The first event recorded by Matthew after Jesus’ baptism is
His temptation. He was “led up by the
Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty
nights, He then became hungry. And the
temper came…” (Matthew 4:1-3). Three
times He was tempted. Three times He
responded quoting Scripture. Through it
all He never sinned.
Jesus never sinned.
Not then, not ever. He “knew no
sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). He never
thought a sinful thought, never did a sinful deed, never said a sinful word (1
Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15). He perfectly
fulfilled the Father’s will in every respect.
Never before or since has there been anyone like Him. The Devil tempted Adam and Eve and they
sinned. Sin entered into man’s existence
and every other soul born since has sinned (Romans 3:23). But Jesus never sinned. O Blessed truth!
In his allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan likened our
world to a “Vanity Fair” where travelers are enticed by countless temptations:
“Almost five thousand years ago ... Beelzebub, Apollyon and Legion, with their
companions, perceiving that the pilgrims made their way through this town of
Vanity, they contrived here to set up a fair wherein should be sold all sorts
of vanity, and that it should last all year long. Therefore at this fair are
all such merchandise sold as houses, lands, trades, places, honor, preferments,
titles, countries, kingdoms, lusts, pleasures, and delights of all sorts as
whores, bawds, wives, husbands, children, masters, servants, lives, bodies,
souls, silver, gold, pearls, precious stones, and what not. And, moreover, at
this fair there are at all times to be seen jugglers, cheats, games, plays,
fools, apes, knaves and rogues, and that of every kind. Here are to be seen,
too, and that for nothing, thefts, murders, adulteries, false swearers…”
John Bunyan wrote also of the temptation of Jesus: “The
Prince of Princes Himself went through this town to His own country, and that
upon a fair day too; yea, and as I think it was Beelzebub, the chief lord of
this fair, that invited Him to buy of his vanities; yea, would have made Him
lord of the fair, would He but have done him reverence as He went through the
town. Yea, because He was such a person of honor, Beelzebub had Him from street
to street, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a little time, that
He might, if possible, allure that Blessed One to cheapen and buy some of his
vanities; but He had no mind to the merchandise, and therefore left the town
without laying out so much as one farthing upon these vanities.”
Jesus knew no sin—He never sinned. He was therefore qualified to be offered up
as a substitutionary sacrifice for us as a “lamb unblemished and spotless” (1
Peter 1:19). On the basis of His death
and resurrection He provides for the believer salvation from sin in every
respect--freedom from its penalty, power, and—in heaven—its presence.
“He was tempted in all things as we are” (Hebrews
4:16). Yet He never sinned. He is therefore able to “sympathize with our
weaknesses” and “come to our aid” (Hebrews 2:18). “Jesus knows all about struggles, He will
guide till the day is done; There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus—no not
one! No not one!”
Jesus was tempted with the temptations that are “common to
man” (1 Corinthians 10:13)--“the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and
the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16; Cf. Genesis 3:6). But He, the Word, responded with the word
(Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). In this respect He
has provided for us a great example. It
is as the Word, the sword of the Spirit, is treasured in our hearts, that
victory over sin is assured (Psalm 119:11; Ephesians 6:17)). Indeed, the “young men” of First John were
commended because they were strong and overcame the evil one. How were they made strong? The Word of God abided in them (1 John 2:14;
Cf. Colossians 3:16).
How precious to know that in this world where sin is an ever
present reality--and terrible and tenacious foe--there is One who never sinned
and indeed won the victory over our great foe (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this
death? Thanks be to God through Jesus
Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
YET WITHOUT SIN (Matthew Chapter 4)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment