This article answers following in detail:
-
What does tempt/temptation means?
-
Who tempt us? Or Who is the tempter?
-
How long the tempter will tempt the
believers? or Is there any end for the
temptation while we live here on the earth?
-
Was Jesus tempted while He lived on the earth?
-
What does it mean that Jesus was "in
all points
tempted as we are"?
-
Did Jesus overcome all of these temptations without
fall into sin?
-
Were these temptations that
Jesus has gone through are tough and more challenging compare to
what we go through?
-
How did Jesus overcome all His temptations?
-
How can we overcome temptations?
- What does tempt/temptation means?
- (Dictionary.com)
Tempted means to entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral. to attract, appeal strongly to, or invite:
- The offer
tempts me. to
render strongly
disposed to do
something: The
book tempted me
to read more on
the subject. to
put (someone) to
the test in a
venturesome way;
provoke: to
tempt one's
fate.
- In general the Greek word
used for temptation
(James 1:12, ...) peirasmos
(G3986)
- In KJV it is
translated as
temptation (19x), temptations (1x), try (1x).
- It means an
experiment, attempt,
trial, proving
- trial, proving: the trial made of you by my bodily condition, since condition served as
to test the love of the Galatians toward Paul (Gal. 4:14)
- the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy
- an enticement to sin, temptation, whether arising from the desires or from the outward circumstances
- an internal temptation to sin
- of the temptation by which the devil sought to divert Jesus the Messiah from his divine errand
- of the condition of things, or a mental state, by which we are enticed to sin, or to a lapse from the faith and holiness
- adversity, affliction, trouble: sent by God and serving to test or prove one's character, faith, holiness
- temptation (i.e. trial) of God by men
- rebellion against God, by which his power and justice are, as it were, put to the proof and challenged to show themselves
- Vine's Expository
Dictionary:
- "trials"
with a beneficial
purpose and
effect,
- of "trials" or "temptations,"
Divinely permitted or sent,
Luk 22:28; Act 20:19; Jam 1:2; 1Pe 1:6; 4:12, RV, "to prove," AV, "to try;"
2 Pe 2:9 (singular);
Rev 3:10, RV, "trial" (AV, "temptation"); in
Jam 1:12, "temptation" apparently has meanings (1) and (2) combined (see below), and is used in the widest sense;
- with a
good or neutral significance,
Gal 4:14, of Paul's physical infirmity, "a temptation" to the Galatian converts, of such a kind as to arouse feelings of natural repugnance;
- of "trials" of a varied character,
Mat 6:13; Luk 11:4, where believers are commanded to pray not to be led into such by forces beyond their own control;
Mat 26:41; Mar 14:38; Luk 22:40, 46, where they are commanded to watch and pray against entering into "temptations" by their own carelessness or disobedience; in all such cases God provides "the way of escape,"
1 Cr 10:13 (where peirasmos occurs twice).
- Of "trial"
definitely
designed to
lead to
wrong doing,
"temptation,"
Luk
4:13; 8:13; 1Ti
6:9;
- of "trying"
or challenging
God, by men,
Hbr
3:8.
- (Encyclopedia.com) In the Bible the word
temptation primarily denotes a
trial in which
man has a free choice of being faithful or unfaithful to God; only secondarily does it
signify allurement or seduction to sin.
- James 1:12-15 - 12
Blessed is the man who
endures
temptation; for when he has been
approved, he will receive the
crown of life which the Lord has
promised to those who love Him.
13 Let
no one say when he is tempted,
"I am tempted by God"; for
God
cannot be tempted by evil, nor
does He Himself tempt anyone.
14 But
each one is
tempted when he is
drawn away by his own desires
and enticed.
15
Then, when desire has conceived,
it gives birth to sin; and sin,
when it is full-grown, brings
forth death.
- That is why God said
- Romans 6:23
- For the wages
of sin is death,
but the gift of
God is eternal
life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
- Who tempt us? Or Who is the tempter?
- In general our sinful desire or our
old sinful life
can tempt us:
- James 1:14-15 - 14 But
each one is
tempted when he is
drawn away by his own desires
and enticed.
15
Then, when desire has conceived,
it gives birth to sin; and sin,
when it is full-grown, brings
forth death.
- People can tempt us
(peer pressure):
- Matthew
16:21–23 - 21
From that time
Jesus began to
show to His
disciples that
He must
go to Jerusalem,
and suffer many
things from the
elders and chief
priests and
scribes,
and be
killed,
and be
raised the third
day. 22
Then Peter took
Him aside and
began to rebuke
Him, saying,
"Far be it from
You, Lord;
this
shall not happen
to You!"
23
But He turned
and said to
Peter, "Get
behind Me,
Satan!
You are an
offense
to Me,
for you
are not mindful
of the things of
God, but the
things of men."
