Did Jesus have an advantage over us while living here on this earth?
What a wonderful Saviour we have. He came down from
heaven to show us the way. He came down to save us! Wow!
Now, did Jesus have any advantages over us when being
tempted? Let us look what the Bible has to say on this.
Heb 4:15-16 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable
to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has
been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without
sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with
confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to
help us in our time of need." NIV
The Bible is clear on this: Jesus had no advantages over us
when being tempted. He faced the same trials as we do. One
difference: He didn't sin. Why not?
James 1:13-14 "For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does
he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own
evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. NIV
Very simple, he wasn't attracted by the deceptive lures of
sin. He had experienced true freedom in heaven and had seen
what sin had caused in humanity. Sin was not attractive to
Him at all.
John 8:58 8 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before
Abraham was born, I am!" NIV
John 1:1-2" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the
beginning." NIV
Jesus existed before our planet ever existed. Before time,
He was. He had experienced first hand the devil's rebellion
in heaven. He had seen the consequences of sin on our
planet. Compared to where He was in heaven (peace,
happiness, joy, pure love…), there was no way He would want
to join the effects of sin, which only brings disaster and
unhappiness to all under its curse.
It is because of our sin that He left all of this behind in
heaven, so that we could get out of our predicament and be
saved. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life." NIV
Thanks to Him, we have help to lead victorious lives!
Heb 2:18 "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted,
he is able to help those who are being tempted." NIV
Would you like to experience Jesus' power in you life. Are
you tired of sinning and leading a meaningless life? Come to
Jesus at
http://www.answers2prayer.org/saviours_call.html and
invite Him into your life. He will help you through your
mess and will help you be victorious!
Rob Chaffart
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Because of his great love and generosity, God did not
leave us to suffer the consequences of our foolish
rebellion. He did something to save us. He sent his own
divine son into our world to become a MAN--Jesus of
Nazareth.
Although Jesus had powers; He could walk on water and part
the seas and turn staffs into snakes.....etc. He was still
put here by God as a MAN. A man to suffer ALL things that we
suffer. His advantage over US, is that He did not rebuke our
Lord. He believed and did everything the Father said. He did
all things directed by God including the ultimate, dying on
the cross a horrendous death for US. To save US. We the weak
and thankless humans. He endured loss and pain of every kind
as a human man on this earth, just as we do each day of our
lives.
Jesus was a carpenter in His earthly life. His mission was
to free and to liberate, and he was more concerned with
healing people than worried about becoming ritually unclean
by associating with them. He wanted to teach the word of God
and spread the gospel. He was a great teacher that loved and
taught little children. He suffered great betrayal, loss,
temptation and suffering beyond what any man on this earth
can imagine. He felt every emotion and every bit of pain.
The thing is, He was without sin! Pure and Holy!
God gave us His Son as an example for us so that we could
appreciate how we should live our lives to be worthy of
salvation. We are asked to follow the example of a man not a
God!
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality
with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a slave, being made in human
likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled
himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!
(Philippians 2:5-8).
Since the children have flesh and blood, Christ also shared
in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him
who holds the power of death—that is, the devil (Hebrews
2:14).
God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a
sin offering (Romans 8:3).
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize
with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in
every way, just as we are—yet was without sin (Hebrews
4:15).
Christ is God, but He is also the Second Adam -- the sinless
man (Romans 5:12-21). As such He is the perfect
representative of both God and man, the perfect mediator,
and the perfect object for divine justice and human
responsibility. Sin could only be dealt with by someone who
is both God (sinless and a life of incalculable value) and
man (able to substitute for us because He is identified with
our human nature). This is the Jesus the Bible reveals to us
and the Jesus we worship. The death of Jesus of Nazareth
ended the life of a simple carpenter from a small town in
Galilee. But we believe that the resurrection that followed
three days later was only the beginning of a new life for
Jesus the Christ and his followers down through the ages.
Deedee
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In Hebrews it says He grew in obedience and that He was
tested in all ways like we are yet was without sin. I assume
this question is in reference to Jesus not sinning while in
the flesh.
I can only site the virgin birth as a major clue. Some teach
that the sin nature is passed thru men and not women. My
wife wondered about the purpose of the Holy Spirit
descending on Jesus at His water baptism. In other words,
did He need to be immersed in the Holy Spirit before going
into the wilderness. I think He was always connected to the
Holy Spirit, for He always was God. Philippians 2 teaches He
gave up His glory and became a man, but He did not give up
His Godhood.
Since Jesus never stopped being God, yet became a man also,
He had an advantage when it came to temptation and sin. Some
may ask how can someone be both diety and man. I think the
best illustration is the ark of the covenant which was
totally covered with gold and appeared to be solid gold, yet
was first made of wood and then coated with gold. I think
this was a symbol or a foreshadowing, of Jesus. One
interesting point though is the symbol of diety, the gold,
is on the outside and the wood is on the inside. With Jesus,
the diety was on the inside (unseen) and His flesh was the
proof of humanity.
Maybe it would be like asking if the ark of the covenant has
an advantage over other gold objects when it comes to
sinking in water. The wood hidden on the inside makes it
lighter.
Todd Shilt
