Tuesday Devotion: Made Perfect Through Suffering

 Tuesday Devotion

Made Perfect Through Suffering

 Today’s passage is Hebrews 2:10-18

In verse 9 we read that, Jesus was made a little lower than the angels for a little while, and in doing so, he became subject to death. He suffered death so that he might taste death for everyone! Jesus suffered the pain of death because he needed to experience death for us, in our place.

And so, the author continues in verse 10 saying: “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.” Let us meditate this morning in this verse, in which the author tells us many things. 

First, He tells us that in order for God to bring us to glory— in order for God to save us, God had to perfect Jesus— who is the Pioneer of our salvation— and he had to subject him to suffering. And  “it was fitting that God” should do so.

I was pondering why “it was fitting that God” should do so. It simply means that it agrees with his character. In other words, that God should subject his son to suffering death. Death on the cross to cleanse and redeem us. It was fitting that God should do so because God the Father had you and me in His plan. He couldn’t think of a better way (“fitting”) to redeem us. 

Yes, He was the “Pioneer of our salvation”, made perfect through that suffering to which He was subjected. Very interesting!  What then does it mean that Jesus is the “Pioneer of our salvation”? It can also be translated as “Captain of our salvation” or “Chief-Leader of our salvation”. He is the one who goes on ahead of his people to prepare the way for them. And that’s exactly what the Lord our Christ did for us. He is our Pioneer, our Captain and Chief-Leader in three ways.

1) He is our pioneer or captain in the way of obedience. Our Lord Jesus had gone on before us to set the way of obedience to God through his own obedience. (John 13:15).

2) Second, Jesus is the pioneer of our salvation in the way of suffering. Our Lord Jesus had walked the way of suffering ahead of us and then called us to follow in his example. (1 Peter 2:21).

3) He is also our captain and chief-leader in the way of glory. Jesus paved the way for us to glory by entering heaven itself as our forerunner. In that way He became the Pioneer, the chief leader, the captain of our salvation. 

Finally, look at verses 17-18. “For this reason, He had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because He himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” 

The Savior’s coming as a man and his suffering death was imperative so that He might become for us “a merciful and faithful High Priest”. The Savior needed our humanity experience so that he might also be able to help those who are tempted. How wonderful this is! Otherwise how could He understand the struggles we have in life and help us as we journey on to the kingdom of God. 

The people of the world may boast that they own a position of power or treasures or a wealth of assets or some similar worthless perishables. But what we own and who owns us is beyond glorious. No wonder Paul declared that his greatest desire in life is to “gain Christ and be found in him”. (Philippians 3:8-9) What is your greatest desire? What are you pursuing in your life? In the end, the only thing that will matter is this: “Will you belong to Christ and will He belong to you”