Marsha's Musings: All About Jesus (Hebrews 5:5-11 NKJV)

So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”; who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. (Hebrews 5:5-11 NKJV)

1. Christ is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Since the only time a new high priest was installed was upon the death of the previous, Christ will always be our high priest.  There is no need for a new one since He will never die.

2. He learned obedience by the things that He suffered.

While in human flesh, Jesus experienced what it was to have a Father which one must obey so that He could sympathize with our weaknesses.  

I notice that here is the stated purpose of suffering:  That we might learn to obey.  Am I suffering in some way?  Then I should look to see what it is that God wants me to learn and obey Him in.

3.  Having been perfected He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.

Jesus was already perfect, being God.   But He had to experience humanity, suffering, death and resurrection before His work of salvation was perfected. Therefore, in the sense that He had to go through these things, He was perfected to be the perfect author of salvation.

4. He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.

Does this make it a works salvation?  No.  Those for whom He died to save will obey Him.  It's not telling us how to gain salvation.  It's telling us a fact about those whom He has saved.  They obey Him.