Hebrews 5:6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
Verse 6 is a reference to Psalm 110:4. Jesus Christ is the eternal priest. Melchisedec was the king of Salem. We read of him in Gen.14:18. There we find that he was a king and priest. He was a priest of the most high God. He was in that line of the few who believed in the true God. We have very little information on this man, but what we have is most important.
Verses 7-9 give us further detail of the sufferings of Jesus Christ as a man. Jesus Christ was a man but He did not have a sin nature. We cannot fully understand the suffering that He faced as a perfect man. He shows us how we (those who are saved) will also suffer for our faith in God. True Christians do not need to walk around with long faces and try to act pious as the Pharisees did. There are many things in this world that are contrary to God’s will. No one understood this better than Jesus Christ. The things that God had created to bless man were being used in ungodly ways. That is still true today. That starts with our own hearts. We were designed to glorify God. Yet too often we do not glorify God. We need to be saved in order to glorify God as He intended.
We see that Jesus poured out His heart before His Father.
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
It could be that as Jesus spent time with His Father in prayer many nights, that He was also crying out to Him. We know in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus cried out to His Father. Jesus Christ had the unique capacity to know what He was facing. We cannot know for sure what lies ahead for us on this earth. We can know where our choices will lead us for eternity. Jesus Christ as a man would face a cruel trial and death like no other man. He did not look forward to His death with glee. We read in Hebrews 12
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
You notice there that it was the joy that He would have in seeing those who would be saved because of His suffering that motivated Him to endure the suffering.
Back in our text we see that Jesus had that Godly fear that gave Him access to His Father. The Godhead is unique. The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit are one. We also notice that there is a uniqueness to that unity. There is no competition there. There is relationship there that we will never fully understand on this earth. Those that are saved can appreciate the blessing we have in knowing Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
Verse 8 tells us that even though Jesus Christ was the eternal Son of God, He needed to learn obedience. Jesus Christ is different than the angels. He understands our sufferings. He does not brush them off. He shows us how we can know His joy in the midst of suffering for the truth.
Many times we suffer for our own foolish and sinful ways. Jesus looked at Peter with compassion when he had denied Him the third time. Jesus had warned Peter what was coming, and Peter did not take it seriously. He suffered for that sin, but he was also forgiven.
In verse 9 we see that Jesus willingly learned obedience and because He laid down His life for the sheep, He ultimately laid down His life on the cross. However His entire time on earth demonstrated the fact that He laid down His life. He left Heaven’s glory. He became a man. He became a servant obedient unto death.
Because He did that, He became the Author of eternal salvation. The Old Testament saints needed to wait for Jesus Christ to go to the cross to provide their salvation. They believed God and they trusted that He would be true to His Word. Jesus Christ is the Saviour of all who trust in God.
In verse 10 we again see that Jesus Christ was called of God to be and high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Jesus did not come from the lineage of Levi. He did not follow the line of Aaron. He followed a more pure line than that.
When He died on the cross, the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. He opened the way for man to come to God by Him.
Pastor Bartel