- Circumstance can tempt us:
- Luke 22:42
- 41
And He was
withdrawn from
them about a
stone's throw,
and He knelt
down and prayed,
42
saying, "Father,
if it is Your
will, take this
cup away from
Me; nevertheless
not My will, but
Yours, be done."
- Satan/Devil can tempt us:
- Matt 4:1,3 - 1
Then Jesus was
led up by the
Spirit into the
wilderness to be
tempted
by the devil.
2
And when He had
fasted forty
days and forty
nights,
afterward He was
hungry.
3
Now when the
tempter
came to Him, he
said, "If You
are the Son of
God, command
that these
stones become
bread."
- Gen 3:1-5 - 1
Now the serpent was more cunning
than any beast of the field
which the Lord God had made. And
he said to the woman, "Has
God indeed said, 'You shall not
eat of every tree of the
garden'?" 2
And the woman said to the
serpent, "We may eat the fruit
of the trees of the garden;
3 but
of the fruit of the tree which
is in the midst of the garden,
God has said, 'You shall not eat
it, nor shall you touch it, lest
you die.' " 4
Then the serpent said to the
woman, "You will not
surely die. 5 For God
knows that in the day you eat of
it your eyes will be opened, and
you will be like God, knowing
good and evil."
6 So when the
woman saw that the tree was good
for food, that it was pleasant
to the eyes, and a tree
desirable to make one wise, she
took of its fruit and ate. She
also gave to her husband with
her, and he ate. 7
Then the eyes of both of them
were opened, and they knew that
they were naked; and they sewed
fig leaves together and made
themselves coverings.
-
How long the tempter will tempt the
believers? or Is there any end for the
temptation while we live here on the earth?
- Temptation has
no
end or we will be tempted always
as long as we live here on the earth:
- Luke 4:2
- 1
Then Jesus,
being filled
with the Holy
Spirit, returned
from the Jordan
and was led by
the Spirit into
the wilderness,
2
being
tempted
for forty days
by the devil.
And in those
days He ate
nothing, and
afterward, when
they had ended,
He was hungry.
- Luke 4:13
-
Now when the
devil
had ended every
temptation,
he departed from
Him until an
opportune time.
-
Was Jesus tempted while He lived on the earth?
- Yes, Jesus was tempted in all points
as we are.
- Hebrews 4:15
- For we do not have a High Priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points
tempted as we are, yet
without sin.
-
What does it mean that Jesus was "in
all points
tempted as we are"?
- These are some of the
question quickly comes to our
mind.
- Does He tempted to
steal?
- Does He tempted to
kill?
- Does He tempted sexually
by a women?
- We gone through in detail
that Jesus was God and
man while He lived on earth
and He was born sinless
and remain in divine
nature. So, may not
gone through the same like how
we go through due to our sin nature or old sinful life.
- This will raise another question
that Why then the author says
in that Jesus was in all points
tempted as we are?
- (DG)
It is true that
Jesus
never faced
temptation in an
inner sense the
way we do,
because there was never
a sinful nature
pulling Him to
sin from the
inside.
But He
knew the
strength and
fury of external
temptation in a
way and to a
degree that we
can never know.
He knows what we
go through and
He has
faced worse.
- Non only
here the author
also said that
Jesus has
suffered and
tempted in
- Heb 2:18 - For in that He Himself
has suffered, being tempted, He is able
to aid those who are tempted.
- As the
author says yes Jesus
was in all points
tempted as we
are.
- Let us see then
- How was Jesus
tempted as we are?
- We all know
that we all are
tempted by the
things
in the world:
That is why God said
do not love the world
and the things in the
world.
- 1 John 2:16 - 15 Do not love the world or the
things in the world. If
anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the
lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but
he who does the will of God abides forever.
- As the above
verse says
Jesus
didn't love the
world but
did
the will of God
the father.
-
Jesus
was tempted
by Satan as we are
tempted
by the things in
the world.
- The lust of the flesh
- Matt 4:3,4 - 3
Now when the
tempter
came to Him, he
said, "If You
are the Son of
God, command
that these
stones become
bread."
4
But He answered
and said, "It is
written, 'Man
shall not live
by bread alone,
but by every
word that
proceeds from
the mouth of
God.' "
- Luke 4:2-4
- 1
Then Jesus,
being filled
with the Holy
Spirit, returned
from the Jordan
and was led by
the Spirit into
the wilderness,
2
being
tempted
for forty days
by the devil.
And in those
days He ate
nothing, and
afterward, when
they had ended,
He was hungry.
3 And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."
4
But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.' "
- The lust of the eyes
- Matt 4:8-10 - 8
Again, the devil
took Him up on
an exceedingly
high mountain,
and showed Him
all the kingdoms
of the world and
their glory. 9
And he said to
Him, "All these
things I will
give You if You
will fall down
and worship me."
