The Temptation of Jesus, Part 1

Lord Jesus, we thank you for this day, and we thank you for your great sacrifice on Calvary's tree. We thank you, Lord, that you came to this earth, dwelt among us, and thank you, Lord Jesus, for the life you lived, and the life you gave, so that we might have that life imparted to us. Our prayer this morning is that everyone in this room would understand the life of Christ in them, that great mystery that can be obtained through faith in Jesus Christ alone. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. If you have your Bible, turn with me to Luke chapter 4.

Luke chapter 4. My daughter, one of my daughters on the way in this morning, asked me if I was going to speak on the Christmas story. And I said, of course I am. I'm in the Gospel of Luke. The whole story of Luke is about Jesus Christ our Lord. Whenever you talk about Christ, you talk about the Christmas story. And the essence of today's story is probably, listen very carefully, the most important aspect of the Christmas story. Because what happens in Luke chapter 4 is absolutely essential in order for us to be saved from our sins.

You see, Luke chapter 4 and the temptation of Christ is not just another nice aspect of the life of Christ. It is the most crucial aspect of the life of Christ. Because you see, if Christ cannot defeat Satan in the wilderness through the temptation that comes his way, he will never be able to defeat him at Calvary. So this becomes essential. It becomes the final exam of Christ before his public ministry. This exam in the wilderness is proof positive that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. He is God in the flesh.

And if it's so important for us to grasp this, because you see, it sets the tone for his whole ministry. The Bible says this in 1st John chapter 3 verse number 8.

The Son of God appeared for this purpose that he might destroy the works of the devil. Folks, that's why Christ came. He came to destroy the works of the devil. This story in Luke chapter 4 is the heart and soul of the incarnation. So this becomes, in essence, the greatest aspect of the Christmas story. Because if Christ fails here, he fails altogether. He must be able to conquer Satan. He must be able to conquer sin. He must be able to conquer temptation. Or he can't save his people from their sin.

So this becomes absolutely essential for us in understanding Christ and his identity. Let me read to you these 13 verses and then we'll talk about them, of course, not all of them today, but we'll at least introduce them today.

Verse number 1, chapter 4. And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness for 40 days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they had ended, he became hungry. And the devil said to him, if you are, literally, since you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread. And Jesus answered him, it is written, man shall not live on bread alone. And he led him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

And the devil said to him, I will give you all this domain and its glory, for it has been handed over to me and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if you worship before me, it shall all be yours. And Jesus answered and said to him, it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only. And he led him into Jerusalem and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, if you are the Son, or since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, he will give his angels charge concerning you to guard you.

And on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against the stone. And Jesus answered and said to him, it is said, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test. And when the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. That last verse is a phenomenal verse. The devil leaves, but only for a brief moment, because he will come back again at the next opportune time. Folks, we want to cover four things with you over the next couple of weeks.

One is this. One, an introduction. There's one introduction I want to give you. Then there are two questions I want to answer. And then there are three temptations we want to study. And there are four conclusions that will help us draw application from this study. This becomes absolutely essential for us to understand not only the identity of Christ, but the practicality of his ministry in our lives as we go from day to day. Luke's Gospel, one introduction to chapter 4. Jesus is fully man. Jesus is fully God.

We have discussed this already. The Bible says in verse number 38 of chapter 3 that Christ is the son of Adam and the Son of God.

He is fully human. He is fully God. But listen to what I'm going to say, because you need to understand this. He is fully human, but he is not human like you or I are human. He is 100% man. He is 100% God. But in his humanity, he is completely different than you. Why? Because of what's on the inside of him. You see, what's on the inside of Christ is absolute holy perfection. But what's on the inside of you and me is absolute depravity, sinfulness, awfulness, and wretchedness. And so Christ is 100% man, but what's on the inside of him is completely different than what's on the inside of us.

And that becomes important to understanding the temptation of Christ in Luke chapter 4. When Christ became a man, he laid aside his divine attributes. We have talked about this as well. He set aside those divine attributes as God. It doesn't mean that he ceased to be God. He always was and always will be God. But he voluntarily and he willingly set aside those divine attributes to become a man. That is important. And yet, what's on the inside of him is different. Let me give you an example.

In the temptation of Christ, everything that happened to him happened extrinsically. In your temptation, it happens to you intrinsically. There is a big difference. Why? Because James tells us that every man, when he is tempted, he is drawn away by his own lusts and is enticed. James chapter 1. So we know that what's on the inside of us screams out, reaches out to grab a hold of that which comes to us extrinsically. Because of what's on the inside of us, we scream out lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life.

Because we are fallen in nature. But the nature of Christ is absolute perfection, absolute holiness, unstained, unblemished, untouched by any sin because he is God. Understand this. The humanity of Christ is protected by his deity. Remember in the Mount of Transfiguration when he unzipped his flesh and the glory of the Lord shone forth? You see, when we unzip our flesh, what's on the inside is not too pretty. But when Christ unzips his flesh, what's on the inside shines forth because it shines forth the glory of Almighty God.

