Jesus as Our Teacher and Our Example

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught the disciples how to pray. “Pray, then, in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” - Matthew 6:9-10

In the Garden of Gethsemane when a lynch mob showed up to take him to be executed, Jesus showed the disciples how to pray: “Again, a second time, he went away and prayed, saying, “O my Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, your will be done.” - Matthew 26:42

Notice that he practiced what he preached. In both cases, he said of the Father - "your will be done."

It is comforting to know that Jesus is our teacher, example, and our advocate with the Father. Who better to represent us than the one who knows what we feel, knows what we face, and knows what we fear. He loves us. He created us. He befriended us. He knows how to save us. He didn’t run when they came for him. Instead, he healed his wounded captor, forgave his executioners, and rose from the dead. Imagine that if he healed the man sent to take him to his execution how much more he offers us!

I hope to see you rise from the grave immortal – like our teacher did!

J. Clontz, Editor - The Comprehensive New Testament