[John’s] Gospel asserts repeatedly that Jesus’ whole philosophy of life was dominated by a proactive search for and conformity with the Father’s will. “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to bring his work to completion” (Jn 4:34). This Johannine theme of obedience parallels Saint Paul’s “obedience of faith” (Rom 1:5 and 16:26). It is not enough to glimpse the spiritual world and identify with it. We are also obliged to conform ourselves to its imperatives and that submission involves a certain rejection of this-worldly standards (Rom 12:2). Contrary to what we who cherish autonomy might expect, Jesus was free because he chose to obey. ~Michael Casey, OCSO; excerpt from Fully Human Fully Divine: An Interactive Christology
