“After he was perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him….” (Hebrews 5:9, CSB).

The Hebrews writer gives us yet another Old Testament perspective of how Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s plan for human redemption. This verse is the conclusion of a broader argument about Jesus’ role as the everlasting High Priest to emphasize His unique qualifications as the both fully human and fully divine Savior.

The Hebrews writer explains that a High Priest was chosen from the Israelite people to make sacrifices for their sins. Because he was human, he had to offer sacrifices for his own sin as well as the sins of the people. In Leviticus 16 God implemented a Day of Atonement in which the High Priest performed a sacrifice for the atonement of the sin for the Israelites. The ceremony, which was conducted annually, began with a sacrifice for the atonement of the sins for the High Priest.

The Hebrews writer also contends that Jesus priesthood was an everlasting or eternal priesthood as the Psalmist prophesied in Psalms 2:7 and 110:4. Unlike the Levitical priesthood where the High Priest was an ancestor of Aaron and functioned under the Mosaic law, Melchizedek was a High Priest of unknown origins who was ordained by God (see Genesis 14:18-20). Thus, Melchizedek’s priesthood predates and was superior to the Levitical priesthood, symbolizing a more universal and eternal priesthood not based on ancestry but on divine appointment (vs. 10, Hebrews 7:1-3).

Finally, by becoming human and suffering the same as human beings, Christ was qualified to be the ultimate (perfect) High Priest. In His humanity, Jesus experienced suffering, obedience, and ultimately death, perfectly accomplishing God’s plan for human redemption.

So, Christ was fully qualified….

No, Christ was perfectly qualified to be the human and divine priest and sacrifice for the redemption of humanity.

But, the use of the word “perfect” in vs. 9 does not mean that Jesus was previously imperfect or sinful. Rather, it reflects His perfect qualifications as being fully God and fully human for accomplishing the mission of human redemption.

The Greek verb translated as “perfected” (teleioō) in vs. 9 describes the process or act of completing something. Teleios means something has fulfilled its purpose or achieved the goal for which it was made. Something that is fully mature or even blameless can be called teleios. Jesus once said to a wealthy man, “If you want to become teleios, sell your possessions and give to the poor” (Matthew 19:21).

Christ being made perfect means that He was qualified to be the source of eternal salvation by His obedience to God’s redemptive plan and purpose and by His ultimate sacrifice through His death on the cross. By becoming human, His life, death, and resurrection, provided the means for salvation that is eternal.

But, eternal salvation through Jesus Christ is not just about the forgiveness of sins as much as it is about reconciliation with God and living eternally in relationship with Him. Through His divinity as the Son of God, Jesus is qualified as the origin or cause of eternal salvation and there is no other way to obtain eternal life except through Him (John 14:6).

Yet, though Jesus is perfectly qualified to be the Savior of all humanity, the Hebrew writer includes the contingency that He becomes the source of eternal salvation “for everyone who obeys him.” So, our eternal salvation involves both a response of faith in Christ and a life of faithfulness to Him expressed through obedience to God’s will.

Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23, CSB)