The Nature of Jesus? Temptations and the Bible

confrontations were leading (Jn 11:7-16).

How much temptation He suffered in completing His mission is unknown to us now. I think that will be revealed when we stand before Him. But, I do know there were times He spent the night in prayer (Mt 14:23, Lk 6:12), or visited with departed saints whose eternal well being depended upon His obedience (Lk 9:28-31), or had occasions where angels were dispatched to minister to Him (Mt 4:11 and Lk 22:43). Of course, morally, Jesus always cooperated with the Father’s will – as it was natural to Him – and was always the right thing to be doing. “I always do the things that are pleasing to Him” (Jn 8:29). He was probably eager to cleanse The Temple of that “den of thieves” (Mt 21:13). He most likely prayed for the opportunity to publically expose the hypocritical teachings and practices of the scribes and Pharisees (Mt 23:1-39). He “loved righteousness and hated lawlessness” (He 1:9) as opposed to the polar opposite of loving “the approval of men rather than the approval of God” (Jn 12:43). Unfortunately, these are most often … mutually exclusive. And to ride into Jerusalem triumphantly on that donkey – all the things the Father ever called upon Him to do were the right things to do. The fight was to yield to where they led – the cross. He despised the shame of it as much as the torture (He 12:2). To be right, and be damned, is hard to take – even if you know you will rise three days later. This is an understandable weakness of being in a body in this age.

Satan longs for these kinds of shots at us. He does have some understanding of the eternity that has been secured for us – and he hates us intently –

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