Jesus Learned

Your Brother Jesus

Hebrews 2:9-11 “But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,” (NASB)

This passage in Hebrews tells us that Jesus is crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering and death. That is easy for us to understand. Anyone who would willingly lay down his life for another certainly deserves glory and honor. What can be puzzling is that verse nine also says that it was the grace of God that brought about Jesus’ sacrifice for everyone.

Verse ten might seem to muddy the water further in saying first that it was fitting for the One for whom and through whom all things exist for this to be done. He brought many people to glory. We might understand even this, but the verse goes on to say that Jesus was “perfected” through suffering as He did, and this is not the only time Hebrews makes this incredible claim. In Hebrews 5:8-9 we read, “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,” (NASB)

Wait; what!?

Jesus is God. Jesus lived a sinless life. Jesus is, and has always been, perfect. So, what is going on here?

Because Jesus was born of the Spirit of God and is God, He did not know sin. (see 2 Corinthians 5:21) By becoming a human person and living among us, Jesus (truly God) experienced life as we experience it. He lived in our fallen sinful world and walked by faith. We know this in part because the Apostle John, in several places, recorded Jesus’ statements that He did only what He heard from the Father.

We also read that Jesus was tempted. Most famously, He was tempted by the enemy himself. (see Matthew 4:1 and following; Luke 4:1 and following). Hebrews later speaks of Him being tempted in every way we are tempted. (see Hebrews 4:15). Jesus was overcome with distress over facing death. (see Matthew 26:36-42)

So, Jesus learned. Jesus was “perfected” or made complete. The suffering and death of Jesus gave Him experiential knowledge of the pressures of temptation, the searing pain of betrayal, the distress of facing death, and what it is like for us to live in this valley of the shadow of death.

All this is the reason why verse ten of our passage talks about Jesus bringing many “sons” to glory.

Finally, verse eleven shows the incredibly good news this brings for us. There we find these amazing words, “both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.”

You are well and truly the child of God. You are a member of God’s household. You and Jesus are siblings. The Lord and King of all is your brother.

For more studies in Hebrews, search for “Hebrews” at LarryEiss.com/blog