For because He himself has suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. - (Heb 2:18)
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. - (Heb 4:15)
I recently participated in an online debate about Christ being tempted, specifically about whether Jesus could have sinned by giving into temptation, or not. I was surprised to find there was a strong contingent that adamantly believed it was impossible for Jesus Christ to sin.
This makes no sense to me because of the meaning of the word 'tempted'. Whatever it means, scripture tells us Jesus experienced it the same way the rest of us experience it. It even says He "suffered" from being tempted.
Now, none of us can be tempted by something lacking any allure, for instance by an excrement pie. Nor can any of us be tempted by something utterly beyond us, like jumping over the Empire State Building. No, we are tempted when something we find attractive is within our reach, that we believe we could enjoy on some level, yet we know it is not right for us to do so.
Jesus personally and palpably experienced this. Not once, but "in all points" like us.
The strongest argument given against Jesus being able to sin was this:
But that logic is refuted with a matching syllogism:
But Jesus did die. The "Jesus is Fully God" argument does not hold up.
That's because Jesus is also fully Man. A human is a distinct being with certain innate characteristics. One of those is corruptibility, the ability to give into temptation. If Jesus lacked that characteristic, then He wasn't fully human. Being tempted is proof of His bonafide humanity.
So, I believe Jesus Could have sinned, though He did not sin. But Did Not is not Could Not.
Ironically, people who want to glorify Jesus by insisting he couldn't have sinned actually rob Him of the glory due to Him for not sinning. Jesus didn't bypass temptation. He didn't ignore it or moot it or transcend it. He faced temptation head on as a man and overcame it. He did it again and again, for more than three decades. That was an astounding achievement!
In this instance, we must concentrate on Christ's humanity, rather than be mesmerized by His great qualities and attributes. Think of a great Kung Fu master entering a boxing match. The rules and limitations of the match take precedence over his many talents and skills. It is not that he suddenly forgot how to kick well or throw elbows skillfully; it is that he cannot use those talents in a boxing match. If he is faithful to the rules of fisticuffs, he will not use forbidden skills. If he does use them, he will have cheated. He would then lose the match by disqualification.
But Christ triumphed in life, including over temptation. He steadfastly cherished, protected and maintained His innocence. And He relentlessly did that to earn the right to die as our innocent sacrifice. As it is written, "although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him" (Heb 5:8-9).
Thank You, Jesus, for taking on and tasting humanity for all of us! Adam betrayed us by selfishly giving into temptation. But You denied Yourself for our sakes, not just on the cross for one terrible afternoon, but every day, month, and year prior to that. What a Savior!
- Matt Schilling
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