE DONE.
Following Jesus, after we have clearly and openly stated our preference, it is then appropriate to acknowledge, “yet not my will, but yours be done.” Jesus openly expressed His will to His Father, and continued by proclaiming Gods will had priority over His own.
Ron,
Thank you for your words today. You have highlighted Jesus’ submission to his father in a beautiful way. I especially appreciate your analysis of Jesus’ prayer. You highlight the personal relationship, his recognition of God’s sovereignty, his request, and most interesting to me, his acknowledgement that our will is only God’s will when we submit to God in every way.
I like your prayer breakdown Ron
It’s kinda hard to imagine a day without sin,..especially now days,..it’s so prevalent everywhere around us,..but I can imagine what it would be like when Jesus returns to take us home,..what a glorious day that will be,..
I think how Jesus relationship with The Father helped Him not to sin is that He already knew everything there is to know about The Father because He is in Him as The Father is in Jesus. His Father was in Him so Jesus knew He was the One and only living, walking, talking, history making, sin breaking, light shaking, movie making, knee taking Son of the most high God,..every move He made God knew and had already planned,..Jesus was obedient with follow through just as we should be,..
The beautiful thing about sin,..is that Jesus died for it,.and has given us a way out whenever we cross the line of temptation and commit the sin,..1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all our unrighteousness,..it’s even in the disciples prayer,..lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil,..we are soo fortunate to have Jesus on our side,..
The Bible also say’s that we should be thankful in all circumstances and sin happens to be a circumstance,..so I am thankful that Jesus has provided a way out for me when that does happen,..
Keep smiling!
John,
What an amazing insight! You have given me a new way of looking at sin. When you couple it with the love that Jesus has for us and his forgiveness, it almost seems like a blessing. That seems weird to say, but the love of our God is so immense that sin in swallowed by it.
👍🏻