10
Then Jesus said
to him, "Away
with you, Satan!
For it is
written, 'You
shall worship
the Lord your
God, and Him
only you shall
serve.' "
11
Then the devil
left Him, and
behold, angels
came and
ministered to
Him.
- Luke 4:5-8
- 5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." 8 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.' "
- The pride of life
- Matt 4:5-7 - 5
Then the devil
took Him up into
the holy city,
set Him on the
pinnacle of the
temple,
6
and said to Him,
"If You are the
Son of God,
throw Yourself
down. For it is
written: 'He
shall give His
angels charge
over you,' and,
'In their hands
they shall bear
you up, Lest you
dash your foot
against a
stone.' "
7
Jesus said to
him, "It is
written again,
'You shall not
tempt the Lord
your God.' "
- Luke 4:9-13
- 9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,'
11
"and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' "
12
And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.' "
13
Now when the
devil
had ended every
temptation,
he departed from
Him until an
opportune time.
- Not only that
-
Jesus was
tempted by
people
- Matt 27:39-44 - 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
-
Jesus was
tempted by
circumstance,
pain,
challenging task
- Luke 22:42
- 41
And He was
withdrawn from
them about a
stone's throw,
and He knelt
down and prayed,
42
saying, "Father,
if it is Your
will, take this
cup away from
Me; nevertheless
not My will, but
Yours, be done."
- By this way Jesus was tempted in all
point as we are tempted.
-
Did Jesus overcome all of these temptations without
fall into sin?
- Yes, Jesus has
overcome all of these temptations as we
gone through in Luke 4:3-14
and also He never fall in to sin.
- Hebrews 4:15
- For we do not have a High Priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points
tempted as we are, yet without
sin.
-
Were these temptations that Jesus has gone through
are tough and more challenging compare to what we go through?
- We may think that these
temptations may not tough for Jesus
Christ, because He is God. But
it is not true, because Jesus didn't
use His deity in His convenient time.
He lived 100% as human even though He is God.
-
Even though Jesus was in divine nature
or not born in sin nature but as a
human is vulnerable to sin.
- We need to keep in mind that there were some
whom God created not in sin nature or
sinless like Jesus Christ but
they have sinned later.
- Who were those whom God created not
in sin nature like Jesus Christ but they have
sinned later?
- Adam and Eve
was created not in sin
nature but they were
tempted by Satan
and they fall in to sin
but at the same
time Jesus
didn't sin.
- Lucifer the
archangel leading
everyone in
heaven who is
Satan/Devil was not created in
sin nature. There is
no one
to tempt
Satan but still
he felt jealous
towards God and
desired
to be like God and finally
sinned against God..
- With Satan one
third of
angels fall into
sin and followed
him.
- Rev 12:4 - 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
- 2 Peter 2:4 - For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
- Each
temptations
that Jesus has gone through are big
challenge
because Jesus has never sinned
and He has to
remain sinless.
If Jesus would have sinned even once then He cannot
be the
perfect scarifies and He must have spoiled all
the God's plan of redemption. So, for Jesus
there is heavy pressure build up on Him
not to sin.
- (DG) Jesus faced temptation
much more severely than we ever have or ever will.
- The Sinless One knows temptation in ways we don’t, because
only the one who never gives into temptation knows the full strength of temptation.
- So, never even take it
granted or think that it is easy for Jesus
because He is God so He overcome temptations
without sinning
-
How did Jesus overcome all His temptations?
- We may think that
Jesus might have overcome the
temptations easily by
using His deity
or using divine power.
But it is not true.
He didn't use His deity
as He wished.
-
Let us see how Jesus
overcome each temptation.
- The lust of the flesh
- (GotQuestions.org) The first temptation concerns the lust of the flesh (Matthew 4:3–4). Our Lord is hungry, and the devil tempts Him to convert stones into bread, but He replies with Scripture, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3.
- Luke 4:2-4
- 1
Then Jesus,
being filled
with the Holy
Spirit, returned
from the Jordan
and was led by
the Spirit into
the wilderness,
2
being
tempted
for forty days
by the devil.
And in those
days He ate
nothing, and
afterward, when
they had ended,
He was hungry.
3 And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."
4
But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.' "
- After forty days of fasting Jesus was so hungry and He was ready to eat. Now Satan tempted Jesus to sin by challenging Him to do what He can do by His divine power. Jesus didn't use His divine power but He received wisdom from above and quoted Deuteronomy 8:3.
- The lust of the eyes
- (GotQuestions.org) The third temptation concerns
the lust of the eyes (Matthew 4:8–10), and if any quick route to the Messiahship could be attained, bypassing the passion and crucifixion for which He had originally come, this was the way. The devil already had control over the kingdoms of the world (Ephesians 2:2) but was now ready to give everything to Christ in return for His allegiance. But the mere thought almost causes the Lord’s divine nature to shudder at such a concept and He replies sharply, “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (Deuteronomy 6:13).
