Hey, Pastor John!
Recently I’ve been reading through Hebrews and I wanted to share a thought that was new to me to see if it’s right.
In Hebrews 5:9, the writer refers to Jesus and says, “When he had been made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” If Jesus had been made perfect, that must mean that he was not “perfect” before that time.
After reading that verse about Jesus being perfected, this was the new thought that I had: “God had more than one reason for sending His son: To perfect Jesus AND to open the door for us to receive the spirit.” I’m sure there were many other reasons too! Previously, when I’ve thought about Jesus coming down to earth, I’ve always thought about how God sent him for us. It was a completely new thought that God (it seems like) sent Jesus down here so He could make a way for us to receive his spirit AND so he could perfect Jesus at the same time. That was so neat to me! One of the next thoughts I had was even though Jesus’ name is above all names and he is at the right hand of God, he is still a child (the son) of God. He also had to be perfected in whatever way God saw fit. Something about that made me feel fellowship with Him and was sweet. Is that a right thought?
It seems like the main theme of chapter 5 is about the High Priest and how Jesus is ours. Since the author is talking about Jesus learning through the things he suffered and being perfected, do you think it’s right to conclude that one of God’s reasons for perfecting Jesus was so he could become the perfect High Priest for us?
Thinking about it now, it seems funny to think that God may have had only one purpose for sending Jesus here, but to think about God doing it for Jesus and for us was really something. I wanted to share those thoughts and see if they were right!
Thank you!
Samuel
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Hi Samuel.
Here is the section of Hebrews 5 (our translation) that you are talking about:
- This man, in the days of his flesh, offered with strong crying and tears both prayers and supplications to the One who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence for God.
- For although he was a Son, he learned obedience by the things that he suffered,
- and when he had been made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him,
- ordained by God as a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek.
It certainly does appear that what you are thinking is true, and I understand how it made you feel when you read it. I have always thought that the author of Hebrews was thinking something else when he wrote, “When he had been made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” I connected that verse with what Jesus said in Luke 13 (our translation):
- The same day, certain Pharisees came to him, saying, “Go away! Leave here, for Herod wants to kill you!”
- And he said to them, “You go tell that fox, ‘Behold, I am casting out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and I’ll be finished on the third day.
The word we translated as “finished” in verse 32 is the same verb we translated as “perfect” in Hebrews 5:9. And that is how I have understood Hebrews 5:9 in the past, that is, as a reference to Jesus finishing his work, but I have to say, what you got from Hebrews 5:9, in context, seems sound.
It is hard to understand, if the Son was created as the perfect reflection of the Father, how he would need to be perfected, or even how he could “learn obedience by the things that he suffered.” But that is what the Bible says, I believe it, even if I cannot comprehend it.
Thanks for writing. There is much that we all still have to learn
Your servant,
Pastor John