To this point in considering the various temptations Jesus faced we’ve seen Him successfully reject every form of desire and enticement the world has to offer, shunning anything that would transgress His Father’s will. In all situations He has been in perfect self-control over the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life while exercising dominion over creation, the elements of it and the natural world. All are subject to Him because all were created by Him. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:3).” Jesus also demonstrated His power over the demons and unclean spirits going about their evil work both in the lives of unbelievers and against the born-again spirits of believers such as Peter. Now let’s take a look at how the complete humanity of Jesus relates to not only those aspects of life but even to life and death itself.
Perhaps the deepest emotional valley into which we can descend is the valley of grief, particularly when we grieve over the loss of a spouse, close loved one or dear friend. People become gravely ill, lose their lives in accidents, wars or, sadly, by their own hand. Our sense of loss may center around a respected friend, a buddy from military service or a co-worker upon whom we relied. Broken relationships bring us deep distress. Regardless of the particulars we have all grieved for those people with whom we’ve shared close associations, and while dealing with our own emotions we often also share in the sense of loss experienced by others. Such human compassion can be a heavy load to bear that sometimes haunts us for the remainder of our lives. Being fully human, Jesus dealt with all the same emotions we experience, grief being among them.
Jesus healed many sick, blind, lame and even spiritually tormented people during His ministry yet one of the most astounding among His miracles is the resurrection of a man named Lazarus, recounted in John 11:1-46. I encourage you to take a moment and read through the passage. Although multiple theological points and countless sermons can be extracted from the story our focus is upon Jesus’ various temptations, so let’s look at an abridged version of the account from that perspective.
The death of a close friend
Lazarus lived with his sisters Mary and Martha in Bethany, a community situated a days’ walking journey from Jerusalem. All were followers of Jesus, dear friends and supporters. When Lazarus became ill his sisters sent word to Jesus, who upon receipt of the message replied, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby (verse 4).” Jesus cared a great deal for this family; still He remained where He was for two additional days, leading some to erroneously conclude Jesus may have had little concern for the people in this circumstance when in fact He had far greater knowledge of and control over the situation than anyone understood. Let us remember that everything Jesus said and did was for the glory of God as well as for our benefit. After two days Jesus told the disciples gathered with him, “Let us go into Judea again (verse 7) … Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep (verse 11).” The disciples took the short view that Lazarus was resting during his illness. “Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there (in Bethany with him), to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him (verses 14 and 15).”
On the surface Jesus’ statements concerning the death of Lazarus (“This sickness is not unto death,” and “Lazarus is dead,”)may seem to conflict with one another when in reality they were mutually complimentary, as Jesus was again setting the stage for a demonstration of His power over all things. He knew what the outcome would be. There can be no misunderstanding that Lazarus’ physical body actually died in every way just as my body will one day die. However, Jesus knew that in the plan of God there was at this time a need for miraculous manifestation of His dominion over physical death.
Lazarus probably died very shortly after the messenger left his bedside so that there was no need for Jesus to hurry His intervention in this situation. Why? By the time the message reached the ears of Jesus, Lazarus had already been dead for about a day. Bethany was about a day’s walking journey from Jerusalem, so the messenger walked one day to deliver the message, Jesus did not respond for two additional days, and another day was required for Jesus to travel to Bethany so that by the time Jesus arrived Lazarus had been dead four days (verse 17). Even before the news came that Lazarus was ill (in fact already dead) Jesus may have been tempted to charge straight into Bethany, alleviate His friend’s suffering and heal the man. If so, our Lord resisted, instead waiting patiently for the plan of His Father to work. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Let’s remember that in times of adversity, illness (whether our own or that of someone else) or even death God continues to love us and that we should continue to love Him. Because we are called to His purpose we should become willing tools for Him to use in accomplishing it even, or perhaps especially, in physical death. Maybe God is teaching us something when we experience adversity; perhaps He is using our reactions to adverse circumstances to teach someone else. We simply may not know, but our response should invariably be that we continue to love God. Recall that the man Job, who lost everything and was stricken with painful maladies, was advised by his wife to “…curse God, and die (Job 2:9).” Still, Job continued to love God and remained faithful. He was being proven by God while those he had counted as friends falsely accused him of hidden sin. Afterward, Job’s faith was validated and God blessed him more than before (see Job 42:10-13).
