Thou Art My Son, Hebrews 5:1-8
The emphasis of chapter 5 is on the priesthood of Christ. There is a clear distinction drawn between the priesthood of man and that of Jesus. Christ is the eternal priest.
5:1 "For every priest is taken from among men" / lambanomoV / used as a Pres Pass Ptc / Lit. "Out of men is continually being taken"/
Exodus 28:1 "And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons."
"Is ordained"/ kaqistatai / Lit. "To set down in a place, cause to stand, etc. "For men in things pertaining to God"/ Lit. Before the face of God
"That he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins"/ Cf. Heb. 9:9
5:2 "Who can have compassion"/ metriopaqew / Because the ordained high were human and frail, they could see the necessity for someone better. They could sense the human need because they also had the same needs.
"On the ignorant"/ agnoousi / sin through ignorance, against knowledge.
"and on them that are out of the way"/ planwmenoiV / Pres Pass Ptc / them that have delusion, false opinion, wandered, seduced, etc.
"for he himself is also compassed with infirmity" / perikeitai / Pres Ind. meaning to be bound and surrounded. Cf. Heb. 7:28
5:3 "And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins" Recognizing himself as a sinner he must offer sacrifices for himself and the people. A Continual and frustrating reminder of his weakness. He washed himself publically prior to entering the tabernacle. Cf. Heb. 7:27; 9:7
"And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the LORD commanded." Lev. 9:7
"And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house. Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people," Lev. 16:6,15
5:4 "And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that his called of God, as was Aaron"/ Special position of honor, merit and privilege. However, Aaron did not take this position himself, it was assigned by God from among the men who were available. cf. Num. 3:3
5:5 "So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest"
"Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:" John 8:54
John 7:18 "He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him."
"Thou art my Son..."/ It was the Father who called the Son (Heb. 1:8-9), declaring Him to be the High Priest. Jesus was chosen because of His impeccable character and perfectness. He was not taken from among men because He had no corruption. As the Son of God His character qualified Him as the High Priest! Heb. 5:6,10,6:20; 7:3,17,21
5:7 "Who in the days of his flesh"/ ministry and humiliation / Heb. 2:14
John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
Rom. 8:3 "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:"
I Tim. 3:16 "God was manifest in the flesh"
I John 4:3 "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist"
"when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears"
Picture of Gethsemane: His infinite knowledge and holiness were seen in that He knew full well the implications of taking upon Himself the sin of the world. He knew the awfulness of sin. He knew that the wrath of the Father on going to be placed upon Him.
Picture of Calvary:
Matt. 27:50 "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost."
Mark 15:34 "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
Isa. 53:11 "He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied..."
"unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared"/ He was heard because:
He was able to say, "Not my will" - He was able to go through the suffering - He was able to deliver Himself in the resurrection
His fear was the perfect reverential fear that demonstrated perfect trust in giving the Father His rightful place