Hebrews 4:15: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
The temptation of Jesus reflected the Bible’s concept of temptation – which is always basic, not complex. The word used, in both Testaments, relates more to testing a person’s character as dictated by spiritual orientation than actual physical desires. Our culture reads into the word an excess of lust, greed, and ambition that are derivatives, not the essence, of character. That’s why Jesus could have “been tempted in every way, just as we are” (Hebrews 4:15).
- Historical Context: Although some include the Book of Hebrews among the Apostle Paul’s writings, the certain identity of the author remains an enigma. Missing is Paul’s customary salutation so common to his other works and, too, the suggestion that the writer of this epistle relied upon knowledge and information provided by others who were actual eye-witnesses of Christ Jesus (2:3) makes Pauline authorship doubtful. Some attribute Luke as its writer; others suggest Hebrews may have been written by Apollos, Barnabas, Silas, Philip, or Aquila and Priscilla. Regardless of the human hand that held the pen, the Holy Spirit of God is the divine author of all Scripture, therefore, Hebrews speaks with the same canonical authority as the other sixty-five books of the Bible. The early church father Clement quoted from the Book of Hebrews in 95 A.D., however, internal evidence such as the fact that Timothy was alive at the time to the epistle was written and the absence of any evidence showing the end of the Old Testament sacrificial system that occurred with Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 A.D. indicates the book was written around 65 A.D. The Book of Hebrews was written by a Hebrew to other Hebrews telling the Hebrews to stop acting like Hebrews. In truth, many of the early Jewish believers were slipping back into the rites and rituals of Judaism in order to escape the mounting persecution. This letter, then, is an exhortation for these persecuted believers to continue in the grace of Jesus Christ.
- Grammatical Usage: “Tempt” in the Greek is “peirazo” meaning, “to try, to test in order to prove in a good sense.”
- Literal Application: “For we do not have a high priest unable to sympathize with our weaknesses; on the contrary he has been tested in every way in which His nature is like ours, sin apart.”
- Contextual Interpretation: The keys to understanding the intent of the verse are the objects of the verb: 1) “to prove in a good sense” and 2) “sin apart.” In context, the meaning of the verse is that while temptation did cause Christ physical suffering, suffering was the only result – and even that was simply a by-product of His humanity. Jesus’ suffering was NOT associated with the temptation to sin, but suffering associated with fatigue, hunger, thirst, discouragement, sadness, loneliness, disillusionment – all of these He experienced as emotions, just as we. What is different is that we have the capacity, because of sin, to surrender or yield to any one of these because our nature is depraved. Jesus’ nature was not depraved, therefore he could never be induced to surrender to evil as we. James 1:13 specifically states that, “…for God can not be tempted with evil….” As noted above, Jesus’ character was not flawed by original sin, therefore the temptation to physical enticements couldn’t and didn’t hold any enticement. In fact, had Jesus been tempted in the sense that He wanted to commit sin, even though He did not yield to the temptation and therefore not sin, He would still have been demonstrated to be as depraved as we in which case He would not have been qualified to be the sin-bearer of the world.Jesus was a real man, but he was NOT a fallen man. There was nothing to be gained from sin for Jesus as he wasn’t a fallen creation. In turn, we are a “new creation” in Jesus and empowered to look upon temptation in the same manner – there is nothing to be gained. Jesus committed no sin, but He does understand how we feel in our humanity.
- Scriptural Comparison: Matthew 4, Mark 1 and Luke 4 all record the temptation of Christ. All the temptations we face can be summarized in the three Jesus confronted and overcame: 1) to put our temporal needs before our spiritual needs; 2) to misinterpret Scripture for personal purposes; and 3) to compromise scriptural truth for an apparent gain. Critical observations include:
- The temptations
of Jesus also prove that Satan had no choice but to attempt Christ’s
subversion. The Devil knew Jesus was the original, and he the created being.
Neither combatant mistook the creature for the original AUTHORITY in the
universe. The fact that Satan tempted Jesus,
not vice versa, proves who was in charge and who wanted to be. [When faced with temptation, we need to consciously affirm
that God is in charge and therefore able to keep us from yielding to
temptation]. Jesus held in trust from God all the spiritual truth the
Devil wanted and intended to take by deceit or force, but no question existed
but that Jesus, not Satan, possessed it.
- Each came as the representative of his cause: Satan the enemy and Jesus the champion of humanity. Satan intended to keep humanity chained to its ego by binding Jesus to his. Jesus intended to destroy the Devil’s power over human ego by submitting His to God’s will, however much it cost or however long it took. [We are in the midst of a power struggle between principalities and powers – Ephesians 6:12 – but Jesus broke Satan’s strangle hold of sin which appeals to our ego. Note Col. 2:15].
- The personal, face-to-face confrontation was essential since Jesus determined to put Satan on the way to ultimate destruction. Allowing him to go personally unbeaten, while working to ameliorate the disasters he caused, would let Satan create greater evil than an exhausted virtue could ever solve. To ultimately destroy the Devil’s work, Jesus first defeated him-which means Jesus offered Satan no sympathy whatever, and made no effort whatever to convert him – no accommodation, no rationalization. [Recognize the danger of temptation and do not entertain it.]
- The temptation of Jesus proved that God gave Satan every possible advantage in the conflict. First, the environment of lonely desolation, where Jesus had to personally resolve a single question: would He fulfill His role as God’s Son according to God’s will? God had fulsomely acknowledged Christ as His Son when He emerged from His baptism, then ordered the testing of His Son’s commitment. [As we have already studied, our faith and commitment faces testing.] Second, God allowed Satan the offensive during those 960 hours. To earn the right later to crush the Devil with God’s truth, Jesus exposed Himself to every possible Satanic attack – relentlessly, by day and by night forty straight days and nights. [Our temptation is by no means the same, therefore God is able to understand what level we are facing as well as provide victory in the midst.] Third, God reduced Jesus to physical and mental exhaustion, and most open to Satan’s blandishments. The exhaustion gave the Devil his most propitious opportunity. If Satan didn’t convert it, he never would another, for this conflict determined whether Jesus or Satan won the WAR between them. [Jesus won, we will too.]
- The temptations of Jesus were all answered by the Master’s appeal to Scripture. The reason is obvious: Satan has no answer to God’s Word. He would have loved to debate philosophy with Jesus or why God could say He loved Jesus, but still let Him suffer, or why God could claim to be sovereign and let good people suffer-all the arguments skeptics employ to justify their refusal to obey God. But Jesus declined. The Master gives us the perfect response to any temptation: shield life with God’s Word and shoot it like a cannon at the tempter!
Conclusion: The writer of Hebrews gives ample encouragement to believers, but there are five solemn warnings we must heed: 1) There is the danger of neglect (Hebrews 2:1-4) [sin of self will – Ez. 28:17], 2) the danger of unbelief (Hebrews 3:7-4,13) sin of disobedience – Rom. 1:21], 3) the danger of spiritual immaturity (Hebrews 5:11-6,20) [sin of despising God’s Word – 2 Chron. 36:16] , 4) the danger of failing to endure (Hebrews 10:26-39) sin of compromise – Judg. 2:1-3], and 5) the inherent danger of refusing God (Hebrews 12:25-29) [sin of rebellion – Num. 16]. All of these are tied to capitulation in one form or another, otherwise known as “sin.”