In today’s world, submission is almost seen as a dirty word. We celebrate independence, cheer on those who “stand their ground,” and promote the right to speak our truth and chase our dreams. Submitting to someone else’s will can seem weak, even risky.
But Scripture paints a different picture. When Paul writes, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21), he isn’t calling believers to passivity or blind compliance. He’s inviting us to let Him share every conversation, every relationship, and every hidden corner of our lives. According to Paul, submission isn’t about losing yourself—it’s about making space for Him to be Lord in how we speak, serve, lead, and love.
The Greek word hupotássō that Paul uses means “to place under in an orderly way.” It describes willingly arranging our lives under God’s authority so His love can flow through us. That’s exactly what Jesus modeled. He demonstrated it through His words, actions, and even His suffering. When we follow His example, we find a freedom and courage that often confuses others and sends a powerful message to the world around us.
Let’s explore six ways Jesus demonstrated submission—in purpose, words, daily life, suffering, authority, and relationships. Each one opens a door to a deeper connection with Christ, a healthier church, and a witness that encourages a watching world to believe.
1. Submission in Purpose
“Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work’” (John 4:24).
Sadly, our human nature drives us to pursue our own desires. Charles Spurgeon expressed it this way: “The man of the world thinks that if he could have his own way, he would be pleased, and his dream of happiness in this life or the next is based on this—that his own wishes will be fulfilled, his own longings satisfied, and his own desires granted to him. This is all a mistake. A man will never be happy in this way.”1
Jesus’ main goal was to do the will of the one who sent him. He found deep satisfaction in fulfilling his Father’s will, even when he was tired. The phrase “to accomplish his work” is very powerful because it contains the root of the Greek word Jesus used on the cross when he said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
In Hebrews 12:2, we read, “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
These verses highlight that Jesus endured the suffering of the cross because of the joy set before Him—referring to the joy of redeeming humanity, glorifying the Father, and being reunited in glory.
Like Jesus, we’re called to set aside personal ambition and align our lives with God’s mission, and to help others do the same.
Jesus didn’t just submit in what He pursued—He also submitted in what He proclaimed.
2. Submission in Our Words
“So Jesus said to them, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.’ As he was saying these things, many believed in him” (John 8:28-29).
Jesus didn’t just show submission through His actions; He also expressed it with His words. Every word He spoke was guided by the will of the Father. He didn’t talk to impress, provoke, or defend Himself. He spoke to please His heavenly Father.
That’s countercultural today.
We live in a culture full of opinions. We post, tweet, argue, and vent before we pray, listen, or contemplate God’s Word. Our platforms encourage us to speak our truth before submitting to His truth. But if Jesus, the Son of God, didn’t speak on his own authority, how much more should we submit our voices to the Father?
What if we made a habit of pausing before we speak or post and ask, “Does this please the Father? Is this edifying the reader? Am I speaking truth in love, or just trying to be right?”
Sometimes submission means choosing not to speak, especially when silence honors God and protects others. At other times, it means speaking the truth with humility and compassion. It means allowing Scripture, not culture, to guide what we say and how we say it.
Jesus’ words inspired many to believe in Him. Imagine the witness we could have if our words, online and in person, carried the same Spirit-led clarity and Grace that Jesus demonstrated.
In a divided world, the way we speak may be the clearest witness of Jesus we can offer.
And it wasn’t just His words that demonstrated submission—it was His entire way of life.
3. Submission in Daily Life
“So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise’” (John 5:19).
This is a clear example of how Jesus submitted to the Father in everyday life. It wasn’t just in big decisions; His whole life showed what He observed the Father doing.
This might be one of the most difficult areas for us to accept in our culture. We live in a fast-paced world that values action and productivity, but this kind of submission requires us to slow down and wait to see what God is doing. We need to slow down, pray, seek Scripture, and observe where God is working. It’s about discerning when to act and when to wait, trusting that success isn’t about doing more but about building intimacy with God so we can understand what God is doing.
As Jesus traveled through towns and villages teaching, preaching, and healing, we read in Matthew 9:6, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” His compassion for the people moved Him to act, and he told his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38).
