Hebrews 5:7-10
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. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus' prayers weren't just about avoiding suffering, but about being delivered from death's ultimate power, not necessarily from the experience of death itself. This distinction reveals that his agony was fundamentally about facing and conquering the very dominion of death for us, rather than just a personal fear of dying.
Jesus, facing immense suffering and the prospect of death, pours out heartfelt prayers and pleas to God, who is ultimately able to save him. Though God heard him due to his profound reverence, the focus here is on Jesus' human experience of anguish and his learned obedience through these trials, which prepared him for his priestly role.
We often picture Jesus as serene and untroubled, but Hebrews 5:7 reveals a profound struggle. What does this tell us about His humanity and His qualification as our High Priest?
The verse paints a vivid picture of Jesus' humanity during His earthly life, referred to as 'the days of his flesh.' This wasn't just a physical state; it represented His full experience of human vulnerability and suffering.
A Human Heart Under Pressure
This profound humanity, expressed through intense prayer and suffering, is crucial for His role as High Priest. It means He can empathize with our struggles because He has experienced them Himself.
Jesus prayed intensely, 'to him who was able to save him from death.' But the reason He was 'heard' is striking – 'because of his reverence.' What does this mean?
The phrase 'heard because of his reverence' (or 'godly fear') is key. It doesn't mean Jesus was merely afraid in a human sense, but that His prayer was effective because of His profound respect and submission to God's will.
Reverence as the Key to Being Heard
Understand the original words
sarx · Greek Noun
A period of time or state of human existence characterized by mortality, weakness, and vulnerability to temptation and suffering, which the Son of God voluntarily assumed at the incarnation.
deēsis · Greek Noun
Petitions or requests made to God, often involving the confession of need and total dependence on His mercy and power. In the Bible, these are characterized by humility, persistence, and trust in God's character.
thanatos · Greek Noun
The finality of human life resulting from sin, but also the physical event through which all must pass unless Christ returns. In the context of Christ, it refers to the separation of body and soul that He experienced for humanity.
eulabeia · Greek Noun
This verse vividly describes Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, highlighting his full humanity and submission to God's will amidst intense suffering, demonstrating the depth of his priestly qualification through shared human experience and obedience.
c. 30-33 AD— this verse
Jesus' Arrest and Crucifixion
Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, tried, and crucified in Jerusalem under Pontius Pilate. This event represents the culmination of his earthly suffering and mission.
c. 30-33 AD
The Last Supper
Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper with his disciples, sharing bread and wine and speaking of his impending betrayal and death.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus' Prayer in Gethsemane
Jesus withdraws to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, experiencing intense anguish and seeking God's will regarding his imminent suffering and death.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus' Trial and Condemnation
Jesus is brought before the Jewish Sanhedrin and later the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, where he is condemned to be crucified.
This psalm, deeply resonant with Jesus' cry from the cross, expresses profound anguish and a sense of abandonment by God, mirroring the intensity of Jesus' suffering and prayers mentioned in Hebrews.
Matthew 26:38-39This passage directly parallels Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, showing his human distress and his submission to God's will, aligning with the 'strong crying and tears' and the plea to be saved from the 'cup'.
Luke 22:43-44This passage highlights Jesus' agony in the garden, describing his prayer being offered with 'anguish' and his sweat being 'like drops of blood,' underscoring the profound suffering and earnest petition referenced in Hebrews.
Isaiah 53:10This prophecy speaks of God's will being accomplished through the suffering servant, who would 'see his offspring' and have his 'life prolonged,' offering a perspective on how Jesus' suffering and death would lead to salvation and a form of being 'heard' and saved.
Philippians 2:8This verse emphasizes Jesus' obedience even unto death, a direct result of the learning process described in Hebrews, showing that his willingness to suffer and die was central to his redemptive work.
ellicottHebrews 5:7: "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;"
(7, 8) Who in the days of his flesh . . . —It will be observed that, of the two essential conditions mentioned in Hebrews 5:2 and Hebrews 5:4 , the latter is first taken up in its application to Christ ( Hebrews 5:5-6 ). This verse and the next correspond to the general thought of Hebrews 5:1-2…
barnesHebrews 5:7: "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;"
Who - That is, the Lord Jesus - for so the connection demands. The object of this verse and the two following is, to show that the Lord Jesus had that qualification for the office of priest to which he had referred in Hebrews 5:2 . It was one important qualification for that office that he who s…
Jesus' prayers weren't just about avoiding suffering, but about being delivered from death's ultimate power, not necessarily from the experience of death itself. This distinction reveals that his agony was fundamentally about facing and conquering the very dominion of death for us, rather than just a personal fear of dying.
Jesus, facing immense suffering and the prospect of death, pours out heartfelt prayers and pleas to God, who is ultimately able to save him. Though God heard him due to his profound reverence, the focus here is on Jesus' human experience of anguish and his learned obedience through these trials, which prepared him for his priestly role.
Jesus, facing immense suffering and the prospect of death, pours out heartfelt prayers and pleas to God, who is ultimately able to save him. Though God heard him due to his profound reverence, the focus here is on Jesus' human experience of anguish and his learned obedience through these trials, which prepared him for his priestly role.
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This concept highlights that our prayers are most potent when rooted in reverence and submission to God's sovereign plan, even when that plan involves hardship.
A state of pious devotion, godly fear, or reverence toward God that involves proper respect, awe, and submission to His will. It signifies a disposition that is pleasing to God.
eisakouō · Greek Verb
The act of hearing and responding to a request; in a biblical context, it implies that God not only hears the voice of the petitioner but actively intervenes or answers according to His sovereign will.
hypakoē · Greek Noun
Submission to the will and commands of God. Biblically, it is not merely outward compliance but an inward posture of trust and yieldedness to the Father's authority, even at great personal cost.
paschō · Greek Verb
To experience pain, distress, or hardship. In a theological sense, suffering is often the context through which faith is tested, sanctification is realized, and Christ-like empathy is developed.
teleioō · Greek Verb
To be brought to a state of completion, maturity, or fitness for a specific purpose. Christ was 'made perfect' not because He was sinful, but because He was equipped through His human experience to be the effective High Priest.
sōtēria · Greek Noun
The ultimate rescue from the consequences of sin, including the penalty, power, and eventually the presence of sin. It is 'eternal' because it is rooted in the unchanging work of Christ and brings believers into a relationship with God that lasts forever.
archiereus · Greek Noun
A title for one who serves as the primary representative of the people before God, particularly concerning the offering of sacrifices for atonement. Jesus is the definitive High Priest who offered Himself as the final sacrifice.
c. 30-33 AD
The Crucifixion
Jesus is nailed to a cross and dies, fulfilling prophecy and offering himself as a sacrifice for humanity's sins.
c. 30-33 AD
The Resurrection
Three days after his crucifixion, Jesus is raised from the dead, demonstrating his victory over death and confirming his divine identity.
"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. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through wha…" — Jesus' prayers weren't just about avoiding suffering, but about being delivered from death's ultimate power, not necessarily from the experience of death itself. This distinction reveals that his a…
