ESOCS Devotional 1 March 2025 – Learn Obedience Through Suffering
MEMORY VERSE: “Though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” Hebrews 5:8 KJV
TEXT: HEBREWS 5:1–14
For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. 3 Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. 4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.”
6 As He also says in another place:
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek”;
7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” 11 of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
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The desire of every father is to see his children walking in obedience to his instructions. Have you ever wondered why Jesus had to suffer so much when He came to earth as a man?
Jesus took on human flesh so that He could die and pay the horrendous price for mankind’s iniquity. The pain He experienced reflects the great consequences of human transgression. In fact, all suffering originates from the entrance of sin into the world through Adam and Eve. Therefore, our Saviour also had to suffer in order to redeem us from sin and its far-reaching damage.
The holy Son of God, who had never yielded to sin, struggled with the prospect of being the sin bearer on the cross. Yet, Jesus submitted and “learned obedience from the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). And as the source of eternal salvation, He faithfully completed God’s plan of redemption.
Obedience comes with great sacrifice, as shown by our Lord Jesus Christ in our text. It cannot be done with the human flesh alone but through the help of the Holy Spirit. This means that only those who have submitted to the will of the Father can actually obey His voice.
The result of obedience is perfection in Christ (vs. 9) and helps us to become skillful in the word of righteousness; and we are able to mature and to discern both good and evil (vv. 13–14).
When it’s challenging for us to obey the Lord, we need the help of the One who suffered on our behalf. If His difficult obedience resulted in such a great benefit, surely ours has purpose as well.
CHALLENGES
- What difficulties have you encountered while learning obedience? Have you considered the benefits of learning obedience?
- How do you intend to achieve gains if you are not ready to suffer pains?
PRAYER POINT
- Lord, help me to bear the pains of learning obedience so that I can become perfect in your sight, in Jesus name.
FURTHER READING: Joshua 2:19–24; 3:1–end; Hebrews 6:1-9
ESOCS Devotional 1 March 2025
