He Learned Obedience
Of the Lord Jesus, the Hebrew author wrote:...though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. (Hebrews 5:8)
Being God's Son did not exclude Jesus from suffering. In fact, overcoming the trials of this life prepared and perfected Him to rule in the kingdom of God. Let us consider briefly the sufferings of Christ.
Luke 4:1-11 speaks of Jesus facing temptation by the devil. It was not His identify as the Son of God that helped Him overcome temptation, but His faith in the truth of God's word. He answered each time, "It is written!" Tempted to disobey, His focus was on what the Father had said.
In John 5:16-24, the religious leaders wanting to stone Him for having healed a man on the Sabbath, it may have been tempting to stay silent about His relationship to God, as His words would fuel their anger further. But how could He not speak of the unity He shared with the Father? It was His purpose to glorify the Father, and thus He spoke. The result would be their relentless pursuit of Him thereafter.
Less than a week away from the cross, we see the turmoil of the Lord.
The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. ...Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name. (John 12:23, 27-28)
The thought of going to the cross troubled the Lord. Though He experienced grief over it, He understood that it was for this reason that He had come into the world, and so He faced it resolute.
“Being God's Son did not exclude Jesus from suffering.”
Then the night of His betrayal came. Mark 14:33-36 reads,
...He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, 'My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.' He went a little farther, and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, 'Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.'
It's understandable that Jesus did not want to go to the cross. Nothing is impossible with God, so Jesus plead that there might be another way - and yet He was ready to do the Father's will, even if it meant dying on the cross.
He would go to the cross, the Lamb of God from the foundation of the world. He was scourged, taunted, tried falsely, and crucified. He suffered greatly for you and I.
Regardless what came His way, Jesus was obedient to the will of God. As a result, we are told that
...having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him... (Hebrews 5:9)
In saying He has been perfected, the writer is not saying that He was not perfect already. His perfection was proved or established by His obedience through the things He suffered.
Having proved Himself perfect, He is qualified to be the Saviour of all who will obey also! But let us take note, He is not the Saviour of those who hear about Him, or of those who read His word, or of those who believe in Him, or of those who worship Him. One might do all these things, and yet not render obedience to the Son of God. He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him!
Should we think that it was necessary for the Son of God to present Himself obedient to the Father's will, but that we need not be obedient? He became an example to us, that we should follow in His steps - enduring trials that come our way, and always choosing the path of obedience to the will of God.
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Answering The Atheist
Complaint:
Did Saul's family die with him? 1 Chronicles 10:6 says all of his family died with him, but 2 Samuel 2:7-9 says that Saul was survived by one son, Ishbosheth. Is there a contradiction?
Response:
The beginning chapters of 1 Chronicles are an extensive list of genealogies. In 1 Chronicles 8:33 (also 9:39), it is revealed that Saul had four sons: Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal.
What is meant by the phrase, "all his house died together"? Are we to conclude that he took all of his wives, sons, daughters, and grandchildren out to war with him? It would seem that the context of war would limit "all his house" to those of Saul's house who had gone to war with him.
Saul's daughter, Michal, who was David's wife was not at the battle, and she remained alive (2 Samuel 6:16). Saul's son, Ishbosheth, had not gone to battle with his father, and he remained alive (2 Samuel 2:8). Saul's grandson, Mephibosheth, was not at the battle either, and he remained alive (2 Samuel 9:6). Later in 2 Samuel 21:1-9 reveals that there were at least seven others of Saul's family who had not died in the battle with the Philistines, they being put to death by the Gibeonites.
In the context of 1 Chronicles 10:6, "all his house" would logically mean all of his house who were with him. Those who had not gone to battle with him did not die there.
There is no contradiction.
This article is in response to Skeptics Annotated Bible.