A few days ago, I was tutoring a girl who needed help with Mathematics. After the session ended, we started chatting and we ended up talking about sex. I know, you're probably wondering how we got there. OK, it wasn't really exactly about sex, but rather temptation. Well, I think our Maths session led us to reflect on our future lives, including what course we would take, and then about our marital lives, then relationships, then one thing led to another, and we were talking about resisting temptation.
Anyway, since we were both Christians, we both understood that premarital sex was to be avoided at all cost. We knew that we had to resist sexual temptation — especially anything which might inadvertently lead to having sex. At that time, this was a problem greater for her than for me, because she already had a boyfriend, and I had never had a girlfriend. However, I was very sure that, if God were to ever satisfy my desire and provide me with a girlfriend, this would be my problem too.
It was at this point that she said something very interesting, on which I began to meditate, and which I would like to share here today. She said, ‘But, you know, God always knows how we feel and always understands how we are tempted.’ I agreed. She then added, ‘We have that verse which says that Jesus was tempted in everything, just as we are also. I cannot tell which one right now...’
A few days earlier, I had participated in a thread, here at ChristianForums, which turned into a debate over whether Jesus had ever sinned. When someone said that Jesus had sinned sometime in his life, I replied saying that this could not have been the case. I was also going to post a number of passages to say the opposite, when I refreshed the page and saw that someone else had already posted a few such verses. One of them was precisely Hebrews 4:15, which said that Jesus had been tempted but had never sinned.
So, as I was talking with that girl and she said that, this verse came to my memory and I said, ‘Hmm... I can't remember that exactly, nor the detail “in everything”, but, about Jesus' temptation, I do remember Hebrews 4:15. Let me see if that's it.’ I immediately opened it in my Portuguese Bible, and it read something like this: ‘For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but one who, like us, in everything was tempted, yet without sin.’ She told me, ‘Yes, that's it! Notice the detail that he “in everything was tempted”.’ I replied, ‘Yes, that is very interesting. I had never noticed!’ Just after that, I also opened my English New International Version (because I like to apply to Bible versions the biblical principle that ‘every matter should be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses’), and it read: ‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin.’ After reading these two versions, I commented, ‘You are right! This one is even clearer: he “has been tempted in every way”.’ Then, she replied, ‘Now, think about that!’
Afterwards, I thought about it. It is very interesting! God, specifically Jesus Christ, knows how we feel when we are tempted precisely because he has undergone the same temptation! He was tempted ‘in everything’, or ‘in every way’, just as we are. This is the wonderful truth contained in this verse — which, in turn, leads us to another great truth: ‘he sympathises with our weaknesses’. Jesus was tempted, but he was not weak, and he was able to resist temptation at all times; we are tempted, but we are weak and often fail to resist. Nevertheless, Jesus understands how we feel when we are tempted, because he has undergone the same kind of temptation!
‘But wait!’ you may say, ‘Jesus was tempted those three times in the desert, as described in Matthew 4. When was he tempted in any other manner?’ Surely, those three temptations in the desert were not the only ones he faced! Do you really think that Satan, seeing Jesus — the second person of God's Trinity, his greatest enemy — walking upon the Earth and in the midst of sinners, would really just tempt him thrice and then give up? Of course not! I am convinced that Satan tempted Jesus many, many times throughout the 30+ years of his entire life. Here are three more examples of Jesus' temptations:
Therefore, even if we do not know exactly how Jesus was tempted in every single circumstance, the bottom line is this: Jesus Christ sympathises with our weaknesses and understands our temptations. He knows exactly what it feels like to be tempted, because he went through the same — or, at least, similar — ordeals (Hebrews 4:15). It is interesting to look at different versions and see how they all explain Jesus' temptation. The NIV and the HCSB say ‘in every way’; the ESV and the AMP say ‘in every respect’; the NASB says ‘in all things’; the KJV and the NKJV say ‘in all points’. Ultimately, the message is that Jesus is able to ‘sympathise with our weaknesses’ (ESV, NASB, HCSB, NKJV), to ‘feel sympathy for our weaknesses’ (NIV), to ‘be touched with the feeling of our infirmities’ (KJV), to ‘sympathise and understand our weaknesses and temptations’ (AMP).
So, if you are feeling tempted today, bear in mind these words from Hebrews 4:14-16, NIV: ‘Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into Heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’ And bear in mind also what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV: ‘No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.’ Be strong! God is on your side!
To finalise, John's words are my words unto you as well: ‘My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.’ (1 John 2:1, NIV)
Anyway, since we were both Christians, we both understood that premarital sex was to be avoided at all cost. We knew that we had to resist sexual temptation — especially anything which might inadvertently lead to having sex. At that time, this was a problem greater for her than for me, because she already had a boyfriend, and I had never had a girlfriend. However, I was very sure that, if God were to ever satisfy my desire and provide me with a girlfriend, this would be my problem too.
