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All three synoptic Gospels recall Jesus going into the desert immediately after His baptism. There, we are told, Jesus fasted for forty days, after which the devil came to tempt Him (see Matt 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). Three times the devil tries to induce Jesus to fall; three times the devil is thwarted.
We know that Jesus commits no sin in the episode. And yet, the evangelists clearly speak of Him being “tempted” by the devil. This is further corroborated in the epistle to the Hebrews:
According to these texts, the fact that Jesus experienced temptation means He is better able to relate to and help us in our own temptations. But this raises an important question: In what sense could Jesus actually be tempted?
It seems obvious that Jesus did not experience temptation in the exact same way that we do. After all, when we are tempted, there is a real prospect, informed by long experience, that we will succumb to the temptation and fall into sin. Yet Jesus is God, and therefore metaphysically incapable of sinning.
Continued below.
stpaulcenter.com
We know that Jesus commits no sin in the episode. And yet, the evangelists clearly speak of Him being “tempted” by the devil. This is further corroborated in the epistle to the Hebrews:
According to these texts, the fact that Jesus experienced temptation means He is better able to relate to and help us in our own temptations. But this raises an important question: In what sense could Jesus actually be tempted?
It seems obvious that Jesus did not experience temptation in the exact same way that we do. After all, when we are tempted, there is a real prospect, informed by long experience, that we will succumb to the temptation and fall into sin. Yet Jesus is God, and therefore metaphysically incapable of sinning.
Continued below.
Could Jesus Really Be Tempted? - St. Paul Center
All three synoptic Gospels recall Jesus going into the desert immediately after His baptism. There, we are told, Jesus fasted for forty days, after which the devil came to tempt Him (see Matt 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). Three times the devil tries to induce Jesus to fall; three times the...
