Learning Obedience

Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (Hebrews 5:8, 9). It is very important to note that the Bible does not say that the Lord Jesus “learned to obey” but rather that he “learned to obey,” and there is a big difference between the two expressions. To make the difference clear, we say that unfallen creatures (angels and archangels) never learn to obey because obedience is part of their nature. An angel obeys by nature and nature, and unfallen creatures cannot be led into a thought that is against obedience, so they cannot learn to obey. As for a fallen creature - such as a human being - it is he who learns not to obey but “to obey.” Why? Because our will is by nature and nature not obedient. It is by nature disobedient and rebellious, and with training, discipline, and discipline We learn to “obey.”

The Lord Jesus had to learn to “obey” because He was not a creature but the Creator. He did not have to learn to “obey.” God forbid. Because He did not have a will contrary to the will of God the Father. But He had to “learn to obey” because He came in the form of a human being in the flesh, because His position from eternity was to command and be obeyed, not to be commanded and to obey.

But He came into the world and learned what obedience is and what suffering is, and the end of this path was “that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the things pertaining to God” (Heb. 2:17).

The Son of God, who had remained in heaven, would not have known what obedience is and what suffering is. He came into this world and learned both completely.

In order that he may be fully qualified to sympathize with those who have to walk in obedience and suffering in this world. “And being made perfect” - in relation to his office as a priest - that is, being made perfect by passing through all the tests of obedience and suffering to the fullest, he was fully qualified to be “to all who obey him the author of eternal salvation, called by God to be a high priest after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5:9, 10). 

By / Darby