We truly need more laborers who, like Jesus, are fully submitted to the Father’s will in their daily lives. Let’s slow down and truly observe those around us with compassion, knowing they’re in desperate need of the True Shepherd and that we’re the “workers for the harvest” Jesus is referencing.
But this daily submission would eventually lead Him to the ultimate test—suffering.
4. Submission in Suffering
“Then he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’ And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will’” (Matthew 26:38-39).
In the Garden of Gethsemane—a name meaning oil press—Jesus felt the crushing weight of what was to come. Luke tells us His sweat became like great drops of blood. Yet, under that intense pressure, He prayed, “Not as I will, but as You will.” It’s the ultimate picture of surrender.
Our culture encourages us to “follow your heart,” but Jesus shows a different path: trusting the Father even when obedience costs everything. We face our own “Gethsemanes” in marriage, work, health, or grief that often make us want to run. Submission means staying faithful, believing in God’s character when His plan doesn’t make sense, and waiting for resurrection even when relief isn’t immediate.
Jesus’ strength in suffering encourages us to face our trials with quiet trust, becoming living witnesses to the hope we have in Him.
Even in His suffering, Jesus didn’t reject authority—He submitted to it, trusting in God’s sovereignty.
5. Submission to Authority
Submission isn’t a celebrated characteristic in our world today. We’re taught to be independent, to speak up, and to challenge authority—sometimes for good reason. However, the example of Jesus’ life contradicts cultural norms. He submitted to His parents (Luke 2:51), paid taxes (Matthew 17:27), acknowledged governmental authority (John 19:10-11), and endured unjust treatment by religious and civil authorities.
So how can we follow Jesus in this way?
Jesus never submitted to human authority because He thought it was perfect. He submitted because He believed the Father was sovereign. Romans 13:1 reminds us that “there is no authority except from God.” This doesn’t mean that human authority is inherently righteous, but it does mean that God remains in control.
If we, like Jesus, fully trust in the Father’s sovereignty, we will pray for our leaders when they fall short, obey when it doesn’t violate conscience or Scripture, and resist the urge to slander them.
Submission doesn’t mean silence or compromise. It means choosing to honor the position someone holds, even when you disagree with their actions. Jesus confronted the Pharisees’ hypocrisy (Matthew 23), but He still honored their authority.
Hebrews 13:17 calls us to “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
The spiritual responsibility of leaders in the church isn’t about control; it’s about mutual accountability before God. Leaders are called to shepherd with seriousness, knowing they answer to God, while church members are called to trust and support, enabling their leaders to lead with joy rather than burden.
Let our actions serve as a witness. Peter urges us in 1 Peter 2:13-15 to “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.”
In a culture of outrage, submission stands out. It doesn’t mean passivity; it signifies strength under control. And that kind of strength leaves a powerful mark on the world we live in.
But the call to submission isn’t just vertical—it’s horizontal.
6. Submission to One Another
Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:21, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
This verse is the hinge on which the door of the Spirit-filled life swings. Flowing from Paul’s command to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” sets the tone for everything that follows as he addresses marriage, children, and workplaces, for without the Spirit, submission and sacrificial love are impossible. But with the Spirit, these become powerful expressions of Jesus in everyday life.
Paul illustrates how the gospel restores what the Fall corrupted—relationships, roles, and the way we live together under God’s reign. In Genesis 3, sin disrupted marriage with power struggles, parenting with pain and rebellion, and work with sweat and tears. But in Ephesians 5:22-69, we see those very relationships transformed by the Holy Spirit.
What if submission truly is the key?
Jesus showed us that submission isn’t weakness—it’s strength under control, guided by love and empowered by the Holy Spirit. It’s not about blind obedience, but about trusting God so deeply that we’re free to serve, speak truth, endure suffering, and honor others, even when it costs us.
In a world divided by pride and self-interest, Spirit-filled submission acts as a strong witness. It heals what sin has broken. It transforms relationships. It opens hearts to believe.
Let’s walk in the way of Jesus—submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ—because when we adopt that attitude, we can discover the key to a stronger faith, a healthier church, and a watching world eager to believe.
Reference
1 Charles H. Spurgeon, Christ’s Prayer for His People (New York: Sheldon & Company, 1866), 49.
