“Not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42)
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. If anyone can make autonomous decisions, it is Him! This is clear from His words in Matthew 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” As the Son of God, He can shape the world to His will. Yet He chose to become human and to walk the difficult path that was part of God’s plan: “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.” (John 6:38).
In Luke 22 and 23, we read how Jesus dreaded the suffering that lay ahead of Him. He pleaded with the Father to see if there was any way to avoid it. And yet… even then, He chose to accept and fulfill the Father’s will.
Jesus’ suffering and death marked a turning point in history. He broke the power of sin. Those who believe in Him are truly free. Jesus also led us into a new kind of obedience: not forced, but voluntarily, out of love for the Father.
Do you understand why Jesus gave up His autonomy? How can His “loss of freedom” make us free?