A Servant of the Father

The first thing the Son of God does is take the form of a servant. The natural question should be – a servant of whom? The answer is the Eternal Father.

The Son of God is in all ways equal to the father. They are one God, the same in substance equal in power and glory. Most of us unknowingly believe a false teaching that the Son was and remains subordinate to the Father. The bible teaches differently.

There is only one God. If the son were subordinate, he would be a lesser god, meaning there are at least two gods. Jesus corrects that by teaching regularly that he and the father are one.

Being one with the father means the Son has all the power, glory and honor of the Father. As Paul says in Colossians, all the fullness of Deity dwells in him bodily.

However, before he came to earth as a man the Son took on the form of a servant, he voluntarily submitted to God and subjected himself wholly to his Father’s plan. We see that throughout his life and teachings, Jesus continually called out – I have come not to do my own will but to do the will of my father in heaven.

In agony at the garden of Gethsemanee he cried out, Father take this cup away from me, nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.

In his last breath from the cross he cried out, Father into your hands I commit my spirit.

Why did the Son of God have to become obedient to the father? What did he come to earth to heal? Why did he have to come and redeem us in the first place?

At the very heart of our sin and the ruin of creation lies rebellion. Lucifer the angel refused to submit to the Glory of God. Eve in the garden refused to just be human. Adam refused to be less than godlike. And every child of theirs ever since has wanted to live a life of absolute freedom – where we determine our own rules and our own fate.

Don’t get me wrong, humans are capable of uncanny obedience and discipline, if the goal is one of our own choosing: athletics, career advancement, military achievements. But we want to decide for ourselves who we will obey. Therefore, we are still the captains of our fates.

Because we refuse to submit to our rightful authority. Even though we are creatures, dependent for every breath, we resent our dependence and demand to live our own way.