While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. (Hebrews 5:7 NLT)

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There is a common narrative structure in the literary world known as “The Hero’s Journey,” in which the protagonist is called out of ordinary life to undergo a series of trials and challenges. They return transformed, equipped and heroic. Well-known examples include Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, Frodo Baggins, Hercules, and Moana. This is a compelling story structure because we see ourselves in the struggle, and we, too, long to overcome and be victorious like the heroes in these stories. The story of redemption is displayed in this writing technique, and our hearts notice because it parallels the greatest story ever written – the story of God sending His Son on an earthly journey to offer us heavenly restoration.  

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When God sent Jesus into the world, He faced opposition, betrayal, suffering, and death before returning to sit at the right hand of the Father as the Savior of the world. Hebrews 5:7 draws our attention to the crux of the journey – the suffering that preceded Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. It mentions the “prayers and pleadings” of Jesus in reference to His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before the crucifixion (Heb. 5:7; See Matt. 26:39-39 and Luke 22:39-44 for context). This information is sandwiched between two mentions of Jesus as a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek – information only mentioned two other places in Scripture prior to Hebrews (Gen. 14:18-20, Ps. 110:4).  

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Because the writer of Hebrews purposely placed Jesus’ suffering directly between two mentions of the order of Melchizedek, we can infer the suffering of Jesus is important information in the fulfillment of prophecy – the unfolding of God’s plan to restore us to Himself. For example, Harry Potter was always “the chosen one,” but he didn’t defeat Voldemort until after facing years of trials that qualified him to fulfill that role. Unlike Harry, Jesus could have called ten thousand angels at any moment, yet because He trusted God’s plan, He obeyed and underwent the journey to the cross (Matt. 26:53, Phil. 2:8). This path of suffering qualified Him for something the writer will help us understand in the coming chapters. For now, let’s briefly look at how it qualified Him to be our spotless, sacrificial Savior and our appointed High Priest.  

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Jesus’ suffering taught Him obedience to the Father, and obedience led Him to the cross. In His lifetime, Jesus was tempted by Satan (Matt. 4:1-11), hungry (Mark 11:12), tired (John 4:6) and angry (John 2:13-16). He was betrayed (Luke 22:48), abandoned (Matt 26:56), mocked (Matt. 27:27-44) and flogged (Mark 15:15). Jesus experienced all the ways we suffer here on Earth, yet he remained sinless (Heb. 4:15). Because He remained sinless, He was able to be the perfect sacrifice whose blood washed away our sins (Heb. 2:10). That is why the writer of Hebrews refers to the suffering of Jesus as the thing that qualified Him to be our “perfect High Priest” and the “source of eternal salvation” – key components in the chapters to come (Heb. 8-9 NLT).  

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Although this is the most difficult part of the “Hero’s Journey,” trials are necessary to fulfill a calling. It can be an uncomfortable topic – no one likes to suffer – but it’s a necessary part of the journey. Thankfully, with God, what we walk through is never arbitrary or wasted, especially when we lean into understanding its larger purpose in the grand scheme of our lives. “Suffering” doesn’t have to be a huge thing – even small discomforts or disappointments in life can equal suffering. We, like any “hero” who goes through trials, are shaped and equipped by our trials to fulfill the calling God has placed on our lives.

As reflected in The Hero’s Journey, we are called out of an ordinary, worldly life to walk with God through a journey of trials and challenges that transform and equip us to do the good work He has planned for us. I think the writer of Hebrews positions this reminder directly before telling us we need to mature and move from milk to solids because he wants us to understand that growth doesn’t come from being stagnant (Heb. 5:11-14). If we refuse to step out in faith and trust God with the journey, we will miss all the ways He wants to grow us.  

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What do you want your life to look like for Christ? Are you willing to step into the journey He has chosen for you – to let Him grow, transform and equip you for the work He has planned for you? If you surrender your life to Jesus, offering back what’s crushed as a sacrifice to the One who sacrificed it all, you will find yourself on a journey with God that leads to things you can’t even begin to imagine right now. The Hero’s Journey always begins with a call to step out of the ordinary. God has already called you. It’s up to you to say yes to the journey.