A Zeal to Please

Pleasing His Father was paramount to Jesus, and He did it perfectly.

Once, Jesus was at the temple in Jerusalem, talking to the scribes and the Pharisees, when He made this extraordinary statement:

"And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him" (John 8:29).

Think about it. Jesus always did what pleased His Father. If anyone else had said that, we might think they were exaggerating, but since it was Jesus, we know it was true. He never did anything that brought a frown to His Father’s face.

On another occasion, Jesus was speaking to the crowd near the Sea of Galilee:

"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38).  

Jesus set His own will aside and did only the things His Father wanted Him to do. Imagine the peace in His heart when He lay down at night knowing that all He had done that day was according to His Father’s will.

You likely recall Jesus’ stop at Jacob’s well and His conversation with a Samaritan woman about her failed relationships and His living water. The disciples soon became concerned that the Messiah hadn’t eaten. “Rabbi, eat!” (John 4:31). His response must have surprised them:  

“I have food to eat that you do not know about” (John 4:32). … “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work” (John 4:34).

Where did the Son of God get nourishment? What sustained Him? Jesus had an appetite for doing the Father’s will. To accomplish His work was enough for Jesus. It was another lesson learned for the disciples.    

As the time of Jesus’ crucifixion approached, He wrapped up a long talk with His disciples by saying:

“[B]ut so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me” (John 14:31). 

People were watching Jesus, and He wanted them to understand that He loved His Father. How did He accomplish that? By doing all that His Father told Him to do.

These verses about Jesus’ zeal to do His Father’s will remind us of our responsibility during this small window of time we have on earth. As Christians, we are called to follow Jesus, to walk in His footsteps. We are called to imitate our Savior.

My adorable seven-year-old granddaughters have started taking ballet lessons. My daughter captures their practices on video and passes them along to my wife and me. It’s simple: the twins watch their teacher. What the teacher does, they do. It’s not always easy, but it’s simple. So it is with the Christian life. We look at Jesus; what He does, we do. We won’t do it perfectly this side of heaven, but there will be times when, joy of joys, we please our Father – like Jesus did.

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