Hebrews 5

5:4-6This chapter stresses both Christ’s divine appointment and his humanity. The writer uses two Old Testament verses to show Christ’s divine appointment: Psalms 2:7 and 110:4. At the time this book was written, the Romans selected the high priest in Jerusatem. In the Old Testament, however, God chose Aaron, and only Aaron’s descendants could be high priests. Christ, like Aaron, was chosen and called by God.

5:6Melchizedek was a priest of Salem (now called Jerusalem). His Profile is found in Genesis 15, p. 29. Melchizedek’s position is explained in Hebrews 7.

5:7Jesus was in great agony as he prepared to face death (Luke 22-41-44). Although Jesus cried out to God, asking to be delivered, he was prepared to suffer humiliation, separation from his Father, and death in order to do God's will. At times we will undergo trials, not because we want to suffer, but because we want to obey God. Let Jesus’ obedience sustain and encourage you in times of trial. You will be able to face anything if you know that Jesus Christ is with you.

5:7Have you ever felt that God didn’t hear your prayers? Be sure you are praying with reverent submission, willing to do what God wants. God responds to his obedient children.

5:8Jesus’ human life was not a script that he passively followed. It was a life that he chose freely (John 10:17, 18). It was a continuous process of making the will of God the Father his own. Jesus chose to obey, even though obedience led to suffering and death. Because Jesus obeyed perfectly, even under great trial, he can help us obey, no matter how difficult abedience seems to be.

5:9Christ was always morally perfect. By obeying, he demonstrated his perfection to us, not to God or to himself. In the Bible, perfect usually means completeness or maturity. By sharing our experience of suffering, Christ shared our human experience completely. He is now able to offer eternal salvation to those who obey him. See Philippians 2:5-11 for Christ's attitude as he took on human form.

5:9The “eternal salvation” we have been offered means the elimination of a verdict on our sin, the setting aside of judgment, and the award of undeserved membership in God’s family. It is a change in destiny, an awakening of hope, an overcoming of death. Salvation turns a person toward heaven and inaugurates a life of discipleship with the living Christ. It is God’s vote for you, God’s invitation to you, God’s energy invested in you. Salvation is the reason you can smile in the morning and rest in the evening. God loves you, and you belong to him.

5:12,13These Jewish Christians were immature. Some of them should have been teaching others, but they had not even applied the basics to their own lives. They were reluctant to move beyond age-old traditions, established doctrines, and discussion of the basics. They wouldn’t be able to understand the high-priestly role of Christ untess they moved out of their comfortable position, cut some of their Jewish ties, and stopped trying to blend in with their culture. Commitment to Christ moves people out of their comfort zones. 5§:12-14 In order to grow from infant Christians to mature Christians, we must learn discernment. We must train our conscience, our senses, our mind, and our body to distinguish good from evil. Can you recognize temptation before it traps you? Can you tell the difference between a correct use of Scripture and a mistaken one?

5:14Our capacity to feast on deeper knowledge of God (“solid food”) is determined by our spiritual growth. Too often we want God's banquet before we are spiritually capable of digesting it. As you grow in the LORD and put into practice what you have jearned, your capacity to understand will also grow.