Bible Study Did Jesus Truly Experience Temptation in the Desert?

[raindog308]

I was thinking about the three temptations of Jesus in the desert recently.

If you read them superficially, then you think that Jesus brushed them off easily and they're mainly there as an example for us. I mean, what really could Satan offer Jesus? Could he really be tempted in the same sense that you and I are tempted?

But if you think of these three temptations as genuine temptations (i.e., Jesus was actually tempted and experienced temptation) then they take on a much deeper significance.

I have no problem with the idea that Jesus was tempted. He didn't give in - that's the key difference - but the fact that He experienced temptation highlights that He truly became man. There's no sin in being tempted - we're constantly tempted. In almost every moment, there are many choices about what we could do. Some are sinful, some are not. It's the choices we make, not what urges we have or sinful opportunities we perceive.

A few interesting points:

• The temptations both occur in chapter 4 of Matthew and Luke
• The temptations are the same in each Gospel, but the order is different. In Matthew the sequence is Turn Stones to Bread, Throw Yourself Off the Temple, Worship Me, while in Luke the order of the last two is reversed. I actually like Matthew's order better as I will explain.
• It's interesting to note that Jesus responds to Satan with Deuteronomy (the law) in each case, as if to highlight that in face of temptation, we must keep God's commandments.

Turn Stones to Bread: Jesus had been fasting for 40 days. This temptation highlights his physical body's suffering. After 40 days, the temptation to eat must have been strong. This temptation is purely of the flesh - you're suffering (or you have a want), bend the rules. It's a very common form of human temptation - perhaps the most common.

Throw Yourself Off the Temple: I had a hard time understanding this temptation at first. But I think that perhaps this is Jesus being tempted to short-circuit the ardor of preaching and slowly reaching people by performing a spectacular miracle. Jesus's miracles are actually pretty low-key, compared to what God could do. Jesus didn't come on a great fiery chariot or say "today I will turn the sky purple". Instead he worked crowd-by-crowd, group-by-group, or even person-by-person at times. I think God wants us to do some work to discover him, and to have faith. This temptation was to say "with a wave of your hand, you can show everyone you're God, so why not do it?" If God did that, what need would there be for faith?

Worship Me: This is the most potent temptation, which is why I like Matthew's order, as the temptations grow more difficult as they go. I think this is not really about the "splendor" or "glory" of them in the sense of gold and riches (what really would those mean to Jesus?) but rather Satan saying "I'll hand you the world" in the sense of "you will not need to take up the cross". As we know, Jesus prayed in Gethsemane that if there was a way, to be spared from the cross. If in Matthew 26/Luke 22 He is praying to avoid the cross, then knowing it will come, I think this is a a powerful temptation.

 

[LovethroughDove]

Could he really be tempted in the same sense that you and I are tempted?

Yes. Hebrews 2:18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

 

[JohnD]

IMHO the temptations of Jesus were to establish his humanity as genuine. His humanity being the only creation of the Father (John 1:14b, Hebrews 10:5, Hebrews 1:5). Establishing that he was / is not just a theophany (appearance of God in human form) but dyed in the wool genuine flesh and blood Lamb of God. So to speak. 1 John 1:1-3. And though that Man was in his Spirit God the Word (John 1:1, John 1:14a), he was not overwhelmed with his Spirit to the point he did not experience what every human does with temptation, pain, joy, peace, anguish, hope, fear (remember his prayers in Gethsemane) etc... understanding that Jesus is the last Adam both in the sense of the resurrection of humanity and in his personal nature.

The temptations to Jesus were legitimate temptations.

More than the lies he told Eve, and undoubtedly he never intended to call off the war with God, but Lucifer was offering the humanity of Jesus a way out of the cross... a bypass, a shortcut. And as appalling as the very offer is, it tells you something about humanity (even pre-fall humanity) and angels also for that matter...as highly as we like to think of ourselves (even post-fall) there is always the temptation to usurp the Lordship of God over us. And that is where the dividing line of sin and not sinning resides.

Along with how evil the devil is, do not underestimate how crafty he is. How persuasive he is... remember he convinced 1/3 of the angelic hosts to follow him in falling from God's grace. No one is any match for God. But God keeps putting himself in these vulnerable positions like loving his creation in the spirit realm and in the physical realm. And like the humanity of Jesus Christ who if stopped (including being stopped through his ancestors) or killed before Calvary would destroy any chance for the salvation of humanity (which was Satan's lot in life once God set that salvation in motion as far back as creation of the physical realm).

