Learned Obedience

J.J. Stark

February 2016

Week 6

IGNITE Class 10

Inductive Bible Study (IBS)

Learned Obedience

“Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” – Hebrews 5:8 (NKJV)

To gain a better understanding of what was being discussed in Hebrews 5:8, I wound up working my way through the chapters 3 and 4, where learned obedience to the Lord continued to surface.  Examples of Moses and Joshua were given showing how they learned faithfulness in their walks with God through obedience.  Although the emphasis is on learned obedience, the author of Hebrews also revealed that immediate obedience was equally important and crucial to the Christian walk.  In Genesis 31:1-3, God instructed Jacob to leave for his homeland, which Jacob did, but he delayed his obedience and reaped some unforeseen and painful family consequences because of it.  Reading the author’s comparison of Jesus’s blameless and faithful walk to these examples of biblical Christian patriarchs gave me a deeper appreciation for the sacrifice He made for me.  this discussion and comparison is the base for which Jesus met all the credentials on earth, and the reason why He is called our High Priest.  He is not like any human priest from earth, but one that is blameless, and also one we can have a personal relationship with.  Hebrews 4:14-15 say, “¹⁴Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold our confession.  ¹⁵For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”  This what Hebrews 5:8 is saying– even with all that power, Christ laid it all aside, “Though He was a Son,” and He humbled and submitted Himself and “…learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”  I can’t even put to words what that means personally…Jesus Christ, THE SON OF GOD – Now MY High Priest, passed through the heavens – THE heavens, and came down to this earth in the flesh, so that HE could identify, love, and SYMPATHIZE with some wretch like me!!  My mind can’t fully comprehend that kind of compassion, nor am I supposed to.  If that doesn’t keep me in awe of my all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God, I don’t know what will!  Christ willingly and immediately obeyed, even unto death by a cross; I have no reason not to immediately obey Him with everything that I am. 

Application:  Today, I will ask Sean to keep me accountable that if I am given an extra or unexpected task by an instructor or RA, or if there is a schedule change, I will immediately obey what is asked.