⁷ “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God.’ ”

Humanity has been endowed with self-determining will. At the earliest stage, though, our seminal parents, Adam and Eve made a choice, under the influence of the Serpent, to choose their own will against God’s will. The result has been seismic disaster; humans have been infused with a sinful nature, which emanates out from the epicenter of our lives.

Bible scholars debate how, if Jesus was fully human, that He did not inherit the human sinful nature. Some explain it with the “federal headship” view that the nature of sinfulness was not passed down, but the guilt of sin was—because Adam represented all of humanity in his sin. The seminal view of sin (in simplified terms) is that we were all “in” Adam when he sinned, and therefore share in his sinful act. Possibly the virgin birth helps us understand it, in that Jesus was born of a woman, but not of a man. All of these views are attempts to understand the sinlessness of a fully human Jesus. This is part of what is called “Systematic Theology,” an effort to harmonize the various theological understandings we have from Scripture.

Theology is good, but it is limited. Understanding the mind and ways of God is bounded by our finite, limited capacity to comprehend the infinite complexities of God, Who at the same time is completely unified and a singular whole. One thing we do know is that Jesus did not sin (Heb 4:15). In our verse today, we find that He was sent into the world with the purpose of fulfilling God’s will. He perplexed His disciples when they found Him conversing with a Samaritan woman, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work” (John 4:34).

He responded to the Jews who were trying to kill him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner” (John 5:19). He added, “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 5:30).

Yes, though He was fully human, He perfectly fulfilled the will of God. In His upper room prayer, He said to His father, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. (John 17:4). Then on the cross, in His last gasp, He cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

Lord, You did not ever turn aside from Your Father’s will. I want to live for the will of the Father as well, even though imperfectly.