FOLLOWING IN HIS STEPS THOUGH HIS LIFE

Yeshua, the Son of God, came to earth and lived a perfect life as a human being with no other resources or power than that which is available to us. He emptied Himself of all the glory which He had in His eternal state and took on human form in all it's limitations so that He could be a substitute sacrifice for all mankind.

He didn't consider His exalted position and existence with the Father as His eternal Son through whom He had made the worlds and everything in them as something to be grasped at and held onto, but,

"made Himself of no reputation" - He voided Himself of all the honour and glory of His position

"taking the form of a bondservant" - He subjected Himself into unqualified servitude

"coming in the likeness of men" - He came in a human body which was prepared for Him

"He became obedient to death" - He submitted Himself as a sacrificial offering for the sins of Adam's race Philippians 2: 6-8

Yeshua did all this in a subjection of His will to please His heavenly Father. It was an act of love on His part in devoted service to His Father to bring to pass His eternal purposes. "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will. but the will of Him who sent Me" John 6:38

During the whole of His life, Yeshua set a pattern of following the Father in everything He said and did. He did nothing independently of Him, but always looked to the Father to see what He would have Him do in every situation. Because He always did that, He was in constant communion with the Father (John 15: 9-10).

The power and authority which He exercised in the days of His ministry were the result of His relationship with the Father, as He said, "The words that I speak to you I do not speak of My own authority, but the Father who dwells in Me does the works." (John 14:10) The authority which He had was a result of the close relationship which He maintained in union with the Father and many hours spent in prayer (Mark 1:35; 6:46; Luke 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28; 11:1), to prepare Himself daily for the ministry which had been assigned to Him by the Father. And the works which He did were a result of the Father dwelling in Him through that relationship which He maintained with Him by the indwelling Holy Spirit, imparted to Him at His baptism (Matthew 3:16-17).

In everything He established a pattern of good works for us to follow in walking with the Father. He set the example of how to walk in relationship with our heavenly Father. The apostle Paul said to the believers, "Be followers of me as I also am of Messiah" (KJ), or as the NKJ version says, "Imitate me. just as I also imitate Messiah" (1 Corinthians 11:1)

We are to imitate His lifestyle. He set a pattern as an example for us in His life on earth, which we now have recorded in the accounts made by the gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. There are many qualities in His life which constitute the various aspects of following the pattern He set for us, but the basic and most important ingredient is that of His dependence upon the life of the Father. He did nothing of His own will. He did not act independently of the Father in anything. He prayed through every personal desire and aligned His will to the Father in everything. The extent of this can be seen when He was facing His coming impalement on the torture stake. In great agony of soul, He was sweating great drops of blood as He faced the coming trial, yet He proclaimed,

"O My Father if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39b)

In His darkest hour, as a human being in the role of the Son of Man, the representative man for Adam's race, He submitted his human will to the will of the Father, even to death on a torture stake.

We are told that there is no trial or temptation that can come to us now because of what Yeshua has done, that would be beyond our ability to bear it if our will is submitted to Him, but that He would enable us to overcome in the situation so that the Father's purposes of conforming us to His image would be worked out in our lives (1 Corinthians 10:13). Through the impartation of His life to us, we are enabled to walk the walk that He walked, even unto death, if it should be necessary to give our lives for Him.

Yeshua likened Himself to a Vine and us as the branches. If the branch is severed from the vine, the sap no longer flows through the vine and becomes withered and soon dies. So it is with us, that if we become severed from the source of life which flows through the Vine (Yeshua), we become dry and lifeless (John 15: 4-6).

We need to 'abide in' or remain in the Vine. When we act independently of Him, in the exercise of our own will that has not been submitted to Him, we become severed from the source of life flowing through the Vine.

"I am the Vine, you are the branches, He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned." John 15: 5-6

Whereas, we have the promise that if we keep His commandments we will remain in relationship with Him. "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you, abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love." John 15: 9-10

This is the love relationship in which Yeshua Himself walked with the Father, obeying His commandments.

His eyes were constantly upon the Father, waiting upon His guidance, to obey His voice in everything.

As He said, "Most assuredly I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner" John 5:19-20

Nothing that He said or did originated from Himself, "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgement is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." John 5:30

He was the Father's representative on earth - His voice; "I speak what I have seen with My Father" John 9:38a

"For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." John 12:49-50

"My doctrine is not Mine, but Him who sent Me." John 7:16

"I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard from Him." John 8:26

"And Yeshua said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." John 8:28-29

Yeshua spoke to His disciples and said that the Spirit of God whom He would send from the Father would come to dwell in them and guide them in the same manner as He had been guided (John 15:26-27).

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

He will glorify me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you." John 16:13-15

Through the Spirit of truth, the holy Spirit of God, we have the same resources that were made available to Yeshua to receive guidance from the Father so that we also may walk in His ways and in His truth. He is able to impart to us divine insights into situations in our lives, so that we may speak as the oracles of God and know how we should answer every man according to His Word.

If our lives are yielded to His will, we can present our petitions to the Father, knowing that we will receive what we ask, because our motivation originates out of the life which He has imparted to us. (John 16:23-24).

When we stand in Yeshua's name before the Father, He delights to respond to our love and bring joy to our hearts by answering our prayers. As Yeshua said, "For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God." John 16:27 "The works that I do in My Father's name. they bear witness of Me." John 10:25b

It is a joyous, abundant life walking in surrender to the will of the Father!