Daily devotion – the wonder of our Saviour
Why Jesus Christ, the Son of God suffered and died on the Cross at Calvary….
Heb 5:8 – though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
Hebrews tells us this amazing information about Jesus and the Cross at Calvary. It says that He “learned obedience” through suffering, and that He was “made perfect” through suffering, and also that He was “without sin”. In every respect (Christ) has been tempted as we are, yet ‘without sin’ – Hebrews 4:15.
This is the consistent teaching throughout the Bible. That Jesus Christ was sinless! Although He was the divine Son of God, He was really human, just like you and I.
He had temptations, appetites and physical weaknesses. There was hunger (Matthew 21:18), anger and grief (Mark 3:5) and pain (Matthew 17:12).
But His heart was perfectly in love with His Father in Heaven, and He acted consistently with that love – “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth.” (1 Peter 2:22).
Therefore, the Bible says, that Jesus “learned obedience through what He suffered,” it does not mean that He learned to stop disobeying. It means that with each new trial He learned in practice – and in pain – what it means to obey. When it says that He was “made perfect through suffering,” it does not mean that He was gradually getting rid of defects, no!
It means that He was gradually fulfilling the prefect righteousness that He had to have so that He could save us!
This is why at His baptism, He said that He did not need to be baptized because He was a sinner. Rather, He explained to His cousin John the Baptist, “Thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:15)
So what is all this about you say?
If Jesus the Son of God had gone from incarnation to the Cross without a life of temptation and pain to test His righteousness and His love, He would not be a suitable Saviour for we who have sinned and fallen short.
Jesus suffering not only absorbed the wrath of God upon us. It also fulfilled His true humanity and made Him able to call us brothers and sisters. – (Hebrews 2:17)
This is simply wonderful!