Christ's example of obedience
During his earthly life, he offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. Hebrews 5:7-8 CSB
In this next section, the author shows how Jesus demonstrated sympathy with us as He experienced trials and tribulations in His humanity. “During His earthly life, He offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save Him from death.” This is a reference to Jesus praying to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22:42-44, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me—nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. Being in anguish, He prayed more fervently, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.” Jesus Christ reached out to the Father, and the Father provided Him the strength to continue to the cross. Jesus was then spared from the consequences of death through the resurrection, as seen in Acts 3:26, “God raised up his servant and sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.” “He was heard because of His reverence,” means that Jesus’ prayer was heard because of His submission to the Father’s will. Jesus experiencing death qualifies His ability to sympathize with humanity. We have a Savior who can sympathize with us in every aspect. Then, in verse 8, “although He was the Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered.” Now, this can be a confusing verse, because if Jesus is God, then He is omniscient, which would raise the question then, “What would He need to learn if He knows everything?” Jesus came to the earth with the sole purpose to obey the will of the Father. Through His suffering physically, He acquired the experience of obedience. As Lea writes, “His example and experience encouraged both the readers of Hebrews and today’s readers to persevere. We cannot experience a hardship in which He fails to identify with us.” Jesus did not have to learn anything concerning obedience, for his will was the same as God’s will. However, in his humanity Jesus had to show full obedience; he had to become “obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8). Not only that the Lord Jesus Christ provided an example of obedience for His followers, through His obedience to the cross, He obtained for us salvation through the forgiveness of our sin and receive life, life eternal. “For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
