Jesus Christ

27. What does this passage “and being made perfect, he [the Son of God] became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:9) mean?

It means that the Son of God, who was with God from all eternity, that He might become the faithful and merciful High Priest who could make atonement for our sins, not only had to partake of flesh and blood as we partake of flesh and blood (that is to say, He not only had to share in our humanity), but He also had to suffer like us, for the Scripture says: “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Hebrews 2:18 – NKJV). The sufferings in the life of Jesus Christ, therefore, were necessary, absolutely necessary. It was through them that He became or was made perfect (Hebrews 2:10), that is to say, His sufferings allowed (or enabled) Him to help us, to sympathize with us. How could the Son of God have helped and understood us, if He had taken our human nature but had not suffered? The answer is this: he couldn’t have helped us nor understood us. But God had decreed to make Him perfect through sufferings.

On the other hand, if the high priest under the law could understand the people and sympathize with them for he also was a man who suffered being tempted, as it is written: “Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity” (Hebrews 5:2), how could the Son of God become the High Priest of our confession without suffering? However, the High Priest of our confession was tempted (so He suffered) yet without sin. And since He died on the cross for our sins, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who believe on Him.

To Him be the glory now and forevermore. Amen.

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