There has never been anyone, no saint, no religious leader, no martyr, no one, who has lived a more sinless, perfect, God honoring life than Jesus did. No one knew the mind of God the Father more than Jesus. No Bible scholar ever understood Scripture more completely than Jesus did. In every category, Jesus is the pre-eminent example of how to live the Christian life.
That is why it is so profound to realize that Jesus did nothing on His own initiative. Jesus preached no sermon, healed no sick person, and taught no lesson in which His Father had not guided Him. Jesus knew that His calling was not to “make things happen,” but to surrender to His Father’s perfect will. Jesus never prided Himself in his knowledge or understanding. He never assumed that, at least in smaller matters, He could make His own decisions. Jesus did nothing apart from His Father’s guidance.
How is it, then, that we so often take matters into our own hands? Why do we assume we are smart enough, godly enough, talented enough, to “figure things out” on our own? Are we smarter and holier than Jesus? Of course not.