Even though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered. Hebrews 5:8
There were times as a little boy when I tried to be helpful. One such time, I was playing near the brook behind the house when I noticed my father’s bull grazing in the back field. The bull was not supposed to be there; one of the problems we always had on the farm was cattle making their way out of the pasture and into the hay fields. Somehow the bull had gotten out, and I made up my mind to put him back into the pasture. After I did so, I went and told my father. Instead of praising me, he spanked me. Afterwards, as I stood crying, he placed his arm around me and explained that I had done something terribly dangerous. He said the bull could easily have killed me, and he wanted me to remember never to try to herd the bull again. By causing me to suffer, he was hoping I would obey in the future. How very different is the suffering God placed upon His Son.
It was not God’s Son who had disobeyed. But it was by causing His son to suffer that God could forgive us. Every one of us was involved in behaviour far more dangerous than chasing a bull home from the back field. Our disobedience had the certain outcome of death. But God, knowing that outcome, was prepared to provide Another to bear that outcome for us. His Son – Who was not disobedient and could not be disobedient – was willing to take our suffering and punishment.
We gather today to raise the eye of faith to Golgotha’s bitter tree to behold that suffering. We acknowledge that He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. We are so grateful that the chastisement of our sins was upon Him. And we take our place in His presence today because by His stripes, we have been healed. On the cross, He learned the great cost of our disobedience, and He did so by His own obedience.
How precious today to us are the things which He has suffered for our disobedience! How thankful we are for His obedience! -Jim MacIntosh