Hebrews 5

Today we are going to look at Hebrews chapter 5. You can open your own Bible or click here.

Towards the end of chapter 4, the author touched on Jesus being our high priest. And to start off chapter 5, the author continues his points on this topic.

The high priests of Israel were only allowed to enter the Most Holy Place in the temple once a year. He did so to offer the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the people. The priest acted on behalf of Israel. However, he also had to atone for his own sins, because he also had weaknesses.

Jesus is our perfect high priest because He never sinned. He didn’t have to atone for His own sins. And He was able to atone for our sins once and for all.

In the Old Testament, God chose Aaron to be the high priest. After Aaron, only those from his family line could be high priest. But note that “at the time this book was written, the Romans selected the high priest in Jerusalem.” [1]

The author of Hebrews makes it clear that Jesus was appointed by God, just as Aaron was appointed by God. The Hebrews reading this letter knew the Old Testament well, so this statement would have been an important point to them.

The author backs this up in verse 5 by referencing Psalm 2:7, which says, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you.” And in verse 6 he references Psalm 110:4, which says, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

Melchizedek will come up again in the book of Hebrews; therefore, we will discuss him further in the weeks ahead. But for now note that: “Genesis first identifies him as a king of Salem, a Gentile and pagan territory. Melchizedek is a king and yet performs a task not common to kings: offering bread and wine. Genesis then identifies Melchizedek as a priest of God Most High. Thus, in some mysterious way, God appointed a priest from a foreign people unto himself.” [2]

In verses 5-6, the author is showing the audience that Jesus was God and man. Why is this important?

“Had Jesus simply descended to earth in the form of a mighty being, we would respect him but never would draw near to him. After all, how could God understand what it means to be human? Had Jesus been biologically conceived with two earthly parents, we would draw near to him, but would we want to worship him? After all, he would be no different than you and me. But if Jesus was both—God and man at the same time—then we have the best of both worlds. Neither his humanity nor deity compromised. He was fully human. He was fully divine. Because of the first, we draw near. Because of the latter, we worship.” [3]

In verse 7 it says, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.”

We see here that even though He is God, Jesus was also fully human. He felt emotions, as we do. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He was facing death and taking on the sin of the world. He was in such agony that “his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (See Luke 22:44)

Verse 8 says, “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.”

In the last hours of His earthly life, Jesus was greatly distressed about the night ahead. Yet He still prayed to God, “Not my will, but yours, be done.” (See Luke 22:42)

We have much to learn from this in our own lives. We will face suffering here on earth. But we can persevere out of obedience, knowing that Jesus is right beside us through our struggles. He gives us strength, as we lean on Him.

Verse 9 says, “And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.”

Similar to another verse we looked at in chapter 2, this might sound like Jesus was made perfect through His suffering. We know that Jesus was already perfect. However, “in the Bible, perfect usually means completeness or maturity.” [4]

Through His suffering and obedience, Jesus fully understands our human weaknesses. This means we can run to Him with all of our problems and struggles. And through those situations, we are being molded to become more like Him. Nothing is wasted. God uses all the heartaches we face on this earth. Through them all we are growing closer to the Lord and maturing in our faith.

The latter part of verse 9 might make it sound like we have to do everything right in order to receive our salvation through Jesus. But we know, as imperfect people, we will never be able to do everything right. Thankfully, Jesus makes up for our weaknesses. What this verse is getting at is that “all those who truly believe in him will obey his leadership.” [5]

In verses 11-14, the author is stressing how the recipients of this letter are lacking in spiritual growth. They are like babies who still need milk, and haven’t progressed to solid food. Sometimes we all need correction and a push in the right direction.

After hearing the Word, we must also make the effort to understand it and grow from it. (Which is what we are doing in this series!) God’s Word is alive, and it prompts us to change and grow in our walk with the Lord. Ultimately, every area of our lives should be impacted.

In this chapter of Hebrews, we see that Jesus is our perfect High Priest. Through His sacrifice, He atoned for our sins once and for all, making a way for us to have direct access to the Father. Jesus bridged the gap that sin had created between God and humanity.

We are also reminded of the significance of Jesus being fully God and fully man. Because He is God, He alone is worthy of our worship. Because He became man, we can draw near to Him with confidence, knowing that He truly understands our struggles and weaknesses. In His suffering, Jesus experienced deep anguish over what lay ahead, yet He remained perfectly obedient to the Father’s will. His example encourages us to walk in obedience as well, even when we face difficult circumstances.

Finally, this chapter reminds us of the importance of pursuing spiritual maturity. As we grow in our knowledge of God’s Word and deepen our faith, we become stronger, more discerning, and better equipped to persevere faithfully through life’s trials.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a blessed week!

[1] Life Application Study Bible. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2007.

[2] Mohler, R. Albert, Jr. Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017.

[3] Lucado, Max. Life Lessons from Hebrews. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2018.

[4] Life Application Study Bible. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2007.

[5] Stanley, Charles F., gen. ed. The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible. New International Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2017.

Unless noted otherwise, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.