Hebrews 5:1-10—The cross teaches obedience and earns eternal salvation. Christ is the Mediator of the new covenant. It is by His perfect obedience, by His shedding of blood, by His death that we have received eternal life. He bore the cross, not for Himself, but solely for our benefit.
Here we see the human Jesus praying with tears and cries to avoid the cross. In an allusion to Gethsemane, Jesus’ appeal is denied. Through His suffering and death, Jesus learned obedience to God’s will. By His obedience He was made “perfect;” that is, He completed and fulfilled His God-given mission to die for the salvation of the world.
The Word became “flesh”. It is important that Jesus was fully and truly human. If he were not, he could not identify with us nor could he take our sin upon himself. The author of the Hebrews refers to Jesus’ day of his flesh – his humanity upon earth as Jesus of Nazareth. This refers to his pre-existence, for Jesus had days other than in his flesh. Proof of this humanity was in the Gethsemane experience of praying with tears and cries.
Jesus learned obedience through suffering. Could it be that he also suffered because he was obedient? It works both ways, doesn’t it? When we obey God, we may have to suffer the consequences of persecution at the hands of evil men. When we suffer we learn to obey God.
The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus was made perfect by his suffering and death. The word “perfect” means completion or fulfillment. Jesus accomplished what he was sent to do. He fulfilled his mission as the Messiah. Consequently, he earned eternal salvation for all believers. 1
A Prayer for aid against temptation: O God, You justify the ungodly and desire not the death of the sinner. Graciously assist us by Your heavenly aid and evermore shield us with Your protection, that no temptation may separate us from Your love in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 2
Sources:
Illustration “The Crucifixion” is taken from a woodcut by Baron Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872, a distinguished German artist known especially for his book, The Book of Books in Pictures. © WLS Permission granted for personal and congregational use.
1. Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series B, John Brokhoff © 1981 CSS Publishing, Lima OH
2. Collect for aid against temptation, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
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