Did Jesus live easy or hard?
Think about that for a moment. We know the crucifixion was hard—a diabolical, horrible death. But we also know that submitting Himself to that death was His choice, as there were several attempts on His life before that appointed time when He just turned and walked away, unharmed. They did not kill Him...He exercised the power of life and death, which is in the tongue [Proverbs 18:21]
'And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Your hands I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last.' [Luke 23:46]
"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I LAY DOWN MY LIFE so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." [John 10:17]
Even the very first attempt on His life came to nought. Herod sought to kill Him as a baby but couldn't. As an adult, murderous mobs tried to throw Him off cliffs and stone Him...the Bible reports that He either turned and walked away or 'hid Himself.' During one attempt, the Bible says He 'eluded their grasp.' [John 10:39]
Was this hard or easy? From the natural viewpoint, getting away from an angry mob intent on killing you is impossible. But from the Word we see that Jesus just walked away, with a sort of 'Yeah, I don't think so' kind of attitude.
How about feeding huge crowds in the middle of nowhere with no apparent source of food or preparation facilities? He did it at least twice that we know of...just decided to feed them, and then did. Even when they ran out of wine at the wedding of Cana, His mother knew to go to Him...I wonder how she knew to do that? He just turned water into wine, no problem.
What about money or other material needs? Did He struggle financially? The Word says that there were many who contributed to His support out of their private means. [Luke 8:3] In fact, the only officer named among His disciples was treasurer!
When Peter asked Him for money to pay the taxes, He told Peter to go get it from a fish! When He needed transportation to enter Jerusalem, He told His disciples where a colt was and told them to get it. When He needed a place for His last Passover, He told them where and how to get it.
How about His ministry? Was that easy or hard? Did He fast and pray and wail for days at the tomb of Lazarus? No...He just called him out, and out he came! Every healing, every time He raised someone from the dead, He just did it, without a lot of banging around and fanfare.
Even when He was tempted by Satan, Jesus just told him to pound sand...and then angels came and ministered to Him!
I'm sure it was hard for Him to have to deal with all of the unbelief He encountered, not to mention His not-to-swift companions on a daily basis. He did get angry a few times—at the disciples, at the temple, at the Pharisees, at the fig tree.
But for the most part, He just did what He wanted to. When Satan tried to kill Him with a storm on the water, He just told it to hush. Even when it was time for Him to sacrifice Himself, He allowed it to happen in such a way as to fulfill Scripture.
What can we learn from these things?
First, we see that for Jesus, life was not hard but easy. He knew Who He was and He knew how the system worked. He stayed in contact with His Father and exercised authority over the physical, natural world as well as over Satan. He knew all things already belonged to Him, and He spent His time trying to teach His disciples how things really worked.
Second, Jesus understood eternity. He understood that God's works were finished from the foundation of the world [Hebrews 4:3]. He understood Ecclesiastes 1:9,10, which says 'That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new?" ALREADY IT HAS EXISTED FOR AGES which were before us."'
'Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, BEFORE ABRAHAM was born, I AM."' [John 8:58]
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth SHALL HAVE BEEN bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth SHALL HAVE BEEN loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:19]
"Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth SHALL HAVE BEEN bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth SHALL HAVE BEEN loosed in heaven." [Matthew 18:18]
As He is, so also are we IN THIS WORLD! [I John 4:17]
Hallelujah!
