For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15, NIV)
In Hebrews we’re told that our high priest (Jesus) is able to know what we’re going through when it comes to temptation and sin because he went through it. We’re told that he was tempted in every way we are with one stark difference—he did not sin.
The difference between Jesus and us is that he didn’t give into that temptation ever. There was not a moment of his life when Jesus walked willingly into sin because of the ever-increasing temptation upon him.
We’re told this for our encouragement. And we’re told this to encourage others.
What can you say to a Christian brother or sister who’s going through some strong battle with temptation and sin? They want to be freed from it, but they’ve been unable so far to grab hold of that freedom. What can you say that would be encouraging to them? You might remind them of the truth found in Hebrews 4:15. Their savior, Jesus, has gone through what they’re going through. He has fought the battle with temptation. He fought against temptation right up to the end.
They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. (Mark 15:27-32)
The interesting thing in those conversations is that what happens next isn’t always the same. One type of person will hear the truth of Hebrews 4:15, take it in, and use it as an encouragement to fight the battle that’s before them. They will push on in the strength of Jesus knowing that he’s been there and and fought that battle. Another type of person will hear the truth of Hebrews 4:15, take it in, and wonder if Jesus can really understand since he never sinned. They’ll wonder if if he really has experienced what they’ve gone through.
Jesus never sinned, they’ll wonder, so how can he really know what I’m going through?
With all due respect to the second type of person, there’s a fundamental misunderstanding of their relationship to temptation and sin—one that I think we all naturally gravitate to until we’re shown the full truth of it. When we think of temptation and sin we often link our experience of temptation to the fact that we sin.
How do we know the full force of temptation? We sin.
This, however, is not true. We don’t know the full force of temptation because we sin. We’ve never exhausted temptation’s strength, because it has never had to use all of it’s strength to get us to sin. We give in at some point and willingly go along with the temptation to sin.
Jesus never did this.
He’s the only person ever to have felt the full force of temptation. And he felt that full force precisely because he did not sin. Temptation gave everything it had to make him want to sin and it could not do it.
Turn this stone to bread.
We’ll kill you if you keep talking that like that.
Even his brothers and sisters didn’t believe in him.
Judas betrayed him.
Barabbas was freed instead of him.
Save yourself from the cross and we will believe.
And yet, Jesus did not sin. How can we be encouraged to fight temptation by someone who never experienced sin like we have? Because the one who never gave into temptation knows exactly what it takes to stand up against it.