It was at this point that she said something very interesting, on which I began to meditate, and which I would like to share here today. She said, ‘But, you know, God always knows how we feel and always understands how we are tempted.’ I agreed. She then added, ‘We have that verse which says that Jesus was tempted in everything, just as we are also. I cannot tell which one right now...’
A few days earlier, I had participated in a thread, here at ChristianForums, which turned into a debate over whether Jesus had ever sinned. When someone said that Jesus had sinned sometime in his life, I replied saying that this could not have been the case. I was also going to post a number of passages to say the opposite, when I refreshed the page and saw that someone else had already posted a few such verses. One of them was precisely Hebrews 4:15, which said that Jesus had been tempted but had never sinned.
So, as I was talking with that girl and she said that, this verse came to my memory and I said, ‘Hmm... I can't remember that exactly, nor the detail “in everything”, but, about Jesus' temptation, I do remember Hebrews 4:15. Let me see if that's it.’ I immediately opened it in my Portuguese Bible, and it read something like this: ‘For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but one who, like us, in everything was tempted, yet without sin.’ She told me, ‘Yes, that's it! Notice the detail that he “in everything was tempted”.’ I replied, ‘Yes, that is very interesting. I had never noticed!’ Just after that, I also opened my English New International Version (because I like to apply to Bible versions the biblical principle that ‘every matter should be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses’), and it read: ‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin.’ After reading these two versions, I commented, ‘You are right! This one is even clearer: he “has been tempted in every way”.’ Then, she replied, ‘Now, think about that!’
Afterwards, I thought about it. It is very interesting! God, specifically Jesus Christ, knows how we feel when we are tempted precisely because he has undergone the same temptation! He was tempted ‘in everything’, or ‘in every way’, just as we are. This is the wonderful truth contained in this verse — which, in turn, leads us to another great truth: ‘he sympathises with our weaknesses’. Jesus was tempted, but he was not weak, and he was able to resist temptation at all times; we are tempted, but we are weak and often fail to resist. Nevertheless, Jesus understands how we feel when we are tempted, because he has undergone the same kind of temptation!
‘But wait!’ you may say, ‘Jesus was tempted those three times in the desert, as described in Matthew 4. When was he tempted in any other manner?’ Surely, those three temptations in the desert were not the only ones he faced! Do you really think that Satan, seeing Jesus — the second person of God's Trinity, his greatest enemy — walking upon the Earth and in the midst of sinners, would really just tempt him thrice and then give up? Of course not! I am convinced that Satan tempted Jesus many, many times throughout the 30+ years of his entire life. Here are three more examples of Jesus' temptations:
- When the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign as proof that he was God (Matthew 12:38), Jesus was obviously tempted to prove them that he really was God by showing them a sign. However, he refused, because he knew that it was not his Father's will.
- When Jesus was arrested, one of his disciples was so angry that he took his sword and cut off a soldier's ear (Matthew 26:51). Then, Jesus rebuked him, but one of the interesting things that he said was this: ‘Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?’ (Matthew 26:53-54, NIV) Clearly, Jesus was tempted to do this! The simple fact that he expressed this sinful possibility means that it had crossed his mind; and the fact that a sinful possibility crossed his mind means that he was tempted with it.
- Even in the same episode, Jesus was surely tempted to do nothing and leave the soldier injured like that. Surely, this thought crossed his mind: ‘Well, this guy came here to arrest me. One of my disciples has cut off his ear. I really didn't want him to do this, but, since he has done it, oh well! There's nothing for me to do now. Besides, that guy is an idiot, and he is part of that bunch of idiots who want to crucify me for no reason. Why should I heal him?’ But, if Jesus really had not healed him, how would he be demonstrating to him God's love towards that guy? He resisted this temptation of revenge, and instead healed the guy who was there to capture him (Luke 22:51).
Therefore, even if we do not know exactly how Jesus was tempted in every single circumstance, the bottom line is this: Jesus Christ sympathises with our weaknesses and understands our temptations. He knows exactly what it feels like to be tempted, because he went through the same — or, at least, similar — ordeals (Hebrews 4:15). It is interesting to look at different versions and see how they all explain Jesus' temptation. The NIV and the HCSB say ‘in every way’; the ESV and the AMP say ‘in every respect’; the NASB says ‘in all things’; the KJV and the NKJV say ‘in all points’. Ultimately, the message is that Jesus is able to ‘sympathise with our weaknesses’ (ESV, NASB, HCSB, NKJV), to ‘feel sympathy for our weaknesses’ (NIV), to ‘be touched with the feeling of our infirmities’ (KJV), to ‘sympathise and understand our weaknesses and temptations’ (AMP).
So, if you are feeling tempted today, bear in mind these words from Hebrews 4:14-16, NIV: ‘Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into Heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’ And bear in mind also what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV: ‘No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.’ Be strong! God is on your side!
To finalise, John's words are my words unto you as well: ‘My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.’ (1 John 2:1, NIV)