Now, that being said, never underestimate the power and the sovereignty of God.

Could Jesus have sinned?

Put another way, could there have been a split (of wills) in the Godhead?

What did Jesus pray in Gethsemane?

Not my will but thy will be done. Right?

It did not happen, but it apparently could have happened. Would that be "sin?" Or would it rather simply have destroyed forever the chances for the redemption of mankind?

If you read the three temptations carefully you will see the devil was trying more to disqualify him as our kinsman redeemer. If he had done one thing more from his Divinity than the rest of us could have done through our humanity, he would have been disqualified. And IMHO the last of the temptations was more to anger the Man Jesus and get him to respond in anger and disgust and quite possibly utterly destroy Lucifer on the spot (which would have gone against the plans and commission of Christ). That's evil on Lucifer's part. To so hate God that he was willing to risk his own destruction to stop God from saving humanity.

So the three temptations of Christ were trials or testings like one would try a bridge to see if it met load requirements...

 

[Eugene]

Heb 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.

Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t know what temptation, sin, and all the remainder of the things we go through; He must experience, and overcome them to be our effectual high priest. To bestow the new nature upon us He earned in our stead, Jesus said in Joh 8:29 I do always those things that please Him (Our Father).

 

[th1b.taylor]

Heb 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.

Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t know what temptation, sin, and all the remainder of the things we go through; He must experience, and overcome them to be our effectual high priest. To bestow the new nature upon us He earned in our stead, Jesus said in Joh 8:29 I do always those things that please Him (Our Father).

And to show us we need not to serve our desires.

 

[reba]

There is a big difference between have temptation put before us and being tempted...

 

[ezrider]

The temptation in the wilderness had nothing to do with temptation to Sin. When Jesus left to go off into the wilderness to fast, the fulness of God dwelt within him as the Son of God. What we see in the temptation in the wilderness is the promise of the inheritance being offered to the Son. Jesus in the temptation in the wilderness gives up His earthly inheritance and chooses instead to do the will of his Father, and in doing so, he inherits the kingdom of Heaven.

 

[Brother Mike]

There is a big difference between have temptation put before us and being tempted...

It's not a temptation if it does not pull on the desire of our flesh. So there is a difference.

Mike, Lets rob a bank together and make tons of money. You want lots of money, right Mike?

No, that is not a temptation and it would not even cross my mind to go rob a bank with this guy.

Mike, this is the chocolate cake speaking to you. Ya, you wanna loose weight, but you can always work me off. I taste good Mike and you know you been thinking about me here all alone and cold in this fridge.

That would be a temptation I would have to put the flesh under and walk away from.


Jesus was tempted in all ways but yet without sin. Being pulled to do something wrong is temptation and what Jesus experienced.

I mean he really did not want to go to the cross and just walk away from it all. Yet He said...... Not my will, but your will. He was obedient unto death.

Obedience is not obedience if it's something you don't mind really doing. Obedience is doing something you are set against and don't want to do, but because you honor the person your doing it for, you do it anyway.

Like mowing the neighbors grass......... ya.

 

[Fish Catcher Jim]

Greetings Brother Mike,
I hope all is going well with you and your family.
You said this.....
Obedience is not obedience if it's something you don't mind really doing. Obedience is doing something you are set against and don't want to do, but because you honor the person your doing it for, you do it anyway.

I do not grasp this thinking. God tells us to Obey Him, if I do then I am being obedient or walking in obedience.
Now I do not care what it is God tells me to do, I really enjoy doing it.

 

[Fish Catcher Jim]

The devil tempted Jesus to try and change the way things were going. Another words if satan could have gotten Jesus to give into his temptations then Jesus would not be going to the cross for us. Now I did not say the devil knew Jesus was going to the cross, but he knew enough to know that this man could be trouble for him.
Remember the devil was still god of the ways of the world or worldly system at that time and had more authority then he does now. Thanks be to Jesus defeating satan and taking back the keys of death....

