The author of thirteen New Testament books, the illustrious Apostle Paul, was human. Even after planting churches over much of the Roman Empire, he still struggled with temptation and sin. He was human.
In a letter written near the end of his third missionary journey, Paul admitted that he struggled in the spiritual battle against fleshly desires. “I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate… I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do” (Romans 7:15–19). In moments of weakness, Paul sometimes did what he knew he shouldn’t, and he didn’t do what he knew he should. He was guilty of sins of omission and sins of commission.
That comforts me, because as a human, I struggle with temptations too.
Jesus was also human. In fact, He was the “Carpenter’s Son” (Matthew 13:55), the older brother to “James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas”(Matthew 13:55), and an unknown number of sisters (Matthew 13:56, Mark 6:3). In a large family, there were surely interpersonal struggles… “Get out of the bathroom! It’s my turn!” … “It’s his turn to sweep the floors in the Carpenter’s shop!” … “Momma, he called me a Gentile!”
In His daddy’s woodshop, when He got a splinter in His finger, or when He hit His thumb with the hammer, I’m sure He didn’t rattle off a string of expletives.
When Jesus was “worn out from his journey” (John 4:6), He flopped down beside Jacob’s well.
Because He was thirsty, He asked a woman to draw some water from the well (John 4:7).
When Jesus was heartbroken, standing at the side of His friend’s tomb, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).
When He was hungry, he enjoyed a good meal (Matthew 9:10, Luke 5:29; 7:34).
When He was exhausted after a long day, He slept (Matthew 8:24; Mark 4:38).
When He was indignant, outraged at the religious leader’s selfish and sinful ways, He invited them to respectfully leave His Father’s house of prayer (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-47; John 2:14-16).
The Carpenter’s Son was different than any other man. “He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:22–24). “There was no sin in him” (1 John 3:5) “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Though He “did not know sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21), He bore our sin to the cross, so that we might be clothed in His righteousness.
Jesus constantly and completely won the battle against temptation and sin. Always, even though He was human, He was victorious over Satan’s evil enticements.
He was 100% human (and 100% divine) … He was perfectly sinless… He was the Carpenter’s Son.
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