JUST THIS ONCE?
Hebrews 5:7-8
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One Who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 5:7-8
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One Who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.”
Opening his front door, Miguel, a fourth grader with black curly hair, sighed. Buddy, the little mixed-breed dog at his feet, sniffed the air and barked. The snow was still falling. “Not yet, Buddy” Miguel told him.
Miguel’s Dad, home from work with a broken leg, asked Miguel, “Have you finished everything your Mom had on her ‘to do’ list? Just because school’s closed, doesn’t mean you have today off, son!”
“Mostly” Miguel answered.
Not good enough, Miguel. “Mostly” won’t do! Jesus didn’t settle with doing most of what fulfilled Scripture. He didn’t say, “It is finished” with most of His work completed (John 19:30). He finished it all, everything down to the last detail. Jesus showed us, as God-man, how to surrender His will to the Father’s and obey—regardless of the suffering.
Jesus identifies with us in every way what we suffer (Hebrews 2:17-18). When it’s tough for us to obey the Lord, we need the help of the One Who learned obedience from the things He suffered. Unlike us, Jesus didn’t grow from rebellion to obedience. (Obedience is something new for believers to grasp). But Jesus did learn from personal experience the path we have to walk when God calls us to do something difficult.
In His humanity, Christ struggled with His assignment to die a torturous death on the cross. Despite the Father having heard His Son’s cries, the master plan remained unchanged. Jesus walked through it all in complete submission, just as He’d done with every earthly task.
Can we get away with less?
“What does ‘mostly’ mean, son?” Miguel’s Dad pressed.
“I still have to clean up Buddy’s ‘deposits’ in the back yard” Miguel admitted.
“Well then, you’d better get busy before the snow buries the evidence!”
Take Home Nugget
The only reason we’re Christians—and look forward to our next life in heaven as eternally saved people—is because of Brother Jesus’ perfect obedience. If He would have rebelled, even once, all hope for lost humanity would have been cancelled! Remember this when you want to beg off finishing every task by asking, “Just this once?”
While life is uncertain, death is sure.
Sin is our disease, but Christ is the cure!
J.D. Griffith
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