He Has Been Tempted

Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Often when a friend or co-worker is wrestling with a difficult situation, we say, “I know exactly how you feel!” We do that because we want the other person to know that we understand, and that the comfort or help we are offering is valuable, that we have put it into practice. We also empathize in this way to assure the person that they are not alone in dealing with this particular problem. The nation of Israel had spent hundreds of years confessing their struggles to priests, fallible human beings much like themselves. I can only imagine that sometimes when the Israelites came for advice, the priest might have said, “I know exactly how you feel.” Yet, I wonder how many times he was forced to admit that he had no idea how to deal with a specific situation, or that he had never struggled with that particular sin. Even when he did understand and empathize, he likely would have had to admit that he had fallen prey to that temptation too! We have a better High Priest – Jesus Christ. He is able to sympathize with us in every situation, in the face of every temptation. Consider our text. Jesus Christ was tempted in every area in which we are tempted – selfishness, pride, lust, greed, impatience, anger, etc. Yet, without sin! Jesus faced every temptation, but never once yielded to sin. My friend, you can come to Him with everything. And He knows exactly what you need.

-Pastor Mike