By Robert E. Coleman
Christ's obedience to the will of the Father who sent Him was the example of what perfect love means. The giving of Himself on the cross was the climax of that commitment. And since that offering had been made in His mind before the worlds were made (
Rev. 13:18;
Acts 2:32), each step that He took on earth was a conscious experience of the love of God.
In the same sense of obedience, there is a cross for all who would follow in His steps (
Mark 8:34;
Matt. 16:24;
Luke 9:23). Not that any disciple can duplicate His atoning sacrifice, of course. No one could do that work but the perfect man, and it has been finished once and for all. Yet the principle of obedience to the mission of God, whatever it entails, remains as the basis for continuing in the joy of Christ's love.
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To be sure, such obedience is costly. It will mean the surrender of our lives in loving submission to His will (
Mark 8:35;
10:21;
Matt. 16:25;
10:21;
Luke 9:24;
14:33;
18:22). For Peter it would actually lead to an early martyrdom, as Jesus told him: "When you are old you will stretch out your hands," a way of indicating the manner of his death, and he would be led to a place of execution where no man would want to go (
John 21:18). According to tradition, it happened just that way. He was stretched out on a cross, and crucified upside down.
The mode of physical death, however, is of no importance. What matters is the crucifixion of our own self-centeredness, "so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless" (
Rom. 6:6; cf.
Gal. 2:20;
5:24). Herein is the secret of that love which casts out all fear (
1 John 4:7-21).