Observing the Father

So if we can be trained by the Sabbath to allow God to be in control instead of ourselves, if we can for 24 hours do ONLY what God wants us to do and do nothing of ourselves, if we can really get this down pat for just one day of the week…think of what would happen to us and those around us if we were doing it SEVEN days a week! And if you can picture that at all, then you have a picture of something that looks just like JESUS, the One who's Father said to Him:

"This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17)

The same Jesus who said to his disciples:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." (John 5:19)

The same Jesus, who even as a child, was focused not on Himself, nor on his family, but on God:

"Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. And all that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. And when they saw Him, they were amazed: and His mother said unto Him, 'Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.' And he said unto them, 'How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?' And they understood not the saying which He spake unto them. And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but His mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." (Luke 3:41-52)

He was 12 years old at the time, the scripture says, but this was no rebellious pre-teen. This was an obedient child of His Father, who observed the Father even at that young age, and did what His Father did. This was an obedient child who loved His Father enough to do what His Father wanted above all other people on the earth; so obedient that He put Himself at risk with His own earthly parents, in order to be obedient to His heavenly Father. At the age of TWELVE!

No wonder by the age of 30 or so, He was able to do far greater things than even that time in the temple in Jersualem at age 12. He had practiced obedience for at least 18 years by then, possibly even earlier, but the scripture shows us only that which He did at age 12.

By age 30, without question, every day was a Sabbath day for Jesus in terms of observing His Father's will instead of His own. And everyone around Him benefited from that. They saw the Father because Jesus did only what the Father did. They got the clearest picture ever of who God was, because Jesus revealed the Father to them. And the people benefited in amazing miraculous ways…all because Jesus was obedient to the Father and did the Father's will and not His own.

That's what we Christians have missed out on by not observing the Sabbath properly, in my opinion. And again, I feel that I have to explain that I am not talking about keeping the LAW in terms of being saved or having righteousness apart from that which we receive through Jesus Christ.

I have a friend who once said to me "The problem with Christians is that they believe they can do whatever they want and just ask forgiveness for it later and be good with God." She was talking about cheap grace.

She was talking about what I consider to be a "Peter Pan" approach to God: "Just believe." Sort of like if we "just believe" that we are saved, then we are saved. But look at what James says about faith alone:

"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?...Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone….thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" (James 2:14-22)

Ahhh…so there is a perfecting of faith that must follow faith….

….and that "perfecting" is obedience to God's commands, as Abraham was obedient, as Jesus was obedient.

We often miss that. Perhaps we have not spent enough time observing Jesus observing the Father or else we would be better at following His lead.