Did Jesus have an advantage over us when He was on Earth?

What a wonderful Saviour we have. He came down from heaven to show us the way. He came down to save us! Wow! Now, did Jesus have any advantages over us when being tempted? Let us look what the Bible has to say on this.

Heb 4:15-16 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” NIV

The Bible is clear on this: Jesus had no advantages over us when being tempted. He faced the same trials as we do. One difference: He didn’t sin. Why not?

James 1:13-14 “For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. NIV

Very simple, he wasn’t attracted by the deceptive lures of sin. He had experienced true freedom in heaven and had seen what sin had caused in humanity. Sin was not attractive to Him at all.

John 8:58 8 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” NIV

John 1:1-2″ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” NIV

Jesus existed before our planet ever existed. Before time, He was. He had experienced first hand the devil’s rebellion in heaven. He had seen the consequences of sin on our planet. Compared to where He was in heaven (peace, happiness, joy, pure love…), there was no way He would want to join the effects of sin, which only brings disaster and unhappiness to all under its curse.

It is because of our sin that He left all of this behind in heaven, so that we could get out of our predicament and be saved. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” NIV

Thanks to Him, we have help to lead victorious lives!

Heb 2:18 “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” NIV

Would you like to experience Jesus’ power in you life. Are you tired of sinning and leading a meaningless life? Come to Jesus at http://www.answers2prayer.org/saviours_call.html and invite Him into your life. He will help you through your mess and will help you be victorious!

Rob Chaffart

___________________________________________________

Because of his great love and generosity, God did not leave us to suffer the consequences of our foolish rebellion. He did something to save us. He sent his own divine son into our world to become a MAN–Jesus of Nazareth.

Although Jesus had powers; He could walk on water and part the seas and turn staffs into snakes…..etc. He was still put here by God as a MAN. A man to suffer ALL things that we suffer. His advantage over US, is that He did not rebuke our Lord. He believed and did everything the Father said. He did all things directed by God including the ultimate, dying on the cross a horrendous death for US. To save US. We the weak and thankless humans. He endured loss and pain of every kind as a human man on this earth, just as we do each day of our lives.

Jesus was a carpenter in His earthly life. His mission was to free and to liberate, and he was more concerned with healing people than worried about becoming ritually unclean by associating with them. He wanted to teach the word of God and spread the gospel. He was a great teacher that loved and taught little children. He suffered great betrayal, loss, temptation and suffering beyond what any man on this earth can imagine. He felt every emotion and every bit of pain. The thing is, He was without sin! Pure and Holy!

God gave us His Son as an example for us so that we could appreciate how we should live our lives to be worthy of salvation. We are asked to follow the example of a man not a God!

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a slave, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8).

Since the children have flesh and blood, Christ also shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil (Hebrews 2:14).

God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering (Romans 8:3).

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

Christ is God, but He is also the Second Adam — the sinless man (Romans 5:12-21). As such He is the perfect representative of both God and man, the perfect mediator, and the perfect object for divine justice and human responsibility. Sin could only be dealt with by someone who is both God (sinless and a life of incalculable value) and man (able to substitute for us because He is identified with our human nature). This is the Jesus the Bible reveals to us and the Jesus we worship. The death of Jesus of Nazareth ended the life of a simple carpenter from a small town in Galilee. But we believe that the resurrection that followed three days later was only the beginning of a new life for Jesus the Christ and his followers down through the ages.

Deedee

___________________________________________________

In Hebrews it says He grew in obedience and that He was tested in all ways like we are yet was without sin. I assume this question is in reference to Jesus not sinning while in the flesh.

I can only site the virgin birth as a major clue. Some teach that the sin nature is passed thru men and not women. My wife wondered about the purpose of the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus at His water baptism. In other words, did He need to be immersed in the Holy Spirit before going into the wilderness. I think He was always connected to the Holy Spirit, for He always was God. Philippians 2 teaches He gave up His glory and became a man, but He did not give up His Godhood.

Since Jesus never stopped being God, yet became a man also, He had an advantage when it came to temptation and sin. Some may ask how can someone be both diety and man. I think the best illustration is the ark of the covenant which was totally covered with gold and appeared to be solid gold, yet was first made of wood and then coated with gold. I think this was a symbol or a foreshadowing, of Jesus. One interesting point though is the symbol of diety, the gold, is on the outside and the wood is on the inside. With Jesus, the diety was on the inside (unseen) and His flesh was the proof of humanity.

Maybe it would be like asking if the ark of the covenant has an advantage over other gold objects when it comes to sinking in water. The wood hidden on the inside makes it lighter.

Todd Shilt