HOW WAS JESUS TEMPTED AND BY WHOM?
I just did a little study after reading some posts
on the message board and this is what I came up with after I finished.
Jesus was led or driven into the wilderness by the
Spirit. (Evidently this was the Holy Spirit.) Some being, Satan or the devil,
attempted to test, prove, try, scrutinize, and entice Jesus. The main temptation for Jesus being tested
was in this; “If you be the son of God.” Jesus passed the test and did not
succumb to Satan’s temptations. Then the devil or Satan left him and angels
came and ministered to him. The word used here for devil and Satan is the
meaning for the accuser or traducer and ESPECIALLY SATAN or the arch enemy of
Good. “Arch” means the highest as opposed to demons, which are “lower in the
hierarchy,” supernatural spirits or “beings.” This would correspond to
Beelzebub, the Prince of Devils or Satan himself. (Below are the scriptures,
Hebrew and Greek meanings, as to why I came to this conclusion.
Hebrew:
Tempted - nac*ah, naw‑saw', Hebrew 5254; a primitive root; to test; by implication to attempt :‑ adventure, assay, prove, tempt, try.
Temptation - mac*c*ah, mas-saw', Hebrew 4531;
from Hebrew 5254 (nac*ah); a testing, of men (judicial) or of God
(querulous) :- temptation, trial.
Greek:
Tempted - peirazo, pi-rad'-zo, Greek 3985; from Greek 3984 (peira); to test
(object), i.e. endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline :- assay, examine,
go about, prove, tempt (-er), try.
Temptation - peirasmos, pi-ras-mos', Greek
3986; from Greek 3985 (peirazo); a putting to proof (by experiment [of
good], experience [of evil], solicitation, discipline or provocation);
by implication adversity :- temptation, × try.
Satan left him and angels came and ministered to him.
Mark 1:12-13 - And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. [13] And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
In Mark, Jesus is “driven” by the Spirit into
the wilderness.
And in Luke (below), Jesus
is “led” by the
Spirit into the wilderness.
Luke 4:1-14
- And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, [2] Being forty days tempted of the devil.
And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward
hungered. [3] And the devil said
unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made
bread. [4] And Jesus answered him,
saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word of God. [5] And the devil,
taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of
the world in a moment of time. [6] And the
devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of
them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. [7] If thou therefore wilt worship me, all
shall be thine. [8] And Jesus
answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me,
Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and
him only shalt thou serve. [9] And he (Satan) brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a
pinnacle of the temple, and (Satan) said
unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: [10] For it is written, He shall give his
angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
[11] And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou
dash thy foot against a stone. [12] And
Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord
thy God. [13] And when the devil had
ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. [14] And Jesus returned in the power of the
Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region
round about.
Devil -
diabolos,
dee-ab'-ol-os, Greek 1228; from Greek 1225 (diaballo); a traducer; specially
Satan [compare Hebrew 7854 (sat*an)] :- false accuser, devil, slanderer.
Satan - sat*an, saw-tawn', Hebrew 7854;
from Hebrew 7853 (sat*an); an opponent; especially (with the article
prefixed) Satan, the arch-enemy of good :- adversary, Satan, withstand.
HOW MUCH LIKE US WAS HE? HOW HUMAN
WAS HE? HOW MUCH WAS HE TEMPTED?
First of all, from reading Hebrews 2 and
looking at the Greek meanings of the word, it sounds like to me that Jesus was
100 percent human and even though he had that divinity, He did not take on the
nature or title of God until later. He knew who he was and he knew why he was
here. It says that he took NOT on the nature of angels but took on the seed (male
sperm) of Abraham (or humanity) and that in ALL things; he owed it to
humanity to be like them in ALL (including everything) forms like his brothers.
It also says that he was tempted or suffered, or
experienced a (sensation or impression (usually painful) :- feel, passion,
suffer, vex) in “all” points tempted like as we
are, yet without sin. If he did not actually feel
and experience the temptation then it would not have been a sacrifice for him
and there is no way that he could understand the pain and vexation that we have
to endure in the flesh. But praise God, he passed the test and sinned not so
that He could be the propitiation for our sins.
Hebrews 2:16-3:1 - For verily he took not on him
the nature of angels; but he took on him
the seed of
Abraham.
Seed -
sperma, sper'-mah, Greek 4690; from Greek 4687 (speiro); something sown, i.e. seed (including the male "sperm"); by
implication offspring; specially a remnant (figurative as if kept over for
planting) :- issue, seed.
[17] Wherefore in all
things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for
the sins of the people.
All - pas,
pas, Greek 3956; including all the forms of
declension; apparently a primary
word; all, any, every, the whole :- all
(manner of, means), alway (-s), any (one), × daily, + ever, every (one, way),
as many as, + no (-thing), × thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.
This means in every single way, not half but ALL………
Behoved
- opheilo, of-i'-lo, Greek 3784; or (in
certain tenses) its prolonged form opheileo, of-i-leh'-o; probably from the
base of Greek 3786 (ophelos) (through the idea of accruing); to owe (pecuniarily); figurative to be under obligation (ought, must, should); morally to fail in duty :- behove, be bound, (be)
debt (-or), (be) due (-ty), be guilty (indebted), (must) need (-s), ought, owe, should. See also Greek 3785 (ophelon).
Made -
homoioo, hom-oy-o'-o, Greek 3666; from Greek 3664 (homoios); to assimilate, i.e. compare; passive to become similar :- be
(make) like, (in the) liken (-ess), resemble.
Brethren
- adelphos, ad-el-fos', Greek 80; from Greek 1 (a) (as a connective particle)
and delphus (the womb); a brother
(literal or figurative) near or remote [much like Hebrew 1 ('ab)] :- brother.
[18] For in
that he himself hath suffered being
tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. [3:1] Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly
calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ
Jesus;
suffered
- pascho, pas'-kho, Greek 3958; including the forms (patho, path'-o) and
(pentho, pen'-tho), used only in certain tenses for it; apparently a primary
verb; to experience a sensation or impression
(usually painful) :- feel, passion, suffer, vex.
Hebrews 4:14-16 - Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the
heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. [15] For we have not an high priest which
cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in “all” points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. [16] Let us therefore come boldly unto the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of
need.
All -
pas, pas, Greek 3956; including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole :- all (manner of,
means), alway (-s), any (one), × daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, +
no (-thing), × thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.