As we trek through 2020 it is wonderful to be reminded that our pathway has already been walked by One who has gone before us. One who was truly human. We have already considered how we can redeem this strange time by loving our neighbour. We can redeem it too by remembering that all things are working together for good. But we can also trace the truth of God’s personal empathy with us in the here and now. Our God understands.
This is very important for the Hebrew writer who has to establish the extent of Christ’s true humanity if he is to convince his readers of just how much better Christ is.
“because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted
Hebrews 12.18
So far as His humanity is concerned the writer will point out that the Lord Jesus:
- partook of flesh and blood (2.14)
- experienced death (2.14)
- was tempted in every respect (4.15)
- prayed (5.7)
- cried (5.7)
- learned obedience (5.8)
and so on…until ultimately we find him suffering even the hideous shame of the cross (12.2). All of these experiences make clear for us the Grace of God, the Perfect Manhood of the Lord Jesus and the Power of His priesthood. This last Lord’s Day we considered how this was all wonderfully displayed in the temptation in the wilderness.
Gracious God
When we think of all that Christ did in coming, living and dying, we might just wonder whether this wilderness episode was really necessary. But note how the Spirit led him into the wilderness. This was clearly the predetermined will of God – despite the fact that Luke records Him being ‘full of the Holy Spirit’ and one might think primed for public ministry. Nevertheless, that He might be tempted in all points, He is led into the wilderness.
The wilderness location meant that this fasting was harsher than your average fast. He was deprived of social, emotional, physchological and physiological input for forty days and forty nights. And we cannot just pass this off as some easy feat because He was God. Nor was He bound to do it because Moses & Elijah had set the bar – He is God and does not have to be bound by our expectations. Grace on the other hand, means that he must be tempted in all points.
Luke clearly records his hunger. Is it true that God is self-sustaining? And is it true that Luke said that Jesus was hungry? Answer-YES. Make sense-NO. The incarnation is full of mystery. The rhythms that our bodies are subject to in their normal habit of things mean that one experiences an unpleasant roller coaster effect between equilibrium and the shifting levels of glucose in the early stages of fasting. Alongside the mental desire to eat at times when the mind normally does so it is definitely an exercise in self-control. Eventually, deprived of glucose the body begins to consume stored fat, effectively eating itself. This can be coupled with highs and lows of a new kind. All this, whilst being simultaneously deprived of social and emotional input. Again, one marvels at the grace of God at being willing to be subject to this experience of deprivation – especially as it would be followed by a fierce advance by Satan.
Perfect Man
The advance of Satan was threefold. First, an attempt to have the Lord act on fleshly impulses, answering the immediate mental and physiological need for food. Second, an attempt to have the Lord bargain worship of an inferior in exchange for glory without the cross. Third an attempt to have the Lord ‘prove’ His identity by exploiting a scriptural promise. Break the fast, break the plan and break His identity. All in all it was an attack on the Lord’s self-control.
Perfect manhood routed Satan’s attempts with confidence. His responses teach us how we should react, even when faced with temptation in our own experience of deprivation. Lean hard on God’s Word, even when deprived of other things. Be ruthless with temptation to deviate from God’s plan. Reject attempts to twist truth for your own ends.
Powerful Priest
Of course we may never quite attain as flawlessly as He did in these circumstances. That’s not the point here. The point is that He understands. He walked this pathway of deprivation ahead of us. And it makes His priesthood better than all others, best of all in fact. As Leslie reminded us recently, the fact that He doesn’t understand what it is like to sin does not diminish the power of his priesthood. On the contrary the fact that He could not sin means He understands more than any of us ever will, just how awful it is to face temptation. You cannot better that in a sympathising High Priest.
Like his temporary season of deprivation, soon this season will pass as well. In the meantime – as fasting focusses the mind and ultimately provides new found appreciation for the things which it forgoes, may this season focus the mind and provide new found appreciation for the things which we take for granted. One of those things just might be the tangible ministry of our Great High Priest. He really is able to help us in our suffering because he Himself suffered when tempted.
Might we say, in the words of the hymn, ‘Abide with me’,
I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like thyself my guide and strength can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
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