Hebrews 5:8-10: “Though he were a son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered and being made perfect he became the author of everlasting salvation unto all them that obey him.”  

The word “obedience” here is from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #5218 meaning attentive hearkening. Jesus learned to listen attentively to the heavenly Father on the deepest level when he was faced with the depth of human need, human nobility and human depravity. The word “suffer” means to experience, usually painfully. Every experience Jesus had after his baptism, the positive and especially the negative, challenged his thinking and his actions. Each experience provided a kind of megaphone to hear His Father’s will and to carry it out. Jesus’ faithfulness to these experiences, even in the face of the contradiction of sinners against himself, led him to be faithful to the death of the cross (Hebrews 12:2-3). His faithfulness through every experience of joy and suffering prepared him to be a High Priest, a King and a Deliverer (Philippians 2:5-11).

The same thing is true of faithful Christians, who have given their wills in full surrender to God in Christ (Romans 6:3-6). We have the privilege of sharing in the sufferings of Christ. The Apostle Paul taught us, “But whatsoever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things…that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death” (Philippians 3:8-10). 

Our desire is to delight in the will of God, as Jesus did. “If any man wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me,” (Matthew 16:24). The cross is individually chosen for each one of us. The priority of our life is to do the will of the Father, to give in the way He leads us to give, to use our energy and time to share the encouragement of His Word with our brothers and sisters in Christ and to be a light to this weary world. The priority of our life is to be faithful unto death.

Each experience in our life can also be a megaphone to hear our Father’s will and to carry it out, whatever the cost. And the result of faithfully participating in these experiences of Christ will prepare us for the privilege of sharing in the reign of Christ, as Kings and Priests, bringing deliverance and blessing to all who have died in Adam (Revelation 1:6, Romans 8:17-21).

“If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:12)

Additional Resources:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1176: “Does God REALLY Want Me to Suffer?”
Putting our personal sufferings into context with God’s plan
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes

Episode #1349: “Why Did Jesus Need to Learn Obedience?”
The spiritual and earthly reasons for and impact of Jesus’ obedience
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes