Hebrews 5:7-9 NIV
[7] “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. [8] Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered [9] and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him… “
The success of Jesus’ mission on earth hung on the fragile thread of His life as the Son of God. Unlike us, His life as a son had to be perfect in every detail for Him to qualify as an acceptable human sacrifice for sin. One slip, one failure in one minute detail would have disqualified Him, lost Him and us forever.
God appointed Jesus to be the last Adam. In other words, He was born with the same nature as Adam, able to sin but able not to sin. In the first Adam, heaven and earth came together in dust and divine breath. Adam had to confirm his connection with God by living in obedience to His instructions. He didn’t! Jesus was also born from earth and heaven. He had to confirm His connection between God and humanity by living a life of perfect obedience to the Father’s instructions. He did!
1 Corinthians 15:45-47 NIV
[45] “So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. [46] The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. [47] The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven.“
Jesus’ life of perfect obedience was entwined in His life of prayer. Hebrews refers to “His days on earth”. This must surely refer to more than His prayer in Gethsemane. It seems that He also had a constant struggle with temptation throughout His life, as we do.
Hebrews 4:15 NIV
[15] “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”
What was the core of every temptation Jesus ever suffered? We can deduce, from Satan’s frontal attack in the wilderness, that he wanted Jesus to act alone, without consulting the Father, to break His union with the Father and to act independently, as did Adam. But…
John 8:28-29 NIV
[28] “So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. [29] The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”
Jesus proved, by His life and His confession, (which He challenged anyone to disprove), that He protected His unity with the Father even to His obedience to a criminal’s death on the cross.
John 8:46 NIV
[46] “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?”
So, Jesus communion with the Father included “loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death.” Yes, Jesus was saved from permanent death by His resurrection but…. He was also saved from eternal death through His reverent submission and perfect obedience.
We can only imagine how tough Jesus’ life on earth must have been for Him to plead with the Father for victory over a heart that battled independence. After all, He was God, wasn’t He! He didn’t need
the Father’s permission or power to do what He came to do.
Jesus came from heaven where He had the absolute authority He shared with the Father and the Holy Spirit, but He chose to lay aside His privileges of deity and live in total dependence on the Father and on the Spirit as a man.
He learned the meaning and significance of obedience, the hallmarks of a true son, not by trial and error, but by obeying the Father implicitly and perfectly in every move He made, every word He said and every attitude He displayed.
Philippians 2:6-8 NLT
[6] “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. [7] Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, [8] he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”
Jesus was totally dependent on the Holy Spirit in His actions…
Matthew 12:28 NLT
[28] “But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.”
His words…
John 6:63 NLT
[63] “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
And even His death…
Hebrews 9:14 NLT
[14] “Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.”
It was by the Holy Spirit’s power that He was brought back to life.
Romans 1:3-4 NLT
[3]” The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, [4] and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The entire biography of Jesus’ life on earth is the story of a man entirely infused with the life of God. This was also God’s intention for the first human pair, and it is still His intention for every person born into His kingdom by His Spirit.
However, without the obedience and reverent submission of His Son, God’s plan would have come to nothing. Not only that, but Jesus Himself, as our representative man, would have suffered the same fate as every unrepentant sinner will suffer.
Praise God, Jesus NEVER failed the test.
Hebrews 7:11, 16, 23-25 NLT
[11] “So, if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron?…
[16] Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed…. “
[23] There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. [24] But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. [25] Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”
This salvation, bought and paid for at such a high price, is complete. There is nothing for us to do…. but there is!
Psalms 116:12-13 NIV
[12]”What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? [13] I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.”
Without our response, Jesus’ mission would have failed. Everything He was and did would have been for nothing.
Our gratitude is best expressed by receiving by faith all the time benefits of His salvation and by living in obedience and submission to Him as Lord, as He did to the Father. In every circumstance and situation in life, we must “call on the name of the Lord.”
John 15:5 NIV
[5] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Our response is to receive Him as Lord, our supreme authority, and to live in union with Him, under His authority, every moment of every day. Nothing more, nothing less!