Now then I have heard it said that satan really did not have much to tept Jesus with BUT he did.
Think....if satin did not truly have reign on the worldly kingdoms then it would not have been anything he could offer but he did have.
All of the temptations had a true pull BUT Jesus simply answerd It is written.....

 

[Brother Mike]

Greetings Brother Mike,
I hope all is going well with you and your family.
You said this.....
Obedience is not obedience if it's something you don't mind really doing. Obedience is doing something you are set against and don't want to do, but because you honor the person your doing it for, you do it anyway.

I do not grasp this thinking. God tells us to Obey Him, if I do then I am being obedient or walking in obedience.
Now I do not care what it is God tells me to do, I really enjoy doing it.

Have you ever heard someone say............ I obey most the time, I do what I am told most the time? I submit, unless it's something really stupid and I don't agree with it.

That is not obedience. That is someone willing to do what they can tolerate doing.

Jesus did not want to in any way, shape or form go to that cross. Scripture says his sweat was like great drops of blood that he wrestled against this so much.
Jesus was not overjoyed to do what He knew was the Will of his Father. IN fact He wanted no part in it at the end.

True obedience says not my will, but your will. Jesus was obedient unto death.

You can tell faithful and obedient people when they honor and do what they are suppose to do, though every fiber in their being does not want to do it.

Abraham taking his boy up to put a knife in his heart. Don't think for a seconed that is something he wanted to do. He just figured God would raise him from the dead or work it out someway.

That is obedience.

You see a lot of this in churches. Family's come to church, tell the Pastor that God sent them to help the church.

All is good until they spend week 5 asked to clean the restrooms again. Then they are asked to mow the grass. That helps the church.

What they were really saying is not help the church, but have some speaking position or place of authority. Though God never mentioned that to them, God just told them to go and help.

 

[Fish Catcher Jim]

Have you ever heard someone say............ I obey most the time, I do what I am told most the time? I submit, unless it's something really stupid and I don't agree with it.

That is not obedience. That is someone willing to do what they can tolerate doing.

Jesus did not want to in any way, shape or form go to that cross. Scripture says his sweat was like great drops of blood that he wrestled against this so much.
Jesus was not overjoyed to do what He knew was the Will of his Father. IN fact He wanted no part in it at the end.

True obedience says not my will, but your will. Jesus was obedient unto death.

You can tell faithful and obedient people when they honor and do what they are suppose to do, though every fiber in their being does not want to do it.

Abraham taking his boy up to put a knife in his heart. Don't think for a seconed that is something he wanted to do. He just figured God would raise him from the dead or work it out someway.

That is obedience.

You see a lot of this in churches. Family's come to church, tell the Pastor that God sent them to help the church.

All is good until they spend week 5 asked to clean the restrooms again. Then they are asked to mow the grass. That helps the church.

What they were really saying is not help the church, but have some speaking position or place of authority. Though God never mentioned that to them, God just told them to go and help.

Brother Mike,
Thank You for all your examples that you used BUT you are using examples of different situations and different types of hearts of other people.

Obediance is obediant or not obediant....a person may not have a willing heart to be obediant in everythng but it does in no way change what obediance is. You can not say it is only obediance if a person did not truly want to do it. To obey is to do what is told to you or asked of you etc. If a person picks and chooses then it only means they are choosing where they will obey but does not change what being obediant means.

No matter if a person really does not want to do something and then does or is excited about doing it and does it......It does not change the fact that both were obediant.....
Have a wonderful day
Jim

 

[Brother Mike]

Brother Mike,
Thank You for all your examples that you used BUT you are using examples of different situations and different types of hearts of other people.

Obediance is obediant or not obediant....a person may not have a willing heart to be obediant in everythng but it does in no way change what obediance is. You can not say it is only obediance if a person did not truly want to do it. To obey is to do what is told to you or asked of you etc. If a person picks and chooses then it only means they are choosing where they will obey but does not change what being obediant means.

No matter if a person really does not want to do something and then does or is excited about doing it and does it......It does not change the fact that both were obediant.....
Have a wonderful day
Jim

Thank you Jim. we are looking at two different things. Easy to fix things if we were on the phone talking or having coffee. On the forums it's hard at times to get on the same page when one thinks the other means something else.

Being obedient:

Obedient.

