“Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (Hebrews 5:8-9).

Because of our sin, we couldn’t go directly into God’s presence. The Old Testament offered a system of priesthood that was centered on the family of Moses’ brother, Aaron. Once Jesus came on the scene He became our Savior. Since His resurrection and return to heaven, He is our High Priest. Since the letter to the Hebrews is intent on showing that there is no need to return to the human High Priest of the Old Testament, the writer answers the pertinent question, “Is Jesus qualified to be our new High Priest?”

The word “suffered” is from the Greek root word “pascho.” From it, we get our phrase “the passion of Christ.” It can mean suffering in the negative sense. It can also be used positively and can refer to any experience of life. Jesus is God, but He is also a Man and this expression was used to describe His complete identity with us and what we experience. We don’t need to explain to Him what our lives are like. He’s been there and maintained His obedience through everything life threw at Him.

What does all this mean to us? It means that, while the Old Testament High Priest could provide temporary and ceremonial cleansing, Jesus can offer more than that. He is “the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.”

Jesus doesn’t offer just a temporary fix; He brings us salvation that will last through eternity. We can handle any day-to-day issue because we already know our ultimate destination. Our salvation is valid now and will last forever because of the faithfulness of our High Priest, Jesus.