From J. C. Philpot's Daily Portions
December 13 "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal
salvation unto all those who obey him." Hebrews 5:9 By his sufferings in the garden and upon the cross the
Lord Jesus was made perfect. But what perfection was this? It clearly does
not mean that by these sufferings in the garden and upon the cross our Lord
was made perfect as the Son of God, nor perfect as the Son of man, for he
was perfect before as possessing infinite perfection in his eternal Godhead,
and was endued also with every possible perfection of which his sacred
humanity was capable. He needed no perfection to be added to his Godhead; it
was not susceptible of it; no perfection to be added to his manhood, for it
was "the holy one" in union with eternal Deity. But he needed to be made perfect as a High Priest. It was
through his sufferings that he was consecrated or dedicated in an
especial manner to the priesthood, for this corresponds with his own
words--"And for their sakes I sanctify myself" (John 17:19); that is, I
consecrate or dedicate myself to be their High Priest. The two main offices
of the high priest were to offer sacrifice and make intercession. Sacrifice
came first; and the sufferings of our Lord in the garden and upon the cross
were a part of this sacrifice. He was therefore "made perfect through
suffering," that is, through his sufferings, blood-shedding, and death he
was consecrated to perform that other branch of the priestly office which he
now executes. Thus as Aaron was consecrated by the sacrifice of a
bullock and a ram, of which the blood was not only poured out at the bottom
of the altar and sprinkled upon it, but put also on his right ear and hand
and foot, so was his great and glorious Anti-type consecrated through his
own sacrifice and blood-shedding on the cross; and thus being made perfect,
or rather, as the word literally means, being perfected, he became the
author of eternal salvation unto all those who obey him.