The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Hebrews 5:7-9, “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and

supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from

death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8 Although He was a Son,

He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having

been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of

eternal salvation…”

This is a passage about Jesus. As He hanged on the Cross, He prayed more

urgently than we can imagine. The word “supplication” (????????) is literally

“an olive branch, entwined with white wool and filets” and is carried like a

white flag of peace. At the same time Jesus cried loudly with tears (“My God,

My God, why have You forsaken Me?” – Mat. 27:46) The Father heard Him

because of His reverent submissiveness. Why then, did He not deliver His

Son from this horrible death? He was to “learn obedience from the things

which He suffered.” None of us has ever suffered like Jesus. Oh, we have

disappointments, minor hurts, little things that jerk us around; and we think

we’ve suffered. But, we’ve never known suffering like Jesus encountered

on that Cross. Besides the horrendous physical suffering, He was taunted

by the crowd, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself” (Mar. 15:31). Why?

Why all of this, when He fed 5000, stilled the waters on the Sea of Galilee,

healed the sick, the blind, the lame? He was learning obedience. And we

get out-of-joint when we’re told to do something menial –because it interferes

with something we want to do. Shame is not enough for us. We deserve the

suffering.

When Jesus had passed the Father’s test, “He became to all those who obey

Him the source of eternal salvation.” Think of the blessed opportunity He

has given us! We are privileged to tell the lost how He saves everyone who

forsakes his sin and believes upon Him for salvation! Have we passed the

Father’s test for us? We must be about the Father’s business while it is still

day.

Our prayers of love are still offered for each of you daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”