- Luke 4:5-8
- 5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." 8 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.' "
- After seeing all the kingdoms Jesus didn't took the easy shortcut way and acquire that. The same reason He came to the world. If He would have attempted then Jesus become slave to Satan like how Adam become slave to Satan and gave all that God offered to Satan. Jesus has overcome by staying righteous and using wisdom from above and quoted Deuteronomy 6:1
- The pride of life
- (GotQuestions.org) The second temptation concerns
the pride of life (Matthew 4:5–7), and here the devil uses a verse of Scripture (Psalm 91:11–12), but the Lord replies again with Scripture to the contrary (Deuteronomy 6:16), stating that it is
wrong for Him to abuse His own powers.
- Luke 4:9-13
- 9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,'
11
"and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' "
12
And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.' "
13
Now when the
devil
had ended every
temptation,
he departed from
Him until an
opportune time.
- Jesus can used His divine power to command the angles to protect Him but He didn't use His divine power in prideful manner but used wisdom from above and quoted Deuteronomy 6:16
-
Jesus was
tempted by
people
but here
He didn't
respond to them
at all.
- Matt 27:39-44 - 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
-
Jesus was
tempted by
circumstance,
pain,
challenging task
but
here He
patiently
endured the
suffering and
fulfilled the
God's great plan
of redemption.
- Luke 22:42
- 41
And He was
withdrawn from
them about a
stone's throw,
and He knelt
down and prayed,
42
saying, "Father,
if it is Your
will, take this
cup away from
Me; nevertheless
not My will, but
Yours, be done."
- (Bruce) “Yet He
endured triumphantly every form of testing that man could endure, without any weakening of His faith in God or any relaxation of His obedience to Him. Such endurance involves
more, not less, than ordinary human suffering.”
- In all these temptations if
you notice closely,
God's power and authority was challenged
but
Jesus never used His deity to
overcome these temptations but
He demonstrated how we
need to depend up on the Holy
Spirit whom God
promised to all believers that
- the
Holy Spirit puts
right word in
our mouth
in
right time.
-
the Holy
Spirit empowers
us to be silent
without giving
any response
even though we
have right to
respond.
-
the Holy
Spirit empowers
us to be
enduring
suffering
instead of
running away
from it.
- Since Jesus has divine
nature
- He
may not tempted
by His own
desire/flesh
because He
didn't have the
sin nature so
no sin
dwells in Him,
all He has is
goodness.
At the same time
since we are
born in sin
nature only
sin
dwells within us
and
nothing good
dwells within us.
- Rom 7:17-18 - 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
- He continuously maintain His
relationship with God by
continuously talking to God the
father through prayers.
In general as a
humans, our
sin nature keeps us from fellowship with God, keeps us
in bondage to sin, and
keep us in
spiritual death (Romans 6:16, 23; 7:14; 2 Peter 2:19).
- That is why Jesus said whatever father
doing and I do
here on earth
and demonstrated
how we need to
live a obedient
Christian life
to God by doing
whatever God ask
us to do as per
the leading of
the Holy Spirit
- John 5:19 - Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
- John 5:30 - I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
- Jesus demonstrated to us by
praying privately in the early
morning and night.
- Matt 14:23 - And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
- Mark 1:35 - Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
- If we pray diligently and we will not enter into temptation. God also will help us.
- Luke 39 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. 40 When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." 41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.
- By this way Jesus
has
overcome all the temptations
that He has gone through
and never sinned.
- How
can we overcome temptations?
- In fact as per Luke 4:13 temptation will be increased
once we become believers but do not loose heart
Jesus has overcome all the
temptations
- Luke 4:13
-
Now when the
devil
had ended every
temptation,
he departed from
Him until an
opportune time.
- Jesus is always
there to help us.
- Heb 2:18 - For in that He Himself
has suffered, being tempted, He is
able
to aid those who are tempted.
- Heb 4:16 - Let us therefore
come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
- God promised that He will not
allow us to be
tempted beyond
what we are
able:
- 1 Cor 10:13
- No temptation
has overtaken
you except such
as is common to
man; but God is
faithful, who
will
not
allow you to be
tempted beyond
what you are
able,
but with the
temptation
will
also make the way
of escape,
that you may be
able to
bear it.
-
Joseph has applied this
and overcome the temptation
without sinning:
- Gen
39:12 - 11
7 And it came to pass after these things that his
[Joseph] master’s wife
cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”
8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.
9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife.
How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
10 So it was, as
she spoke to Joseph day by day, that
he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.
11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside,
12 that
she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But
he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.
- God made an unique way to overcome
the world.
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