Temptation of Jesus

[Seth Doty]

Now, you going to say that Jesus, when tempted, had no free will and could not have possibly chosen disobedience?

The difference is Jesus was and is God. God is infinite and unchangeable. His will isn't exactly the same as a humans free will. He doesn't have to make up his mind and decide what to do, he already knows and has always known. God IS RIGHTEOUSNESS, God IS HOLINESS, God IS PERFECTION, God IS TRUTH, God is LIGHT. Given that, no he can't choose evil any more than I can flap my arms and fly like a bird. That just isn't who he is. It isn't possible for light to be conquered by darkness, when light and darkness meet, the light always wins and cannot loose because of what it is and what darkness is. Edited March 21, 2011 by Seth-Doty

[JerryNumbers]

The difference is Jesus was and is God. God is infinite and unchangeable. His will isn't exactly the same as a humans free will. He doesn't have to make up his mind and decide what to do, he already knows and has always known. God IS RIGHTEOUSNESS, God IS HOLINESS, God IS PERFECTION, God IS TRUTH, God is LIGHT. Given that, no he can't choose evil any more than I can flap my arms and fly like a bird. That just isn't who he is. It isn't possible for light to be conquered by darkness, when light and darkness meet, the light always wins and cannot loose because of what it is and what darkness is.

How can Jesus be tempted as man has if He faced the temptations knowing it was impossible for Him to sin?

I understand well that God is infinite and unchangeable, that there is no sin in Him, that He cannot be tempted, yet we are speaking about Jesus while he was living as a man on earth. I'm not taking nothing away from Jesus, Jesus proved that old Satan could be resisted, and was the perfect sacrifice, and He is the Savior of man.

Jesus' resisted sin by relying on the power of the Father, and He proved this many times praying to the Father and He has tried to teach us this fact.

2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

But the moment we start depending on our self, we are liable to fall at any moment.

[Seth Doty]

How can Jesus be tempted as man has if He faced the temptations knowing it was impossible for Him to sin?

What did Christ say?

"John 10:30 I and my Father are one."

Tell me how it would be possible for God to sin?( 1 John 1:5, Psalm 18:30, James 1:17, etc.) Christ was a man,but he wasn't any less God for it, that is for sure. You might as well ask how someone who has never sinned could struggle in the same way as someone who has. For example I have never drank anything alcoholic or smoked a cigarette in my life. I have no struggle about saying no when I am offered a "drink" or asked if I smoke either. Why? I don't have the baggage in that area that say an ex-alcoholic or smoker would have. I mentally know drinking and smoking is both wrong, stupid, and addicting and since I have no baggage in that area and no desire to go that way it isn't a struggle to say no when a situation comes up. The only way temptation can be a true struggle is if there is a desire to do it for some reason. Now could a situation arise where I had a desire for such a thing? I suppose so, I am human, but I don't think Jesus ever had any desire to sin because even such a desire is wrong.. He was offered many opportunities to do so by satan "just in case" but I think that is as far as it could go since he was perfect God as well as man.

If you think he could truly have a desire to sin and had to fight it off please explain how you think that is possible to do and still remain perfect in light of passages like the first part of this verse:


"Proverbs 24:9 The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men." Edited March 23, 2011 by Seth-Doty

[heartstrings]

I'm surprised that this debate is still going....

The Bible says that Jesus is the "Word".
The Bible says the "Word" was God.........Jesus is God
The Bible says that God cannot lie....He is totally unable to do it.
Jesus Himself said "I am the..."truth"...if something IS truth personified, how can it 'lie".

The Bible also says that God cannot deny Himself...if God sinned, He would be denying Himself, His law, His very being. He would be denying the existence of "truth" itself because, once again, He IS "truth".

Lastly....God (Jesus) does not change.....if He sinned, He would be changing who He is....God

[Invicta]

I'm surprised that this debate is still going....

The Bible says that Jesus is the "Word".
The Bible says the "Word" was God.........Jesus is God
The Bible says that God cannot lie....He is totally unable to do it.
Jesus Himself said "I am the..."truth"...if something IS truth personified, how can it 'lie".

The Bible also says that God cannot deny Himself...if God sinned, He would be denying Himself, His law, His very being. He would be denying the existence of "truth" itself because, once again, He IS "truth".

Lastly....God (Jesus) does not change.....if He sinned, He would be changing who He is....God

In that case, what was the point of jesus being tempted in the wilderness?

I find the whole issue difficult, but I offer the following.

Adam, the first man was tempted by Satan and sinned.

Christ, the 2nd Adam, as the seed of the woman and not man, was tempted by Satan and did not sin.

[John81]

In that case, what was the point of jesus being tempted in the wilderness?

I find the whole issue difficult, but I offer the following.

Adam, the first man was tempted by Satan and sinned.

Christ, the 2nd Adam, as the seed of the woman and not man, was tempted by Satan and did not sin.

I can't explain how Jesus could be fully God and yet also fully man yet I accept it on faith. Scripture says that God cannot be tempted yet Scripture also tells us that Jesus was tempted, which means it had to be Jesus as man that was tempted to sin. How can this be? I don't know because God's ways are higher than my ways. Scripture says Jesus was tempted in all points just as we are, yet He never sinned, so He knows from experience how to comfort us and guide us in all things. Praise God!

However God accomplished all this is as much a mystery to me as how there can be one God made up of three. In it all I praise God!

[JerryNumbers]

I can't explain how Jesus could be fully God and yet also fully man yet I accept it on faith. Scripture says that God cannot be tempted yet Scripture also tells us that Jesus was tempted, which means it had to be Jesus as man that was tempted to sin. How can this be? I don't know because God's ways are higher than my ways. Scripture says Jesus was tempted in all points just as we are, yet He never sinned, so He knows from experience how to comfort us and guide us in all things. Praise God!

However God accomplished all this is as much a mystery to me as how there can be one God made up of three. In it all I praise God!

Yes, it sure does.

Mt 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

And its says so quite clearly, yet few see to accept it.

God was not led up into the wilderness to be tempted, yet Jesus was, the Bible tells us so, so that He has face every temptation that we can face, and He knows the feeling, and thank God that He, unlike Adam, did not fall for the temptation.