Yes, he is 100% man. And yes, he is 100% God. But in his humanity, he is not like us. You say, wait a minute. The book of Hebrews says he became a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses. Hebrews 2 says he took on flesh and blood to be a partaker of our humanity. Yes, that's all true. But what's on the inside of him is not what's on the inside of you. I've said this to you before. I'll say it to you again. Our problem is that we think that Jesus Christ is just a better brand of us. But he's not.

He is completely and utterly different than us. Completely. And I'm hoping to help you understand that this morning as we begin our study of the temptation of Christ. John 14 verse number 30. Listen to this. This is so good. Christ says this.

John 14 verse number 30. I will not speak much more with you for the ruler of the world is coming and he has nothing in me. The ruler of this world has nothing in me. In other words, he has something in you, but he has nothing in me. He can't touch the inside of me. He has nothing to accuse me of because we know that Satan is the accuser of the brethren. But there is nothing in me that he can accuse me of. Why? Because he is holy perfection. He is spotless. He is unblemished. Now, having said that, there are many cults who don't believe that Jesus is God in the flesh.

The Mormons don't believe that. The Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe that. But let me tell you who did believe that.

Satan believed it. The demons believed it. Jesus was known to Satan as the Son of God. So Satan, in his effort to tempt him, had one goal in mind and that was to destroy the credentials of the Messiah. To destroy the credentials so that he could not save his people from their sin. Let me tell you something.

Satan doesn't like to lose. I've never met anybody who likes to lose. If you like to lose, it's probably because you're a loser, alright? People don't like to lose. I mean, think about it. Satan, of all people, doesn't like to lose. He's a loser because he can't win. But to make sure he doesn't lose, he's gonna always give it his best shot. Always. And don't think for one moment that he didn't give his best shot. In Luke chapter 4, the temptation of Christ in the wilderness. And having said that, understand this.

That the temptations of Christ in the wilderness are completely, listen, unique to him. And unlike any temptation you will ever face. Mainly because Satan himself personally comes to Christ and tempts him. I don't want to make a blow to your ego today, but Satan doesn't do that with you. He doesn't personally show up and tempt you. He doesn't have to. He has his emissaries to do all the damage he needs in your life. Because you see, you're easy prey for him. You're not that big a deal for him. But the Messiah was the biggest deal.

So Satan himself shows up. And Satan does something absolutely unique in the life of Christ because he wants to destroy the credentials of the Messiah. Now listen.

You know as well as I do that the first Adam was created sinless. But he fell into sin. The second Adam, Christ himself, cannot sin and therefore he will not sin.

Jesus' job is to lift sinners to heaven from their fallen condition. He is the head of a new humanity. Adam was just a man, but Christ is the God-man. His humanity completely protected by his deity. Let me illustrate it for you this way.

Think of it. Adam, when created, was in the Garden of Eden. He was in paradise. Adam lived in a sinless world. Everything for him was perfect. He had the perfect work environment. He had the perfect wife. Absolute perfection for Adam in paradise. Jesus, in his temptation, was in the Judean wilderness. He was in the barren desert. Next time we discuss this, I'll tell you a little bit about what that place looks like. It's called in the Old Testament, the devastation. Because nothing lives there, because nothing can grow there.

It's a desert. It's a wilderness. And while Adam lived in a sinless world, Christ came to a sinful world. Adam had never known, listen, any temptation until Genesis chapter 3. He had not known any temptation. That means that he did not have his resistance being broken down day after day after day, where he could no longer stand it anymore, and he fell. He fell at the very first opportunity that came his way in temptation.

Christ, on the other hand, had 30 years of temptation. 30 years of trial while on this earth. Plus, he had 40 days in the Judean wilderness where he was tempted by the devil, those 40 days. And then Satan came to him in person and gave him those three unique temptations to try to disqualify him from his Messiahship. Everything that could break down his resistance was before him, and yet he did not sin. Understand this, that when Adam was created, he was created perfect. So he had perfect human strength.

Christ, in his humanity, was weakened in his body with no food for 40 days. On top of that, Adam had every conceivable thing he could possibly want to enjoy life. He needed nothing because he had everything. And yet when the first temptation came his way, he fell.

Christ, he gave up everything to have nothing. Not even a place to lay his head. He's all alone, and when temptation comes, he does not succumb. He withstands every temptation that Satan throws his way. The point is very obvious. Adam fell. Jesus did not. In the best of circumstances, Adam fell. In the worst of circumstances, Christ did not. You need to understand that as we examine what this temptation is all about. Where the first Adam failed, and in him we all die, the second Adam succeeded, and in him we live.

