Page 59 - Christology - Student Textbook

Where the Temptations of Jesus Christ Real?
To help us answer this question, let’s look at three passages: Matthew 4:1-11; 26:36-46; Hebrews
4:14-15.

According to Matthew, Jesus Christ was tempted in three ways. He was in the wilderness for forty
days and nights praying and fasting. He had to have experienced extreme hunger, thirst, physical
weakness. So, James argues that (Jas. 1:14), Satan focused the first temptation in the area of desire.
He was tempted to turn stones into bread (Matt. 4:3-4; cf. Deut. 8:3). Notice that Jesus overcome
that temptation by quoting the Word of God. (Matt. 4:5-6; Ps. 91:11-12; cf. Deut. 6:16; Matt. 4:8-9;
cf. Deut. 6:13). As Charles Hodge has noted earlier, Jesus’ temptations were real.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ was praying. Jesus encouraged the disciples to pray so
that they might not enter into temptation. Jesus Himself prayed three times, “My Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matt. 26:39). The
temptation to bypass the Cross of Calvary was very real to Jesus (Matt. 26:41).

The writer of Hebrews describes the priesthood of Jesus in this way: “For we do not have a high
priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect as been
tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15 [ESV]). He declares that Jesus was tempted in every
respect as every other human. So, temptations to Jesus were very real. Walvoord notes that “A
proper doctrine of the impeccability of Christ therefore affirms the reality of the temptations of
Christ due to the fact that He had a human nature which was temptable.” 146 Wayne Grudem wrote
that “The temptations were real, even though he did not give in to them. In fact, there were most
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real because he did not give in to them.”

What sort of implications can be drawn from the fact that Jesus did not sin when
tempted?

Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. The fact that Jesus did not sin qualified Him to make a
substitutionary atonement for our sins. That Jesus Christ was and is still impeccable even after
experiencing temptations provides for us the perfect example that we can triumph over the
temptations we experience. Why else would Peter call us to live holy lives in I Peter 1:13-16:

13 Wherefore girding up the loins of your mind, be sober and set your hope perfectly on the grace
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that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as children of obedience, not
fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in the time of your ignorance: but like as he
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who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; because it is written, Ye
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shall be holy; for I am holy.
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13.4. Let’s Practice this Lesson…

1. What does the impeccability of Jesus Christ mean?

146 Walvoord, Jesus Christ our Lord, 149.

147 Grudem, Systematic Theology, 539.

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