Humanity & Deity of Christ

Jesus Temptation

Matthew 4:1–11 NASB95

Then Jesus 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 tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’ ” Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

Jesus had to be led out to the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Why? Because he had to experience temptation as we do to fully identify with every aspect of humanity. Satan tempted Jesus in the same three ways that he tempts us: Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually.

Physical Temptation

Jesus had fasted 40 days and 40 nights. He was very hungry. This demonstrates the humanity of Christ. God does not hunger for food but man does.

Why would it have been a sin for Jesus to turn the stones into bread? Because God had not called Jesus out of His fast. God used the fast to make clear the mission for Christ. Often it takes fasting to clearly discern the will of God.

Satan new that Jesus was hungry and wanted Him to lose his focus on the Father. He wanted Jesus to focus on his fleshly desires and prioritize them over His spiritual needs.

Satan does this to us all the time. Especially in the area of sexual immorality. Promiscuity and homosexuality are epidemic in our community and even our churches. People are living together and engaging in intimacy before marriage. Pornography is destroying the souls of many people. Homosexuality is dividing the church. We see the evidence of Satan’s attack on humanity.

Was Jesus hungry? Yes. Did he want food? Yes. But the deity of Christ kept him from satisfying his fleshly desire before the time was right.

Jesus quoted Deut. 8:3

Deuteronomy 8:3 NASB95

“He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.

Jesus knew that his time with the Father was more necessary than fulfilling his hungry desire.

Emotional Temptation

Satan then took Jesus to the top of the temple and told Him to jump and if he was the Son of God, then God would rescue Him. Satan was trying to evoke pride in Jesus. He wanted Jesus to prove Himself. Satan even used scripture to tempt Jesus.

What would happen if Jesus would have jumped? God would not have rescued Him because he would have shown that He was sinning. The sin of pride is trying to get the approval of someone else before the approval of God. This would have been a violation of the first commandment. Exodus 20:3

Exodus 20:3 NASB95

“You shall have no other gods before Me.

Satan uses our emotions to tempt us. When we act on the way we feel rather than on the commandments of God we sin. Our emotions are secondary to biblical principle. When I was a kid, I remember we use to say to one another, “ I dare you to...”, if you don’t then you are sissy. This would threaten your pride and you would usually end up doing something stupid. This happens as adults as well. If someone hurts you or someone you love, often times we act irrational and do something stupid.

Jesus knew He was the Son of God and didn’t need to prove himself to anyone. Once again Jesus quoted scripture Deut. 6:16

Deuteronomy 6:16 NASB95

“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.

Spiritual Temptation

Satan wanted Jesus to worship him. He promised Jesus the whole world if He would just bow down to Jesus. Jesus knew that God the Father is the only true God that is to be worshipped.

Jesus emphasized this in Matt. 16:26

Matthew 16:26 NASB95

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Satan does the same thing with us. He promises us peace, joy and satisfaction with the things of this world if we will bow down to him. How do we bow down to him? take his offer.

Jesus in his divinity quoted Deut. 10:20

Deuteronomy 10:20 NASB95

“You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.

Jesus knew the Father and desired to worship Him only!

Jesus temptations reveal both his humanity and deity. We see this in Hebrews 4:15

Hebrews 4:15 NASB95

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Garden of Gethsemane

Matthew 26:36–46 NASB95

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. “Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

Jesus was very aware that he had come to the point of His purpose. He was going to have to take on himself the full wrath of God for the sins of all humanity. He knew of the betrayal of his friends, illegal trials, desertion of his own people, every mockery, every slap in the face, every lash on his back, the pain of crucifixion, the thirst on the cross, watching his mom see his death, and all the evil travesties in his purpose. He didn’t want to go through this and asked the Father to change it if He would. This shows His humanity.

The second prayer shows his deity. He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.

He desired the Father’s Holy will above His human will.