Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

In the past couple of years, Jennifer and I have gone through a lot of trials.

We haven't gone through the loss of loved ones or serious health issues, but instead have undergone a steady, constant flow of hardships.

In our almost seven years of marriage, we have lived in three different states, moved six times, had two children, attended three different schools for higher education, and gone through several periods of significant financial difficulty, not to mention the constant travel back and forth from Arkansas and wherever we lived at that time, and I have started about 10 different jobs.

The lack of stability and consistency in our lives has frequently forced us to consider what God is trying to accomplish in our lives.

Recently in my quiet time, I came across a passage that shed some light on our situation.

Since every believer goes through a journey of trials on their way to heaven, I want to share this passage with you in hopes that it will convey some comfort and understanding to you in the midst of trials and suffering.

This is one of those passages in the Bible that is deceptively complex.

I've read this passage before, but I think I have often missed some of the crucial truths buried within this passage.

First of all, let's take a closer look at some crucial parts of this passage.First of all, notice that the writer of Hebrews is talking about Jesus--the perfect, sinless God-man who always obeyed his Father.

Second, allow me to highlight some important words in this passage:

“Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.

And being made perfect..."

Some important and puzzling questions arise from these words.

Wasn't Jesus already obedient to the Father?

How can someone who is perfect and omniscient learn obedience?

Doesn't that imply that he was not sufficiently obedient at one point in time?

How can someone who never sinned be made perfect?

How could Jesus be more perfect than he already was?

Does this mean that he lacked some aspect of perfection?

I think the key lies in the type of perfection and obedience that is being described here.

Of course, Jesus was in one sense already perfect and obedient.

He never sinned, even in his youth, and he never disobeyed the Father.

But I don't think the author is primarily talking about sin here--he is talking about the perfection of faith.

To be sure, sinlessness and perfect faith are related very closely, but they're not the same.

Jesus learned obedience and was made perfect through his trials during his earthly life.

Learn, τελειοω--"to learn by use and practice; to be in the habit of or accustomed to."

The nature of obedience

This type of learning does not imply that Jesus was formerly disobedient.It simply means that whatever is the object of this learning may only be learned through habitual practice.Babies are born eating.

But a baby cannot digest sold food at first.

It takes months (and years) of constant practice for a baby to develop sufficiently such that they are able to eat a steak.In the same way, Jesus when he was a child was not yet ready for the cross.

It's not that he was disobedient to his Father's will, it's simply that the Father knew that his Son, weakened by his human nature, would need a "diet" which gradually increased in complexity and difficulty.Jesus could endure the shame and reproach of the cross because he had first endured the shame, rejection, and reproach from the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Jews.Jesus could endure the physical torture of starvation and thirst because of his years of homelessness and fasting.

Sin is, to put it simply, doing something God forbids.

But faith is taking an action or attitude that is rooted in a trust or belief that God will do what he says.

We see this in the definition of faith provided by the writer of Hebrews himself:

The nature of faith

We see in this definition that belief is a crucial part of faith, but we also know from James that "Faith without works is dead."

Furthermore, when we read on in the examples of faith provided by the author of the letter to the Hebrews we can see that all of his examples are people who demonstrated their belief with an action or attitude:

Faith is not merely belief

Notice that all of these examples of faith use action verbs (I.e., "offered, blessed, crossed, etc.").

Faith is not merely belief, it is belief that results in action.

Jesus, while he was sinless, had to learn obedience and be made perfect just as we do because the perfection the author is talking about is perfection of faith.

Jesus' faith was perfected through suffering.

He suffered as a homeless man trying to find food and shelter.

He suffered the rejection and persecution of the religious and political leaders of his time.

He suffered constant temptation by Satan, and no doubt, the temptations that accompany the lifestyle of a single man.

He suffered rejection and disbelief by his family and close friends.

He suffered the stresses of ministry and constant relocation.

He suffered the frustration of having to wait to begin his ministry until he was 3o.

He suffered knowing that many of his followers were only there for the miracles and free bread.

He suffered the weight of the knowledge of what was to come on the cross.

If ever a man on earth knew suffering, it was Jesus.

Isaiah describes the Messiah as:

The role of suffering in Faith

When Jesus began his ministry, he was perfectly sinless.

But he had not yet reached perfection of his faith.

That may sound strange, but perfect faith only comes through trials (See James 1:2-4 below).

Furthermore, Hebrews 5:14 seems to indicate that these trials (or "opportunities to practice discernment") will be constant.

Why?

Because faith, unlike belief, requires action to be made complete.

For example, you can't really say that you have faith that God will provide for your finances if you've never had to choose between being obedient to God in your finances (I.e., tithing) and paying your bills.

If there is no action accompanying the belief, then it's just a hypothetical belief at best, or dead faith at worst.

Conclusion

There is a significant lesson for us to learn in Hebrews 5.

If Jesus, the God-incarnate Messiah, was required to undergo trials of such severity and frequency in order to achieve the perfection of faith necessary to be obedient in the mission that the Father gave him, how much more trials are required for sinners such as you and I!

So many times when we undergo trials, we're surprised by it.

Oftentimes it seems like pointless pain and suffering.

But for the believer, there is no such thing as pointless suffering!

All suffering, in the life of a believer, is designed by God to bring us in conformity to the image of his Son.

So, whatever suffering you may be enduring right now, know that God is with you in the midst of it and there's a purpose behind it all.

Let these words of scripture sink into your heart as you meditate on what God is doing in your life:

What verses or passages from scripture give you comfort when you're suffering?

Share them with us in the comments below!