I do just as the Father has commanded me

At 14,19-28; Ps 144; Jn 14,27-31a
21 MAY

It is right to ask oneself: what did the Father command the Son? The answer is not in the New Testament, but in the Old. The Father commanded the Son to fulfil all the prophecies, all the oracles, all the promises and all the words written for him. One of these words asked to take upon himself all the sins of the world and expiate them with his suffering in his body. Jesus is the Lamb who takes away sin by expiation.

See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted. Even as many were amazed at him –  so marred was his look beyond that of man, and his appearance beyond that of mortals – So shall he startle many nations, because of him kings shall stand speechless; For those who have not been told shall see, those who have not heard shall ponder it. Who would believe what we have heard? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up like a sapling before him, like a shoot from the parched earth; There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him. He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, One of those from whom men hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem. Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, While we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed.

We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; But the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all. Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth. Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away, and who would have thought any more of his destiny? When he was cut off from the land of the living, and smitten for the sin of his people, A grave was assigned him among the wicked and a burial place with evildoers, Though he had done no wrong nor spoken any falsehood. (But the Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity.) If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through him. Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days; Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear. Therefore I will give him his portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, Because he surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked; And he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses (Is 52,13-53,12).

The Psalm reveals to us not only that Jesus comes to obey the Father, it adds that He fulfils the will of the Father by making it his own will. He wants the will of the Father. This is obedience at the height of its beauty and perfection. The beyond does not exist.

Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.” I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O Lord, You know. I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your loving kindness and Your truth from the great congregation (Ps 40 (39) 6-10).

If Jesus came to be a holocaust and a sacrifice of salvation and redemption, can he escape the purpose for which he came? It would be the eternal victory of Satan.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.

Let us apply this truth to the Church. If she exists to preach the Gospel of Jesus and to call all peoples to obedience to Christ, might she barter the proclamation, justifying with proclamations of salvation without Christ on the part of the peoples?

Mother of God, Angels and Saints ensure that we all obey according to the command received.