If the Lord asked me to do something and I do it, like drop all my money I need for food in the offering with no idea how I was going to eat or feed my family the next day is being obedient. (That actually happened to me)

I obeyed the Lord, I was obedient depsite the fact I was saving that money for food and had no idea what we were going to do without the money. I still gave it to the Lord.

Obedient:
King Saul was being Obedient by doing what the Lord asked him to do.

King Saul was not obedient to the Lord, even though King Saul did what the Lord asked (Most the Time)

1Sa 15:13-15 kjva 13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. 14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

This is what I am speaking about Jim. Saul did Obey, and was obedient, but He was not an OBEDIENT PERSON.

The lie is that you can do most of what the Lord says and call yourself obedient.

That is not obedience though. Saul then made up his own reason as to why the sheep and oxen made it back. He said we can sacrifice them to the Lord, a good thing. The Lord never said anything like that.

Saul Obeyed God in a whole lot of things, but He was not obedient when it came to things He did not want to do.

So even though Saul did obey God in lots of things..........

This is the end result of Sauls Obedience.

1Sa 15:11 kjva It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

So, "BEING CALLED OBEDIENT" is not just obeying things you want, but obeying everything.

Saul felt like He did obey the Lord, but it was only in areas he wanted to obey.

That is not an obedient person.

The danger is to think we can be OK doing things the Lord wants us to do, but not doing everything the Lord wanted us to do. That is dangerous thinking that things will be OK.

 

[Fish Catcher Jim]

Brother Mike
Mike I agree, so when are we going to go get coffee ?
I do see what you are saying. Since you are using examples, lets add more. lol
There is also a thing called repentance and when you miss it you can do this and thus still be obedient.

Obedience is not obedience if it's something you don't mind really doing. Obedience is doing something you are set against and don't want to do, but because you honor the person your doing it for, you do it anyway

How ever we are getting off track from the origional question, and again sure is easy in a forum to do so.
It was about your statement above......Obedience is being obedient no matter if you like it or do not like it or half like it or hate it or enjoy it very much.....Obedience is simply doing what you know is right to do and if you miss it or mess up it is ok because Grace kicks in and God is not going to hold it against you.

Now on the other hand if a person only is obedient on things they wish to be then they have area's in their life and heart that are way side to God or they wont allow Him into OR They have not yet surrendered all unto Jesus.
Then you can say they are obediant only when they want to....However Obedience is still obedience even if you enjoy it......

I believe you are right we are talking about two different things, but man o man brother, I have not found what it is yet.
Thanks For talking even without the Coffee....well I have some. lol
Blessings
Jim

 

[Brother Mike]

Brother Mike
Mike I agree, so when are we going to go get coffee ?
I do see what you are saying. Since you are using examples, lets add more. lol
There is also a thing called repentance and when you miss it you can do this and thus still be obedient.

Obedience is not obedience if it's something you don't mind really doing. Obedience is doing something you are set against and don't want to do, but because you honor the person your doing it for, you do it anyway

How ever we are getting off track from the origional question, and again sure is easy in a forum to do so.
It was about your statement above......Obedience is being obedient no matter if you like it or do not like it or half like it or hate it or enjoy it very much.....Obedience is simply doing what you know is right to do and if you miss it or mess up it is ok because Grace kicks in and God is not going to hold it against you.

Now on the other hand if a person only is obedient on things they wish to be then they have area's in their life and heart that are way side to God or they wont allow Him into OR They have not yet surrendered all unto Jesus.
Then you can say they are obediant only when they want to....However Obedience is still obedience even if you enjoy it......

I believe you are right we are talking about two different things, but man o man brother, I have not found what it is yet.
Thanks For talking even without the Coffee....well I have some. lol
Blessings
Jim

Amen, then back to topic.

Jesus was obedient in all things.

So................. Jesus was just not obedient in some things, but all things making him an "Obedient Person"

Someone that only obey's some things that they can tolerate is not an "Obedient Person" though they obeyed some somethings, otherwise Saul would have been OK with the Lord. Saul was not Ok though.

Obedience (Doing what God said, being where God said) Is the key to staying out of sin and temptation.

I'll say that again........... Being Obedient, and being where your suppose to be, keeps us out of temptation and sin we can't overcome by the grace of God.

