Tempted in all points

"Some people mistakenly believe Jesus Christ was only tempted three times in 40 days in the wilderness. That's a misreading. Matthew and Luke only focus on three of the temptations, but He was tempted EVERY day by the devil for 40 days. You talk about testing.

"You know who drove Jesus into the wilderness? The Holy Spirit takes the Son of man, the one who willingly became flesh, the one willingly chose to participate in human experience . . . He's not going to cheat; He's not going to have, you know, the divine godhead's 'Get out of Jail' card," explains Alex Kurz.

"He's going to go through 40 days of, not only the experience of not eating, not having food or drink, but having Satan personally visiting Him every day.

"His perfection was a result of His willingness to be broken. Hebrews 5 is powerful in light of the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ:

[7] Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
[8] Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
[9] And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

*****

Acts 17: [30] And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
[31] Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

"From this verse we know the risen Lord Jesus Christ will be the one who judges all men and Paul calls Him ‘that man,’ " explains Richard Jordan.

"Paul's telling the unbelievers there that, ‘The one who’s going to judge you is going to be sitting right where you are, walking in your sandals; God raised Him up and He’s the one who will be your judge.’

“People who want to defend the deity of Christ don’t like people to assert the humanity of Christ. But if you don’t have both in equal fashion, you don’t have a mediator.

“His personhood is important; He has two natures. That’s the reality of it. I don’t know of a better explanation for that than Luke 2:40: [40] And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

“He’s 12 years old, His parents take Him up to the temple, and it says the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was with him.

“How’d He get filled with wisdom? By depending on God’s word. He’s being filled with some sound doctrine out of the Scripture. You notice in verse 49, He says to His parents Mary and Joseph, ‘How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?’

“Notice the ‘F’ is capital in Father. He knows His identity. He’s 12 years old. His bar mitzvah was taking place. He was moving into that Galatians 4 adult status. He’s being educated by His father--not just His earthly father, but His heavenly Father. And the man is LEARNING.

“In order to become a man, He laid aside the independent personal use of His attributes and chose to depend and be obedient to the Father. He literally chose to trust the Father to take care of things for Him.

Luke 2:52: [52] And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. Notice He increased in wisdom. Now how do you do that?

John 8: [28] Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

[29] And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
[30] As he spake these words, many believed on him.

“You ought to write that in your mind. He’s saying, ‘I’m not acting independently on my own, but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.’ He grew in wisdom. Why? Because the Father was teaching Him.

******

John 12: [49] For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

[50] And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

“You could literally go on and on about the fact the Lord Jesus Christ was literally instructed, taught by His Father, as God would have a man to depend on. As Paul talks about ‘the faith of Christ,’ that’s really what he’s talking about.

“He didn’t do it because He quit being God or because He was some ignoramus; He did it because that’s what was required for Him to be truly human and to be tempted in all points as you are.”

(new article tomorrow)