The Temptation of Christ

It’s not what you think.

What is the temptation of Christ and what could the temptation of Christ and Judas Iscariot possibly have in common?

We need to ask, why did Jesus Christ choose Judas as one of the 12?  These men were hand-picked, so why didn’t Jesus pick the best men He could.  Jesus Christ is God and knows all things, but even in human form He would have known what the Scripture said about the son of perdition.

Did He choose Judas because it was prophesied in Scripture?  If so, why was it prophesied in the first place?

In All Points Tempted

The obvious answer is the betrayal that led to Jesus being arrested, tried, and hung on a cross for the sin of mankind.  It is why Jesus Christ came to the earth in the first place.  These events could have been different but leading to the same result.  If events had been lived differently 2000 years ago, then we would accept their validity as communicated by biblical authors.

But why Judas?  The rulers hated Jesus without a cause and surely they could have found a reason to arrest Him and crucify Him without the help of another.  It was only a matter of time before the rulers took matters into their own hands and completed what was in their heart.

I think our answer lies in the book of Hebrews.

The author writes, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:14-15

Specifically, I believe the answer is revealed in the words, “but was in all points tempted as we are.”

He Did Not Succumb

It is hard to imagine Jesus Christ being tempted because He is God and accomplished what no one else could.  Jesus is perfect and lived a perfect life without sin to become the atoning sacrifice for the sin of mankind, so the idea that He could be tempted is hard for us to wrap our head around.

But He was tempted.

Every man, woman, and child should be grateful that Jesus Christ is perfect and delivered us from death.  Each person should willingly bend their knee in humility to Christ before they must do it unwillingly.

Jesus Christ faced and overcame the same problems and temptations we face but He did not succumb to them.

Accomplished What He Came For

So, why Judas?

Judas was a temptation that Jesus needed to face.  Clearly not the salacious temptation people think of when they think of being tempted by the opposite sex.  I believe that Jesus was tempted to be angry and let His anger control His behavior with Judas.  When you consider it, how would you feel if your friend stole money from you, then betrayed you to authorities for crimes you never committed?

Jesus knew Judas was stealing and that he would betray Him.  But He also knew it had to be that way to fulfill scriptures.  At the very least, Judas was a two-fer.  Instead of allowing anger to lead Jesus into sin, He faced His feelings about Judas and overcame them, even calling Judas “friend” when he came with the multitude to arrest Him.  Then Jesus’ arrest led to His execution which accomplished what He came for.

It Is Possible

On a side note, anger in itself is not sin.  It is what we do with anger that leads us into sin.  Fortunately, those who have surrendered to the life and work of Jesus Christ, have been forgiven for those sins.

I have had an anger problem which caused me to sin way too many times.  Knowing my problem, now I am amazed at the people who have control over their anger and don’t allow anger to get away from them.  I see their gentleness and know they must feel the same way I do on the inside, but their end result is too often different from mine.

I am getting better but the problem is still there, waiting for an opportunity to reveal its ugly head.  As long as I live, I will have to be aware of my behavior.  My reward is that in heaven I will be whole and complete.  And I will finally be the man my heart longs to be.

I am grateful for those who demonstrate better self-control.  They remind us that it is possible to keep anger in check.  Like Jesus, when He was tempted to let anger get the better of Him, they face their emotions and are victorious over them.

Return to the Fold

Have you been tempted to allow your anger to control you?  What about the many other temptations that cause us to fall short?  Unbridled anger is only one that can thwart our smooth passage through this life to the next.  Jesus Christ is waiting to forgive you for each failure in temptation.

Reach out to Jesus Christ and remember what the apostle, John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Return to the fold.  Come back to Jesus’ flock.  Surrender to Him and find the life He planned for you from the beginning when He created you.

You Were Planted

God told the prophet, Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;” Jeremiah 1:5 It stands to reason, that if God knew Jeremiah before he was even formed in his mother’s womb, then He knows you in the same way as well.

You were planted in this life for a reason.  Jesus Christ wants to cultivate you and cause you to bear much fruit.  Do not let the failures in your temptations stop you from coming to Him.