A matter of perspective
Upon greeting Jesus while he was still at some distance from the residence, an obviously distraught Martha said something like, “Jesus, if only You had come when word was sent, Lazarus would not have died. I ask You to pray because I know that the Father will do for You whatever You ask (verses 21 and 22 paraphrased).” Jesus offered words of assurance when He then told Martha, “Thy brother shall rise again (verse 23).” Martha’s response, like that of the disciples mentioned earlier, seems to have taken the short view, as she thought Jesus spoke of the resurrection of the dead for judgment. Later, in verse 32, Martha’s sister Mary spoke exactly the same words recorded in verses 21 and 22 when she said, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” However, Mary seems to have viewed the situation from a different perspective. Let’s think of what the sisters said this way:
Martha: “Jesus, if only You had come when word was sent, Lazarus would not have died (verse 21 paraphrased).”
Mary: “Jesus, if only You had come when word was sent, Lazarus would not have died (verse 32 paraphrased).”
I can imagine that although the words spoken by the sisters were exactly the same the tone may have been very different. Did you note the difference in added emphasis? Martha was frustrated, depressed and distressed, and while I doubt she was accusing Jesus in the death of her brother it may have sounded to those within earshot as though she was. Within the context of the cited passages it seems clear that eleven verses later Mary’s lament, even though she was equally undone over the death of her brother, placed emphasis not upon the circumstance itself but upon Jesus, and therein lies an important lesson for us to glean – bad circumstances come upon us all and when they do, regardless of what they are, we may be tempted to blame God. That is always a very dangerous response. We must never forget that God is working out a plan larger than what we may immediately see. Recall the words of Jesus in verses 4 and 15: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby,” and “…to the intent ye may believe…” God has great lessons to teach us every day. Sometimes difficult circumstances and our reactions to them play an important role in our spiritual growth or in the learning process of someone else.
Verse 33 says that when Jesus beheld the grief of Lazarus’ sisters and friends He too, “…groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.” He shared their pain and grief, as would any of us. Verse 3 tells us Christ loved Lazarus and verse 5, in reiterating that point, reveals that Jesus was especially fond of Martha and Mary as well. As He accompanied an entourage toward the place where Lazarus was interred, a cave sealed by a stone, “Jesus wept (verse 35).” So deeply did Jesus grieve in those moments that witnesses were astonished at the affection Jesus displayed for Lazarus and his family. Some speculated that Jesus could have prevented the man’s death altogether had He so chosen (but that of course had never been God’s plan). Upon His arrival at the grave site Jesus continued to groan and grieve. Even as He commanded that the stone be removed Martha, the sister who seems to retain a firm grasp on only the short view of the situation, protested by pointing out that to open the grave after four days would release the stench of decomposition. Our Lord reminded her of their conversation recorded in verses 25 through 27 where “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”
Upon removal of the stone from the mouth of the grave “…Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth (verses 41-43).” Imagine their astonishment when everyone saw Lazarus emerge from his tomb still bound hand and foot as was the custom of the day (verse 44) and the rush to follow Jesus’ command to “Loose him, and let him go.” All of this happened not because Jesus compromised His self control but so that, as verse 45 points out, we may believe that Jesus is the Christ.
Surely Jesus grieved over the death of His friend and surely His compassion reached out to share the sorrow of Martha and Mary. Perhaps Jesus in those moments grieved over His own future as well, knowing as He did that His body would soon experience unspeakable suffering and physical death on the cross of crucifixion while bearing my sin and yours. Surely Jesus, as do all who believe, had the assurance that God would raise Him from the grave and that He would soon thereafter ascend to heaven once more, but in his human flesh Jesus did not long for physical death.
Meekness isn’t weakness
Jesus described Himself as “…meek and lowly in heart… (Matthew 11:29).” Meekness here implies ‘power under control’ in two very different ways. First, Jesus was always in complete self-control as he traveled and ministered to the world by living a life without the compromise of self-indulgence and sin. Second, Jesus placed control within the power of a higher authority, God the Father. In our discipleship we are to emulate the meekness of Jesus. To be meek is not to be weak but rather to be so powerful in the control of our desires as to tame them and trust that God to whom we willingly submit has our better interests at heart in all situations, even those we find distasteful. Jesus emphasized the point by describing Himself as “lowly in heart,” affirming to us His humility before the Father and demonstrating it by conquering all temptations. Though yielding to temptations would seem like the easy way out of some very unpleasant situations Jesus was yet to face, He remained at all times in perfect submission to the will of the Father.
Our earlier thoughts concerning the so-called silent years prior to Jesus’ public ministry were in part centered upon the meekness He surely exhibited in His daily life. His words and actions during His wilderness encounter with Satan are evidence that although He was physically weakened He was still in control of His human desires and over the three categories of temptation – lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Every temptation He faced and every temptation we face daily falls into at least one of those categories. Then, as on all subsequent occasions in all situations, it was Jesus’ meekness (his power under complete control) and His lowliness before the Father (self-abasement and placement of His power in the hand of God the Father) that made complete compliance with God’s redemptive plan possible. The next phase of that plan was quickly approaching because Jesus was…
… our friend, born to die for my sin and yours.
