Hebrews 5:8-10
Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Message: Obedience in Suffering
Time: Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who had suffered in the past and were now threatened with even more suffering. They'd done well years ago, but the author of Hebrews feared that they might now turn away from Christ to avoid further persecution.The opinions on the author of Hebrews has varied. The strongly Jewish character of the letter to the Hebrews helps to narrow down its date of composition, most likely AD 64–69.
What the Lord is Saying:
Again, as a review, this study I have been working on is on Christ Alone, solus Christus. Christ Alone saves and during this study I have looked at Christ's Divine nature, as God's incarnate Son (God became Man), the Human Nature of Christ in which I saw Jesus being hungry, needing rest, is tempted, and was ignorant at times of events; Jesus the Last Adam in that like Adam he shared the federal head whereby all humanity is sinners because of Adam's sin, and Jesus is the federal head to all the redeemed, for all in Christ are made alive; and just as in the Old Testament, Israel is called by God and chosen to be His representative and to make the truth of Him known to everyone, but Israel failed, while Jesus fulfilled this; Jesus is Messiah, as the office of messiah includes delivering and rescuing people; the root of our Salvation is in Christ's active and passive obedience - his active obedience is living a perfect life and being obedient to the Law of God and his passive obedience is dying on the cross for our sins, paying the penalty for our sins, from childhood on, he showed his obedience, and this obedience includes being baptized, even though he did not need to be made clean, obedience in temptation as he was tempted in the same way we are and he shows us to always respond to temptation with God's truth, and then Jesus also was obedient to the Law, fulfilling every commandment.
Christ's active obedience means his active obedience to the commands of God so that Christ could be our righteousness. But we also need his passive obedience, His suffering God's curse in order for us to be cleansed of the mark of sin on our lives.
Jesus suffered - other men beat Him and crucified Him. He was actively involved in this. Today's text, Hebrews 5:8 says - He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. Jesus, in His divine nature had no need to learn anything, but as man he can grow in knowledge. In this passage the idea of learned obedience means that Jesus came to understand suffering by experiencing it Himself.
I wonder if my life is obedient in suffering. Do I complain, question, and grow impatient through suffering, wanting it to be over as quick as possible? Yes, I think that is normal, but as I go through it, I need to be dependent on God and His word, His promises that He has made to me. These kidney stones I have had have been marks of suffering, as well as the back pain I now have. Do I grow impatient with others? Probably. I need to rest in the confidence of God and let him use the suffering to grow me more dependent on Him.
In Christ's suffering, He learned what it was for a sinless man to suffer for sinners. I find in life that I had to suffer when I feel like I have done nothing wrong. I am quick to question these and throw temper tantrums almost. Often I want vengeance.
Jesus was made perfect, offering Himself as our atonement and became the source of eternal salvation.
Promise: Christ endured unjust suffering. There are times when I need to endure this type of suffering.
Prayer: Lord, give me discernment in knowing when I am to fight back and when I am to endure suffering. Thank you Jesus always for suffering for me and my sin so that I can live with God for eternity and have the peace of God in my life. Remove pride from me and give me a thankful heart always.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of May is about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April was about salvation by grace alone; March about the sovereign providence of God; February was about the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January was about the doctrine of God.
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