That's my one introduction for this lesson. Let me give you two questions. One deals with the reality of Satan. The other deals with the impeccability of Christ. First of all, the reality of Satan, there are many people who do not believe that Satan exists.

So the question comes, is there a devil and does he really exist as the Bible says? Well we could spend a whole slew of Sundays talking about the existence of Satan and how he was created and how he fell and how he lives to destroy your life and destroy mine. In fact the Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 11 14 that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

In John 12 31 he is called the ruler of this world. In John 8 44 he is a murderer from the beginning and a father of lies. In 1 Thessalonians 3 5 he is called the tempter, and in 1 Peter 5 8 he's like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Satan is real. He does exist and he exists to destroy your life and mine because he doesn't want to burn in hell alone. So he'll do all he can to keep you from coming to the truth and the realization of the truth that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.

And although you cannot see him he does exist. That's so important. But number two the impeccability of Christ.

And this question centers around the fact could Jesus sin? Now maybe this isn't a question you ask but let me tell you something.

Theologians over the years have debated this issue. Could Jesus have sinned? And you would be absolutely astonished to hear about the many theologians who believe that Jesus could sin in his humanity. The question comes could Jesus sin? The answer to that is no. Why? Because you have to answer it Could God sin? And the answer to that is no because he is perfectly holy. There is nothing in him that would cause him to sin because he is perfect. Jesus had no capacity in him to produce any kind of sin.

Luke 135 he is called the holy offspring. He is that holy one of Israel. Listen if you can sin you will sin. If you can't sin you won't sin. Did you get that? If Christ could sin in his humanity guess what? He would have sinned. You say well then that poses another question. If Christ could not sin in his humanity then the temptation then for him could not have been real. It could not have been a real temptation then if he could not sin. Well let me answer it to you this way.

Are there not times in your life and I pray that there are many opportunities like this where you are tempted to sin and you don't? Does that mean the temptation that came your way was not real? No it was real but through the power of God you were able to overcome that temptation and you did not sin. So that doesn't mean the temptation wasn't real. Oh it was real but by the power of God you overcame that temptation. Satan tempted Christ personally and Christ was personally exposed to the evil system that Satan had.

And while everything was real to Christ in his mind he had no internal capacity to turn that temptation into a but it doesn't mean that he didn't feel the reality of that temptation. Just like when you are tempted and don't sin you don't feel the reality of that temptation. On top of that remember Satan doesn't come to tempt you because he doesn't have to. You're in a pushover for him. We gave the illustration to you a couple of months ago about putting a baby on top of the stage. If you want to push the baby off the stage we don't want to do that but if you did it wouldn't take much to push the child off the stage because they're a little child.

If you were to put a pillar of stone that weighed 10 tons on the stage couldn't push it over. But you'd have to exert more energy to push it over to realize you couldn't do it. Well the same is true with Christ. For us it's like the little child that can be easily pushed off the stage but Christ was like that 10 ton pillar that could not be moved and so Satan with all of his fury with all in his possession with all that he had he did everything he could to tempt Christ to get him to fall and he would not fall because he could not fall.

It's called the impeccability of Christ. You need to understand this because there are many theologians who tell you yes Jesus could have sinned in his humanity he just chose not to sin. Folks that's not true and I'm going to prove to you this morning why that cannot be the case because Jesus is God in the flesh. Listen if you want to describe God the best way to describe him is to describe him by the way he describes himself. Would you not agree to that? Sure you would because you're such agreeable people.

Isaiah 57 verse number 15 reads this way for thus says the high and exalted one who lives forever whose name is holy. You ever think about it when God wants to name himself he names himself holy. Psalm 111 verse number 9 says the exact same thing. Holy and awesome is his name. That is the name that God gives himself. He is a holy God. The Bible says over in Exodus 15 verse number 11 who is like thee among the gods O Lord who is like thee majestic in holiness.

Revelation 15 verse number 4 for thou alone art holy. Psalm 99 on three separate occasions says holy is he. Holy is the exalted one. Holy is the Lord. When you speak of the holiness of God you say that God is distinct or he is unique or he is separate. The word in Hebrew kadesh the word in Greek hagios is a word that means to separate. Christ is separate from his creation and Christ is separate from all corruption. That's what holiness entails. He is completely utterly distinct and separate and unique from humanity.

So even though he became a man in his humanity he is completely distinct and unique and different because he is separate from humanity. Even though he became a man because he is a holy God. Now if you were to go to Revelation chapter 4 you know that in Revelation chapter 4 you have the four living creatures around the throne of God and they say night and day without ever ending holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty. The angels in heaven in all of their wonder when they look upon the throne of God the only thing they can reiterate over and over and over and over is that God is holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty and they say it unceasingly unendingly all throughout glory because they are completely captivated by the holiness of God.