Disobedience puts us in places we should not be, and doing things we should not be wasting our time on. This is one of Jesus Key factors in having victory over every single temptation. He was always where He was suppose to be, and doing what He was suppose to be doing.

David's greatest sin was because He was at a place he was not suppose to be. Idle time can be deadly. Being out of his place, He was in a place doing nothing and watching out the window. It was the time for Him to be out fighting, not sitting at home.

Repentence when disobedient:

Believers need to understand how God operates and what God knows. We are told several places on how this works. We can be forgiven, but that does not give us the place back to continue the great plan of God.

The thought is God knows all things, and God knows my heart and knows I will obey him.

God only knows what He has seen from you. If God does not know you will obey him no matter what, then you only go so far in all God has for you.

For example, God has told many to get to Church. They go, are faithful week after week until the family calls from out of town and are coming over. Well, instead of being in church that Sunday, they stay home with the family and don't even ask God if that is OK. God knows then that you will be obedient until something you deem more important comes up. That is where you stop at his plan for you.

Luk 2:52 kjva And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

There is this idea that Jesus is the Son of God and started out as the almighty and bla, bla, bla..........

No, He started out square one, and had to earn his favour (Favor) with God and increase his stature with God. Jesus did not have any off days of disobedience and God increased him in Wisdom and favor.

So we don't only just look at Jesus being tempted, we should examine how he was able to resist temptation with the Grace of God and overcome when we fall short.

Long enough.

 

[Fish Catcher Jim]

You still did not explain how you come up with this.....
Obedience is not obedience if it's something you don't mind really doing. Obedience is doing something you are set against and don't want to do, but because you honor the person your doing it for, you do it anyway

Obedience is still obedience no matter if you enjoy or dont enjoy......This was what I asked you to explain. How it could be any other way ?

Now however there is this..................
Believers need to understand how God operates and what God knows. We are told several places on how this works. We can be forgiven, but that does not give us the place back to continue the great plan of God.

That is totally opposed to the way God works.
When we sin or miss it there is GRACE....
Now if God called you to do something and you did but messed it up....He will see to it that it gets fixed and He will give you the credit BECAUSE YOU WENT or tried to do it with your best.

Now then when we SIN WE REPENT of our sin and get our forgivness and cleansed of all unhrichteousness and get back to it. God meets us right where we left off. This thing about not getting back to the great plan of GOD is totally opposed to the way He operates or His will.

Now I be thinken.......were gonna need a bigger pot ! LOL
Well it's your turn Brother.....Thanks for writing
and have a very blessed and wonderful day with your family
Jim

 

[Brother Mike]

Blessing Jim.

An obedient person.... ummmm.. is only an obedient person when they do things that are opposed to what they want to do in honor of the one they are doing it for.

A person that obey's some things because they are not really opposed to it, but does not obey all things is not an obedient person.

It is a person that will do what they want to do. That is NOT Obedience. That is someone that does what they want as long as they are not opposed to it.

King Saul did obey God in lots of things, but God still said........ Saul has not obeyed me.

Now I am just giving you God's definition of what He considers obedient. For many will say we did this and did that for you Lord, but it's not going to cut it if they did not obey in all things.

Repentance: The plan of God.

Jesus said, He that is faithful in little, much shall be given. I should have added more to my statement.

God saying about Abraham.
Gen 18:19 kjva For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

What does God know about Abraham?

What does God know about someone being faithful in a little?

Gen 22:12 kjva And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

What point did God know Abraham would not hold anything back from Him?

So, what does God know about someone that repents and continues to not obey him?

Does that qualify the person to be used by the Lord still, even though the person has direction to the plan of God?

Does just repenting make God continue opening doors and blessings to do the plan or does God have to know if we will finally obey him first?

OR................... this needs to take place first.

2Ti 2:20-21 kjva 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Now if we blow it and repent, then fine.............. What does God know about someone who just won't submit in a area?

Same example:

God tells someone to be in Church. God made a way with Job scheduale (Which He has always done for me) to be in Church.

The person is faithful for 5 months.

On the 6th month his fishing buddy comes and decides to go fishing with his buddy instead, desptie the fact God told him to be in Church.

What does God know about this person?

What does an obedient person tell his buddy whom He has not seen in several years?
What does He tell God if anything?

Be blessed.