Hebrews 2:10-14 (ESV)
For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. [11] For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, [12] saying,
“I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
[13] And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”
And again,
“Behold, I and the children God has given me.”
[14] Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
God made the Founder of our salvation perfect through suffering. It is blatantly obvious in the context of this passage that “made perfect through suffering” does not mean that Jesus became sinless through His sufferings. But sinners are such that they can deceive themselves with the worst kind of beliefs if they match up with what their depraved hearts tell them in their denial of Gospel truth.
The write of this Epistle has just finished saying some awe inspiring things regarding who Jesus is and what Jesus did. We can hardly believe that this verse teaches that Jesus was not perfect all His life when we have already been told that He is the creator of the world, holds all the creation together, is the radiance of the glory of God with an eternal throne and whom all the hosts of heaven worship.
Verses 10 is teaching us that Jesus has been made the perfect Saviour through His sufferings. Even God incarnate would not be the perfect salvation for us if He did not suffer. The cross is absolutely necessary for salvation. So the perfect Son of God became the perfect author of our salvation. It cannot mean anything else.
But what a glory it is that it does mean this! The eternal Son came into the world and through suffering became the perfect sacrifice for sin. His suffering included becoming human. This is what Paul is referring to when he says that though Christ was rich He became poor that we through His poverty might be rich (II Corinthians 8:9). Jesus’ poverty is becoming human.
But that is not the supreme suffering of the eternal Son. We go to the cross. The whole cross event, the beatings and mocking and opposition and the desertion of His followers, the pain and shame, the thorn of crowns, the spear in the side, the nails in His hands and feet,- all these were part of His suffering. But we still have not mentioned the supreme suffering of the eternal Son.
Jesus hangs on the cross and darkness comes and envelopes the region. For three long hours it is inexplicably dark. At the end of those three hours Jesus, from the cross, screams to God, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
This is the supreme suffering of the eternal Son. He has been forsaken by His Father. God has turned His back on Him as He must do before all sin. Sin must be punished and Jesus is bearing the punishment for sin – separation from God. Sin cannot enter the presence of God and Jesus as the sin bearer is denied access to the Father. The agony the Son endures at this time for the sake of those He came to save is unimaginably great. We will never fully know how much the Son suffered. But his suffering means He is the perfect Saviour.
His sacrifice for sin is what the Father required and it was what the Son willingly offered. And it is what the Father has accepted as atonement for our sins. Jesus is resurrected as a testimony of the final sacrifice for sin having been accepted by God. He is enthroned as King forevermore because He has defeated sin and death and hell through His sacrifice for sin.
He became the perfect founder of our salvation through suffering. And because of it we who trust Him will live forever with Him. What a God. What a Saviour. What a salvation. How can we who have been brought into life through the work of Christ on our behalf live in sin any longer? We can’t. We won’t. He is the captain of our salvation and we joyfullly give up everything for the joy of following Him
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