1 Cor 2: 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God
Jesus Temptation
Since God cannot be tempted (i.e. enticed to do evil) in what sense was Jesus "tempted" and what was the purpose?
James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
As a man Jesus was "tempted" in the same way as are other men:
- So He can sympathize with us and help us in our weakness.
Hebrews 2:18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
As God Jesus was "tested".
- By God to prove He was qualified as the sinless savior.
Hebrews 7:26-28 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.
- By Satan in an attempt to persuade Jesus to avoid the cross and accomplish God's will in Satan's way.
Luke 4:1-13 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit [a]into the wilderness, 2 being [b]tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, [c]but by every word of God.’ ”
5 [d]Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
8 And Jesus answered and said to him, [e]“Get behind Me, Satan! [f]For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’
11 and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not [g]tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
13 Now when the devil had ended every [h]temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
But since Jesus was God was the temptations real?
Yes, because they were designed to show the sinlessness of Christ and to qualify him as the savior. And as a man Jesus was able to resist temptation by relying on the
- power of the Holy Spirit.
- the truth of the Word of God.
But was Jesus?
- Impeccable - "not able to sin" because He was God?
OR - peccable - "able not to sin" - because as a man he relied on God fully?
This theological issue has been debated for centuries and a good case can be made for both positions.
Perhaps a good solution is to say that:
- JESUS WAS PECCABLE AS TO HIS HUMAN NATURE BUT IMPECCABLE AS TO HIS DIVINE NATURE. So as a person he was controlled by His deity.
What is quite clear is that Christ did not sin and thus met God's standard to be the redeemer.
NEXT STUDY: JESUS' SINLESS LIFE
This is a Bible School Course that I did more than 20 years ago and it is my privilege to study again and share with you.
Thank you for reading and studying with me, I would love to hear from you in the comments.
Source: Dr Dennis J. Mock: Bible training for church leadership, Bible Doctrine Survey, course no. 4
https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-baptized.html
Scripture references: New King James Version