The bible makes it abundantly clear that Jesus was indeed tempted as we are:
“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.” (Heb 4:15 NKJV)
I don't know what you mean by saying that He was tempted externally - if the temptations remained outside Him, then in what sense was He tempted?
Temptation for us all is an internal matter. We are tempted in mind and in heart by our adversary, the devil. Most believers accept this as a fact, and do so from personal experiences across their lifetime. I certainly will attest to the fact of it.
The avenue of temptation is in the mind, via evil thoughts. We all have them. Sitting in a pew on Sunday and wishing we were fishing instead would even be an example of violating the sabbath in mind. Jesus gave a more stunning example of internal temptations in Matt. 5:28, saying even the thought of adultery is committing it. Most will pooh pooh this example and claim "it's only natural" but it's not. It's adultery. Even for a split second, it's adultery. Few can tell the truth of what it is, as Jesus stated. Even fewer will admit to that fact. I will admit it because I know it to be a fact. Happens to me everyday. Yes, I do have to fight it. It's real.
Jesus advised us all clearly, that evil thoughts DEFILE us all. Mark 7:21-23, Matt. 15:18-20. Paul gave us a first hand personal example of this fact in Romans 7:7-13. Paul exampled the source of it again in 2 Cor. 12:7 and Gal. 4:14, culminating with his claim of being the present tense "chief of sinners" in 1 Tim. 1:15. Follow his lead and if you're honest you'll come to the same conclusion not because of just "you" but the fact of being bound with our adversary in our minds who keeps us from seeing the obvious problem.
These are the engagements of us with our adversary. How do we know this? Because evil thoughts defile us. These are sin. Sin is defilement.
So now you should ask yourself a simple question. Do you think Jesus had evil defiling thoughts?
Any believer in their right mind should back away from that position in a hurry. But hey, if you want to go there, entertain me.
I've considered this dichotomy or conundrum for a considerably long time, and can not for the life of me say that Jesus dealt with Satan internally, within His Own Mind. Satan had nothing, zero, zilch IN HIM
And if that wasn't the case, then I'd dare say He would not be fit to listen to as it would be at least potentially suspect
So, did Jesus think about murdering someone? Adultery with a hot chick? Sorry. Never happened.
Jesus' temptations are spelled out to us in the dialog, external, with the adversary. And I'd suggest it was in audible format, not internal, in His Mind. Like ours. But not quite the same. You see when evil thoughts, lack of understanding scripture, deceptions come to our mind, most people simply don't have a clue that it's not just them thinking that way. They get led away by thinking it's their own thoughts, and not the tempter's interference or interruptions
And very often with religious people it can easily turn them into lying hypocrites, thinking they are sinless for example if they don't break the laws or sin externally via an act. And that is never ever the case for any of us. We are literally bound to disobedience and that binding is primarily in mind, via the evil conscience. Heb. 10:22
I simply prefer to be honest, and even that I'll admit simultaneously that even that honesty is tainted by my adversary.
But the light is on and I can't shut it off. Lest I be made a liar by my enemy