What does it mean that Jesus learned obedience by the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:8)?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Jesus learned obedience through suffering, not because He was disobedient, but to fully experience human obedience in the face of temptation. As the Son of God and the Son of Man, He faced struggles and challenges, enduring them without sin, making Him the perfect High Priest. His suffering allowed Him to empathize with human weaknesses, enabling Him to offer grace and mercy in times of need. Jesus' obedience and suffering fulfilled God's plan, qualifying Him to be the eternal mediator between God and humanity. As believers, we are called to reflect Jesus' obedience, trusting God in our own suffering and drawing near to Him in confidence.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Jesus learning obedience by the things He suffered is not mentioned in the Old Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Hebrews 5:8-10 says: "Although he was a son, [Jesus] learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek."
• The epistle of Hebrews discusses the Hebrews' understanding of the existing Old Testament Scriptures, particularly the Law of Moses, and explains how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament covenant and instituted a new covenant (Hebrews 8:1-13; 9:15). As part of the new covenant, Jesus is the eternal and perfect High Priest (Hebrews 4—10).
• Hebrews 5:8-10 falls within a larger context that addresses Jesus' credentials to serve as the one and only High Priest in heaven for all time and all people (Hebrews 4:14—5:10).
• Jesus did not have to learn obedience as the Son of God, but being fully God and fully man, He did have to learn obedience as the Son of Man. Jesus did not sin, but He still had human struggles and experienced the same temptations as us. “Learning obedience” doesn’t mean that Jesus didn't know how to obey nor that He was prone to rebelliousness. Rather, Jesus learned in the sense that He experienced what it is to obey. Jesus was obedient to His earthly parents as a child and always obedient to the will of the Father throughout His life (John 6:38; Philippians 2:5-11).
• Jesus’ suffering during His earthly life was needed to learn obedience. Hebrews 5:8 says, "Although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered." Jesus' suffering made Him fully empathetic with the pain and struggles we endure even today (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus' suffering qualified Him to be the perfect High Priest of the whole world, once and for all (Hebrews 7:27). Through His suffering, He became the mediator who understands our weaknesses and offers us grace in our times of need.
• The original Greek word for "suffered" being used in this passage is most commonly used to discuss going through difficult situations like persecution (1 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 Peter 3:14) or disease (Mark 5:26). The word connotes a positive transformation of the sufferer due to the struggles he has walked through (2 Corinthians 1:3-9; Romans 5:3). Jesus chose to endure suffering because this was God's will for Him while He was on earth. Jesus the man was "made perfect" by His suffering. In this situation, the word "perfect" means "complete."
• Jesus experienced the full spectrum of human suffering and remained fully obedient without sinning, which solidified His qualification to be our forever High Priest (Hebrews 2:9-10).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

As believers in Jesus Christ, we will experience suffering (John 16:33). When we do, it is important that we stay surrendered and obedient to God. Thanks to Jesus' human experience, we now have a High Priest who understands every situation we walk through. Hebrews 4:14-16 says,

"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Jesus walked through every struggle we face; He is no stranger to suffering. Jesus remained obedient to God, perfectly fulfilling the Old Testament Law and offering Himself as the spotless, sacrificial atonement for our sins. We, too, are called to live in obedience to God because of our love for Him. Our obedience not only reflects our trust in God's plan but also brings us closer to His heart, as we walk in the steps of the Savior who knows our struggles intimately.

UNDERSTAND

• Jesus learned obedience through suffering, fully experiencing human struggles and temptation without sinning.
• Jesus learning obedience had nothing to do with His disobeying but rather with Him experiencing human struggles.
• Jesus’ suffering made Him the perfect High Priest, empathizing with our weaknesses and offering grace and mercy.

REFLECT

• How does knowing that Jesus fully understands our struggles and temptations help you trust Him during difficult times?
• In what areas of your life do you need to surrender to God’s will, even when facing suffering or hardship?
• How can reflecting on Jesus’ obedience and suffering inspire you to live more obediently to God, especially in challenging circumstances?

ENGAGE

• How can we encourage each other to remain obedient to God when facing our own suffering, knowing that Jesus walked the same path?
• What does it that Jesus can empathize with our weakness because of his suffering and that this qualifies Him to be our eternal High Priest?
• How can we practically draw near to God’s throne of grace in times of need, as Hebrews 4:16 suggests, especially when we feel weak or tempted?