Hebrews 5:7–6:3

Bringing the sermon home:

The passage begins: "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." As we look at Jesus' prayer session in the Garden of Gethsemane, hours before His arrest, how can we say that His prayers were heard? The “cup” of God’s wrath was not removed from Him, for He drank it down to the dregs (Mark 14:36).

We can say that Jesus' prayer was heard because the Father’s will was done, for in answer to His prayers, the Father strengthened the Son to follow through with that will. Further, we can say that Jesus' prayer was heard because He did not stay dead, for He was ultimately saved from death, as too will we who have trusted in that death for the forgiveness of our sins.

In calling his readers to hold fast to Christ alone and to not return to the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant, the author of Hebrews suddenly confronts them with their main problem: they are "unskilled in the word of righteousness". Remaining a spiritual infant is not a viable option for a Christian, or we will be perpetually susceptible to falling away from Christ. We must press on to know Him more fully through the continual study of His Word.

(See follow-up article here: Milk Babies)