During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered, 9 and having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him…. Hebrews 5:7-9
We saw last week that this word perfect means: to carry through completely; to accomplish, finish, bring to an end. This word is used in the epistle to the Hebrews 13 times. 4 times in regards to the OT which we find could make nothing perfect, chapters 7:19 and again in 10:1; with sacrifices, as touching he conscience, not making the worshiper perfect chapter 8:9. and finally in seeing that the children of Israel under the law should not be made perfect apart from us, chapter 11:40.
However the law was to point us to a perfection that Jesus was to bring under a new covenant established on better promises. Hebrews talks about how Jesus prepared himself and worked out the perfection He came to impart to us
Here in our main verse today, we see he was made perfect through the things he suffered and learned obedience in 5:9 and finally 7:28 tells us now he is perfected for evermore.
Since we are predestined to be conformed to the image of God, this then is our press: to be found in Him, perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
I want to point out, any “suffering” we experience - from God’s perspective - gives us the opportunity to learn obedience. There is a right attitude and a right action through every place of suffering that can only be manifested as we deny our flesh and embrace the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome. He is the author of salvation to all who OBEY Him.
He knows what we face. He knows the weakness of man. and the strength of the flesh. He knows the miracle working power of the Holy Spirit. He knows greater grace and He knows how to overcome! He imparts to us that perfected human nature found in obedience to the will of the Father.
Obedience is the seed. It is the power of Christ's Perfection and ours as well.
Through obedience he was perfected and became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. Shall we come any other way?
Selah.