* Jesus & Temptations

Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered--Hebrews 5:8

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the Author of their salvation perfect through suffering--Hebrews2:10

The Bible says Christ “learned obedience” through suffering, and that He was “made perfect” through suffering, and also says that He was “without sin.” “In every respect [Christ] has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15).

This is the consistent teaching of the Bible. Christ was sinless. Although He was the divine Son of God, He was really human, with all our temptations and appetites and physical weaknesses.

There was hunger (Mathew21:18) and anger and grief (Mark 3:5) and pain (Mathew 17:12). But His heart was perfectly in love with God, and He acted consistently with that love: “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22).

When the Bible says that Jesus “learned obedience through what he suffered,” it doesn’t mean that He learned to stop disobeying. It means that with each new trial He learned in practice—and in pain—what it means to obey.

When it says that He was “made perfect through suffering,” it doesn’t mean that He was gradually getting rid of defects. It means that He was gradually fulfilling the perfect righteousness that He had to have in order to save us.

That’s what He said at His baptism. He didn’t need to be baptized because He was a sinner. Rather, He explained to John the Baptist, “Thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Mathew 3:15).

The point is this: If the Son of God had gone from incarnation to the cross without a life of temptation and pain to test His righteousness and His love, He would not be a suitable Savior for fallen man. His suffering not only absorbed the wrath of God. It also fulfilled His true humanity and made Him able to call us brothers and sisters (Hebrews 2:17).

It is important to remember Jesus understands our struggles. He was fully human. He chose to suffer out of love for His Father. His heart was perfectly in love with God, and He acted consistently with that love. We who are in Christ are adopted by the Father into the family of God. May our hearts be directed to obey out of love rather than duty.