All of us face physical death because we have inherited a nature to sin from our ancestral fathers. “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by (or because of) sin, and so death passed upon all men, for all (me, you, everyone) have sinned (Romans 5:12).” Early on we studied how this came about when the first man Adam chose to follow his own desires rather than the commandment of God, and the book of Genesis records God’s response. Death then became a natural part of our physical lives. Jesus, however, faced death for an entirely different reason. He had no sin in His life yet Jesus was born for the specific purpose of death after living a life without sin or compromise, thus to become on our behalf the only worthy sacrifice to pay for the sin of the world. Jesus was born to die not because He had sinned but to redeem us from our sin so that through faith in Him we can share the eternal life only He can offer. “Jesus said unto her (Martha), I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (in sin), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die (spiritually but have eternal life). Believest thou this? (John 11:25-26)” Even before the foundation of the world (see Revelation 13:8) God knew Adam would sin and what the consequences would be. God had a plan to reconcile us unto Himself, and it is God’s great love for His creation that motivates Him in all He does for us. Such is the case concerning Christ. So great is God’s love and desire for spiritual intimacy with mankind – men and women like you and me – that He was willing to express Himself in human form (Colossians 2:9) and provide Himself as a sacrifice you and I could never make for ourselves. In John 15:13 Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” That was exactly what Jesus was preparing to do – to die on a cross, laying down His life for ours. Jesus was born, lived, willingly sacrificed Himself and now lives again not because He is in any way our enemy but because He is in every way our greatest friend.
Empty promises rejected
During the last days prior to His crucifixion Jesus is presented in His meekness and lowliness perhaps more than at any time since His wilderness encounter with Satan. When He entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey’s colt in what is commonly called the triumphant entry (Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-10, Luke 19:29-44 and John 12:12-19) Jesus was lauded by the general population, who readily declared Him a political king. We may recall that political relief from Roman oppression was one of the things ardently desired by those living in the region of Jesus’ ministry.
I speculate that while the people were shouting empty praises to both Jesus and the Father, Satan was likely shouting something like this into Jesus’ ear: “Let them adore You, let them install You as their leader and king! Establish Yourself as the ultimate ruler of the earth!” To have yielded to such entreaties would surely have satisfied the pride of life. Satan might have told Jesus, “They love You. You’re popular. You can be influential and exercise dominion over them. They will do Your bidding.” It would have likewise satisfied the lust of the flesh as Satan may have pointed out, “You can indulge Yourself in any way You wish. You can have everything because You’ll be their king.” Accompanying such a vile offer as Satan may have made might have been an appeal to the lust of the eyes if he said to Jesus, “What You see is Yours for the taking! Isn’t it beautiful? Grasp hold, treasure it and never let go! Surely under Your dominion the people will prosper.”
Just as Satan’s lies to us are empty promises, so would they have been to Jesus. For Christ to have yielded to any of Satan’s invitations would have been to transgress every part of God’s plan and Jesus was fully aware of that. Instead, as recorded in Matthew 21:5, Jesus was “…meek…” and in full submission to the plan of redemption even as His entry into the city and the mode of it was a fulfillment of prophecy about Him (see Zechariah 9:9, where Messiah is described as “…lowly…” upon His entry into Jerusalem.
Who’s in control here?
