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Bible Study Discussions with Gary Panell

Question: Why do I always hear the preachers in church say that Jesus experienced everything we will ever experience, or was tempted in every way we can be? This is NOT TRUE! Jesus never experienced ANY male/female relationship/marriage things or problems, nor any parenthood experiences!

Answer: The Bible does say: "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15)

This is not to say that He was tempted with every single sin possible, but He was tempted in the areas that we are tempted in.

Scripture says that there are three main areas that people are tempted in: "For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world." (1 John 2:16)

Jesus went through 40 days of temptation, we are not told what all these were like because we are only given the last three, but who knows maybe He was tempted with some of the things you mentioned. Evidently, Satan was able to bring all sorts of temptations such as putting Jesus on the top of a mountain and the top of the temple, etc. "Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days be the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, 'If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.' But Jesus answered him, saying, 'It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread along, but by every word of God.'" (Luke 4:1-4)

The first temptation was in the area of the lust of the flesh, which we are so often tempted in. He could have easily done a miracle to gratify His flesh, but Jesus faced temptation like we are supposed to do by using the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:17) The 'word' here in the Greek is 'RHAMA,' a specific verse or phrase that the Holy Spirit gives you for that moment.

This is how God wants us to face Satan's temptations, by putting on all the armor of God found in Ephesians 6:10-18. "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) In other words read or quote Scripture when Satan is attacking.

The second temptation was aimed at the "lust of the eyes." "Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, 'All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." (Luke 4:5-6) The temptation was to lust after all that is in the world. Television is bringing the world to our fingertips, and Satan is tempting us with all the "things" in the world to make them 'gods' in our lives, but what did Jesus say? "And Jesus answered and said to him, 'Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" (Luke 4:8)

The last temptation was aimed at the "pride of life." How often we are tempted to want people to look up to us and think we are someone. Satan wanted Jesus to jump down from the temple in the sight of all the people. "Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 'For it is written: He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you, and In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.' And Jesus answered and said to him, 'It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.' Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time." (Luke 4:9-13)

God has provided a way to be victorious over every temptation that Satan throws at us. "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)

You see, if you are born again you have the power of God living within you in the person of the Holy Spirit. He is light, and the light is greater than the darkness, when you turn on the light, what happens to the darkness? The light is also the sword (or the Word of God) use it "by faith" to be victorious over Satan and his lies. He will try to convince you that he is stronger than Jesus, but he is not. "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4) "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:4-5)

As far as a person thinking that Jesus did not suffer as much as us you or I, we only need only to look at what He went through in the garden of Gethsemane before He went to the cross. Here He sweat the Bible says, "as it were great drops of blood." But, just like Jesus had angels come when He needed them most, God does the same for us in those special times of temptation. None of us can say we went through more suffering than Christ did in His "trial," whipping, and crucifixion! If you have not seen the movie The Passion of Christ, by Mel Gibson you might watch this.

No, I would have to agree with those pastors as they quote the Word of God, as bad as it gets for us Jesus knows exactly what we are going through, because He has already gone through a similar temptation or trial Himself!

In Christian love,

Gary T. Panell

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Keywords: temptation, parenthood, humanity, lust