Jesus Suffered- Being Tempted

Heb 2:16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.


The nature of angels- spiritual and yet able to appear human. Appear being the key word there- for as much as angels can appear as men to mankind when necessary that will NEVER give them true flesh and blood, never give them humanity.


Jesus didn't choose an angel's form to come to us.


Jesus didn't choose to keep His spirit form that could disappear at will. He didn't choose a spirit form that had powers to do things humans can't. However, while He didn't choose to keep His spirit form but rather took on humanity in its flesh filled with blood- His relationship with the Father enabled Him to do things sinning humans who have separated themselves from God by sin cannot do. Jesus relied on the power of God and did the following supernatural acts...


Joh 6:19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.

(Walked on water)


Luk 4:28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
Luk 4:29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
Luk 4:30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way


(Was able to disappear as He was being led away.)


Mat 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
Mat 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.


(Transfigured)


So, while Jesus was connected to the Father- One with Him in a way that we cannot be until His return and sin no longer separates us from our God- He was able to claim the power of His Father which He used to perform miracles and to do miraculous acts. He did NOT take on the nature of angels, He took on OUR nature.


Why is it important to differentiate between this fact- that Jesus did not take on the nature of angels but of humans? Because angels were made a little superior to us. Angels were NOT made in God's image. Angels do not possess flesh and blood. Angels already decided their fate- 1/3 of them chose to follow Satan, 2/3 chose to remain with God and there is NO chance for them to repent any more, no chance for them to find salvation because that part of their existence has been decided. These beings who do not die at the end of a set number of years, these beings have no flesh to fast corruption over time, these beings do not age - growing old and dying, decaying through the ravages of time. These beings- these angels face a choice having free will to disobey God and once that choice was made that was that. Can they be blotted out of existence? Yes. And the evil angels will face their ultimate punishment of no longer existing when sin is done away with once and for all. Jesus did NOT take on the nature of the created angels. Jesus took on our humanity because it was us He was to sacrifice Himself for.


Heb 2:17… Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.


That HE might be a MERCIFUL and FAITHFUL HIGH PRIEST in things pertaining to God.
To MAKE a RECONCILIATION for the SINS of the PEOPLE.
Made like his BRETHERN! Made like you and me so He could understand only the way one being us could understand.


Because HE HIMSELF SUFFERED BEING TEMPTED
He is able to SUCCOUR THEM that ARE TEMPTED


He faced temptation. REAL temptation. He wasn't place in some protective wrapping, encased in a sin repelling suit. There was NOTHING artificial about Jesus' humanity. Like I mentioned before, the ONLY thing Jesus had that we don't is being ONE with the Father, without sin separating Him from Him. It wasn't until Jesus took on the sins of humanity that He was separated from His Father and cried out in anguish- 'Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'


Yes, I've spoken of this before and yes, just recently, but it warrants repeating again and again. Jesus SUFFERED being tempted. He SUFFERED.


Have you ever suffered being tempted to sin? What does that suffering mean? It means there is a war inside you, a desire to give into the temptation. You only suffer because you DO NOT give into the temptation. If you'd just give in, you'd no longer suffer the fight- but you might suffer with remorse. Jesus NEVER suffered the remorse of giving into a temptation and sinning. He suffered the temptation! The very, very real temptation. Again, people don't like to believe in our Savior's humanity, the part of our Savior that was human enough to even suffer a being tempted. Jesus? Tempted? NO, no way, not my Jesus. Yes! Your Jesus! He felt our desires, He felt our ambitions, He felt all of that because if He did not, then He DID NOT suffer being tempted as we are and He is NOT able to succor US who are tempted. If HE wasn't tempted like WE are tempted He couldn't fully understand on the level of being human what it means to be tempted. Because He didn't sin, because He never broke the bond, the at-one-ment with His Father He was and is worthy to save us. Even with the full force of temptation facing Him, the worst of the worst of temptations in His own right, as each of our temptations are different from one another's, He never gave into the temptation. He suffered though, and if you don't want to believe that our GOD Jesus suffered with temptation then His suffering was in vain to you. You can keep your delusions if you like, but one day the delusions will be wiped away and only truth will remain and that truth tells us that Jesus suffered being tempted… and is now able, because of all He went through, to succor us- help us.


What a marvelous Gift we were given, a priceless Gift.


As we face temptation whether it's in the next minute, the next hour, the next day, or next week - we need to cling to our Savior, praying to Him, seeking that connection with Him, going to His word, pleading HIS righteousness, His power to save and by His grace resist that temptation- even if it means resisting unto blood. We've taken sin and trivialized it way too much so that it's seemingly lost it's power of destruction, of causing death. We've sugar-coated sin, especially our pet temptations and pampered sins that really aren't so bad because they aren't like those disgusting sins. Sin is sin is sin. Temptation is something our Savior faced and He knew we'd face it too. Only by His grace can we overcome through HIM, not of ourselves. But we need to … Resist the devil!


Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.


We need to… resist unto blood!


Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.


By the grace of God we are SAVED! May we, through the power of the Holy Spirit, resist the devil even if it means resisting unto blood. May we see sin for what it is and not trivialize it away. Let the horrors of sin be faced, may all sin be seen for what it is and be repented of, resisted. Let us cling to our Savior, our Lord now and forever!



Amen.