As considered already, there were times during the week prior to His crucifixion when Jesus was particularly beset by human emotions and a desire for relief from the burden of sin and death soon to be laid fully upon His shoulders. When Jesus was presented to various religious and civil authorities He was the focus of their ire because they feared Him not as God in human form but only as the man they saw standing before them. Sometimes as the indictments against Him were pronounced Jesus spoke while at other times He remained silent. His ‘elite’ accusers were at every turn frustrated because they feared losing their positions and influence if the ‘common’ people followed in the faith to which Jesus called them. At any moment Jesus could have with a word or even a mere thought struck them all down. He did not, instead keeping His great power under perfect control while submitting to anything and everything He had come into the world to endure. What Jesus’ accusers and detractors failed to realize both then and later was that He wasn’t under their control at all. Rather, it was He who was in perfect control of Himself – His flesh, emotions, mind and spirit as He submitted to the will of the Father. I invite you to closely study the following scriptures within that context:
The ruler’s question: Mt 21:23-27, Mk 11:27-33, Lk 20:1-8
Subtle questions: a) of the Pharisees – the tribute money Mt 22:15-22, Mk 12:13-17, Lk 20:20-26
b) of the Sadducees – the resurrection Mt 22:23-33, Mr 12:18-27, Lk 20:27-39
c) of the Lawyer – the great commandment Mt 22:34-40, Mr 12:28-34
Our Lord’s counter question: Mt 22:41-46, Mk 12:35-37, Lk 20:41-44
His departure to the Mount of Olives: Mt 24:1-3, Mk 13:1-3
His agony: Mt 26:37, Mk 14:33, Lk 22:39, Jn 18:1
His thrice-repeated prayer: Mt 26:39-44, Mk 14:36-39, Lk 22:42
His sweat and comforting by the angel: Lk 22:43,44
The sleep of the apostles: Mt 26:40-45, Mk 14:37-41, Lk 22:45,46
Led to Annas: Jn 18:12,13
Tried by Caiaphas: Mt 26:57, Mk 14:53, Lk 22:54, Jn 18:15
The high priest’s adjuration: Mt 26:63, Mk 14:61
Jesus condemned, buffeted and mocked: Mt 26:66-67, Mk 14:64-65, Lk 22:63-65
Jesus before Pilate: Mt 27:1-2, Mk 15:1, Lk 23:1, Jn 18:28
Pilate speaks to Jesus privately: Jn 18:33
Pilate orders that Jesus be scourged: Mt 27:26, Mk 15:15, Jn 19:1
Jesus is crowned with thorns: Mt 27:29, Mk 15:17, Jn 19:2
Our Lord is formally accused: Mt 27:11, Mk 15:2, Lk 23:2
So what should our perspective be?
We all have emotions and desires – God created us with them. Still, it is our responsibility and must be our conscious choice to keep them under control and submit them to God our Father and Creator. It is when we respond inappropriately and act upon them in ways displeasing to God that we impede His work in our lives or the lives of others. In Gethsemane Satan likely tempted Jesus to slip quietly away, shirking His role in God’s redemptive plan. Our Redeemer chose to remain, praying “…Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done. (Luke 22:42).” When in emulation of Jesus’ meekness and lowliness we fully submit to whatever God has in store for us – be it pleasant or uncomfortable – He is fully glorified in our lives. Life’s circumstances sometimes make us humanly unhappy but we should never allow them to rob us of spiritual joy.
Prior to His crucifixion there were times when Jesus was beset by the full range of human emotions and a desire for relief from the burden of sin and death that was soon to be fully draped across His shoulders. One of those times was surely as Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, and although it is not borne out directly in Scripture I suspect He was likely tempted to forego God’s plan and walk away. Instead Jesus prayed, “…nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done. (Luke 22:42).” So what did the “cup” of which He spoke consist and what did Jesus undergo to drink it? Might there have been other times when He was tempted to set the cup aside?
Throughout both the Old and New Testaments a ‘cup’ is used symbolically in reference to an anticipated outcome such as judgment or reward. In Jesus’ case that outcome certainly meant the cup of physical suffering, crucifixion and death but I believe it involved more. You may recall that physical death is the result of sin, so we must remind ourselves here that Jesus never committed any sin. Without sin of His own there was therefore no reason for Jesus’ body to die, but because God’s plan was to reconcile lost and helpless humanity to himself the penalty of death for our sin had to be satisfied. That reconciliation takes place at the moment of faith in Jesus and is a relationship that can never thereafter be broken. In John 10:28-30 Jesus states, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
To suffer and die for my own sin would be a terrible experience but Jesus suffered the penalty for all people of all time, an incalculable and undeserved burden. It is only by God’s grace that through faith in Jesus we are eternally reconciled to God. God’s plan involved removing the mantle of sin from our shoulders and assuming it upon Himself in the person of Jesus so that the penalty of our transgressions is fully paid. All we need to do is believe. What, then, did Jesus experience to make that payment?
The next article will examine in some detail both the nature and scope of Christ’s suffering. I invite you to read and consider Matthew 27:11-56, Mark 15:15-41, Luke 23:6-49 and John18:28-19:37. A passing glance at these passages may fail to fully communicate the extent of the ridicule and shame our Lord endured. We should never allow the brevity of the descriptions to paint a less-than-complete picture of Christ’s emotional and physical suffering on our behalf; let us instead draw from them vivid images to be forever imprinted on the canvases of our hearts.
While the things Christ endured are certainly unpleasant to contemplate we must never forget the utter cruelty of those who inflicted such pain on Jesus and, importantly, we must never forget that it was our sin He bore, our condemnation He faced and our penalty He paid. His blood was shed so that we would not have to experience eternal death.
Until the next article may the peace that passes all human understanding be yours. May God’s richest blessings rest upon you. May you have life, and have it more abundantly –
Tom