5:8
“He learned obedience through what He suffered”. This does not mean that there was any deficiency in Jesus. Maybe the writer is seeking to instruct and encourage his readers who were facing persecution, or soon would be. Jesus was the Son of God, yet He went through suffering, and this was all part of God’s plan. God’s plan for us can involve times of suffering. Most of the deepest lessons that we learn are learnt during times of suffering, And the previous verse tells us how to cope with these times. No one likes suffering, otherwise it wouldn’t be suffering! Jesus offered up loud cries and tears, so we too are allowed to cry out to God in anguish. The key thing is that we cry out to the One who can save us.
5:9
Jesus would not be the perfect sacrifice unless He had gone through the suffering. Jesus had to go to the cross in order to fulfil His purpose, in order to complete the work that the Father had sent Him to do. Remember how vehemently Jesus reacted to Peter when Peter was horrified at the prospect of Jesus being handed over to men and killed (Mk 8:31-33). Jesus knew that the cross was the focal point of His work on earth. By going to the cross Jesus earned salvation for all who believe. Note that it says here “all who obey Him”. Obedience is part of the gospel.
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