He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24 ESV)
I believe we need a new understanding of the spiritual pilgrimage of the Lord
Jesus. We think that because He was God’s Son, and because of what He was, His
way was less difficult than ours. He had certain powers that we have not. He had
a nature that we have not. We cannot understand the mystery of One such as He
being subjected to trials and difficulties and adversities, and being tested to
breaking-point, where it called for the intervention of heaven to get Him
through. He was brought there; He was brought to the point more than once where
even He would not have gone through, had not heaven intervened and angels
ministered to Him. You say: "I have never had that experience." Ah, but you have.
You may never have actually seen angels coming to minister to you, but there is
no believer who has gone this way, who has gone any distance, but knows in his
heart, “But for God and Heaven, I would not be here today.” My own testimony is
that it has required the intervention of heaven, more than once, to save me from
succumbing.
But what is true of ourselves was far more true of Him. We do not understand
this mystery, but He had a spiritual pilgrimage, with far deeper testings and
tryings than ever you or I need, have, or will have. Yes, “in all points like as
we” it is true; but, for Him, with greater acuteness than for us. Through it all
He has been perfected — “made perfect”. “Though he was a Son, yet
learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; and having been made
perfect (having been made complete) He became... the author of eternal
salvation” (Heb. 5:8,9), “eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12). He has
reached the end of the road of perfection for us. And He is the guarantee
that God can do it in us! That is the point. He is there like the ‘title deeds’
for faith; the guarantee and the certainty that God, having got Him there, can
get anybody there. He can get you and me there at the end. He can make perfect
His work in us.