Matthew 4

The Temptation of Jesus is a very familiar story but I wonder if we have read over it with a sense of familiarity that has caused us to not give it the significance that it deserves.  Do you think that maybe we have a tendency to downplay the temptation of Jesus. We tend to think “oh, no big deal, He was God so it really wasn’t that hard for him to resist the devil.”  Let’s not go there so fast.  Remember that Jesus was fully God andfully man.  Though ultimately a mystery, we should not minimize Jesus’ humanity so as to think that temptation did not affect him.  Hebrews 4:15 says that he was tempted just as we are yet without sin; therefore he understands our temptations and can help us in our time of need.  How could he understand and help us if the temptation was no big deal to him?  Matt. 4:11informs that after the temptation“. . . the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to his needs.  If you believe the temptation was no big deal to Jesus, then why did angels have to minister to him when it was over?  The only other time Scripture tells us that angels had to minister to Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43) and we know at that he was full of anguish to point of deathat that time (Matt 26:38).  

Give some thought to the following question:  If Jesus is both fully God and fully Man, could he have given into the temptation and sinned?  

• If you answer no, then how can you say his temptation was truly real. 
• If you answer yes, then how is it possible that God could sin (James 1:13-14 says He can’t even be tempted).

This concept represents another conundrum in the mystery that is called the incarnation.  How can God become fully human and be like us? This isn’t simply an intellectual problem.  It is that but significantly more.  Our Savior understands what it means to be tempted because he was tempted by the Tempter himself.  He knows what it is like to fight sin and win.  We can run to him for help, so let’s do just that.  

I want to invite you to come to Monday Night Dinner tonight, not only will the food be great, but we will also have a Q & A after the dinner and discuss things like this.  See you tonight.