Around Easter each year, we will sometimes hear about how awful the process of crucifixion was. We might also be reminded how God the Father’s holiness meant that when Jesus carried our sins, that caused God the Father to be separated from God the Son for a time. However, let’s not miss the fact that Jesus also knew that this was coming. He not only had to endure the event; but He also had to endure the anticipation.
Now, that point might not seem to be part of a study of the book of Hebrews, but let’s read some more verses from Hebrews 5 today.
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 5:7-10 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/heb.5.7-10.NIV
From Jesus’ prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane (see Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46), I would say that asking God to spare you from terrible things is not sinful. Don’t feel like you merely have to endure suffering – whether current suffering or anticipated suffering – when God is right there, ready and waiting to listen to you. Sometimes, your prayers may be the step that He has been waiting for, before delivering you from a terrible situation. As someone else wrote (Girdwood & Verkruyse, p.152; referring to Hebrews 4:16), “The privilege of prayer was designed to be used.”
However, Jesus didn’t merely claim to trust and honor God the Father: Jesus proved His faith by remaining obedient to God the Father, even though that path went through great suffering. If you think about it, practicing obedience when it’s easy doesn’t really tell us much about ourselves. When we are told to do something that we already wanted to do, or something that we enjoy, there’s not much difference between obedience and convenience. We find out whether we are truly obedient and faithful – whether we really believe – only when obedience requires something from us. And, there was no greater “ask” than what Jesus was instructed to do: a path that expressed God’s love for humankind by delivering the only solution that could give us hope for an eternity with Him.
Jesus also trusted that the Father would remain faithful, even after Jesus yielded everything that He had on this earth – His very self – to death. (Of course, God’s raising Jesus from the dead confirmed that Jesus’ faith was placed in One who was perfectly trustworthy, and Jesus knew that to be true.)
Think about it:
- Had Jesus not demonstrated obedience, could He have become our savior?
- Had Jesus not demonstrated obedience, could He have become our high priest?
- Had Jesus not demonstrated obedience, would He have credibility when He taught us to do the same?
Praise be to God that Jesus was obedient, and that we do have a savior, a high priest, and a perfect example. However, just as Jesus learned obedience through suffering, apparently the obedience we give to Jesus (as mentioned in verse 9) is the same obedience that He learned from suffering (as mentioned in verse 8) [ref. Girdwood & Verkruyse, p.180].
Said another way, “In our finest moments needs are not seen as crushing burdens to be stoically borne, but opportunities to link with God in bringing his mercy and grace to bear in human situations.” [Girdwood & Verkruyse, p.154] So, let’s use needs – and even trials – as reminders to bring God into our every decision, action, and prayer…just like Jesus did!
From Sunday School lesson prepared for February 8, 2026
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Hebrews, by Jim Girdwood and Peter Verkruyse. © 1997 College Press Publishing Co.
