He Did Not Save Himself

Scripture: He saved others; let him save himself…If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself! … Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us! Luke 22:35,37,39

Observation: Jesus deliberately chose to not save himself at the cross. He would not save himself to prove a point. He would not save himself to confirm his identity. He would not save himself to stop his pain. He would not save himself to stop the suffering of others. Jesus Christ was committed to the Father’s will, and just because he could save himself did not mean he would. His focus was to do the will of his father.

Application: As someone who likes to fix things, I am often tempted to “save myself” in many situations. To prove that I was right, to say I told you so, to exercise my authority, or to maintain control. And in many cases, I have the power to do so. But just because I can does not mean I should. I need to be crystal clear on what my Father’s will is, and do that. Saving myself in this way cannot trump his plans. Knowing God’s will helps me maintain focus and gives me freedom from the need to save myself. I can do what he said and let the jeers, the suffering, the consequences go. They are not my job to fix.

Prayer: God, help me keep my eye on the ball, to know when to stand and when to submit. To not be concerned about the opinions of others, or try to save myself. My salvation in a situation is not my job, it is yours. My job is to do the will of my father who has sent me. So help me know what that is. Thank you for the utter commitment of Christ upon the cross. He was able to save me because he did not save himself.