Our God is a holy God. He is holy in his wrath. He is holy in his justice. Holiness describes the character of God and that holiness is manifested in his power, his love, his grace, his mercy, his justice because that's who God is. He is completely distinct and separate from his creation. There is nothing like him created. There is no one like him created or uncreated. Everything is completely distinct and separate from him because he is separate from creation and separate from corruption. Everything in this world is tainted with corruption.

Everything because of the fall of the first Adam in Genesis chapter 3. Jesus Christ in all of his humanity remains distinct and separate because he is holy. This is so important for us to understand. You see let me say it to you this way.

Jesus is always being. We are always becoming. Does that make sense? Jesus is always being. That is he is the I am. That is he is the God who was and who is and who is to come. It speaks of his eternality. He has no beginning. He has no ending. Everything else has a beginning. Everything. But we as humans although we have a beginning we have no end. But there was a time we began with Christ with God there was no beginning because he always was and always is. Now I cannot comprehend that and neither can you.

We're not meant to comprehend that because he is completely distinct and separate from us. He's not a better brand of us. He is completely different than us. We must understand that in order to understand Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord. Now because Christ is always being we are becoming and what are we becoming? We're becoming worse and worse and worse because we are sinners. Everything about us is decaying. It's becoming worse but with Christ he always is because he always was and he always will be because he is eternal.

That's why it says in Isaiah chapter 9 verse number 6 that the son that will be given and the child that will be born is called everlasting father. Now the son is not the father and the father is not the son like the spirit is not the father or the spirit is not the son. But the son is called. Did you get that by the way? You might have missed that by the tape. He is called the everlasting father. In other words he is called the originator of eternity. The son given the child that was born is the originator of eternity.

Well the only way that you can originate eternity is to be eternal. And that's why the son given is the eternal God of the universe. That's why Micah chapter 5 verse number 2 which speaks about the place where the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem that his days are from long ago from eternity past. It speaks of the eternality of the son that was given and the child that was born. You see because Christ is always being we are always becoming. He is completely different than us. He is not like us even though he became like us in our humanity in order to experience the things that we experience yet without sin because there is no sin in him and the reason there is no sin in him is because there is nothing intrinsically in him that would cause him to succumb to a temptation so that sin would be present in his life.

It's because he is holy. He is separate. He is unique. He is distinct. from us. The best way to understand that is not by looking into heaven in Revelation 4 and seeing God in heaven. The best way to understand that is the incarnation. It's like when you come to church. The best way to understand your holiness is not on Sunday morning while you're in church. It's Monday morning when you're at work. Right? I mean it's kind of easy to be holy here because you're in with holy people. Worshipping a holy God.

Focused in on God. But when you leave this environment and you go into the workforce that's where the reality of your Christianity takes place. The reality of who you are is not taking place necessarily in here but out there. The reality of the holiness of God while it is seen clearly in heaven it is best exemplified in the incarnation when Christ became man. Because then he dwelt with sinful man. Then he dwelt in a sinful environment and yet he was without sin. That's why the Bible explains to us in Hebrews 1 verse number 3 that he is the radiance of his glory.

The exact representation of his nature. That's why the Bible says in Colossians 2.9 that in his body dwells the fullness of the Godhead to its greatest extent.

Because he is filled with grace and truth. In his body he is God in the flesh. And so we understand that at his birth he is called the holy offspring. This child will be unlike any other child that's born. He will be distinct. He will be separate throughout his life. That's why at his baptism in Luke chapter 3 the father could declare from heaven this is my son in whom I am well pleased. It's because he lived the first 30 years of his life in perfect obedience and in perfect holiness so that his father would be well pleased with his life.

At his death what does the Bible say? First Peter chapter 1 that he was the lamb that was offered. He was a spotless lamb. He was the unblemished lamb. He was the undefiled lamb that was offered. In other words he went through his entire life without ever sinning. And the reason that is is because he is holy. He is separate. He is distinct from us. I like how the mid-evil theologians described it. They described it as non passe peccare. Not able to sin. Not passe non peccare. Able not to sin. Big difference.

It wasn't that he was able not to sin. It was true that he was not able to sin because he is completely holy. Turn with me in your Bible to John chapter 8 verse number 23.

John chapter 8 verse number 23. Let me see if I can explain it to you. And he was saying to them you are from below I am from above. You are of this world I am not of this world. Now folks that is the clearest description of Christ being utterly distinct from us. He is from above we are from below. He is not from this world we are of this world. He is holy. He is distinct. That's why it says in verse number 24 I said therefore to you that you shall die in your sins for unless you believe that I am you shall die in your sins.

In other words because I am from above I am God in the flesh. Unless you believe that I am that is the great I am God himself you will die in your sins. And then he says over in verse number 46 these words. Which one of you convicts me of sin? Boy they wish they could convict him of one sin. If they could just convict him of one they'd have him. But they could not convict him of any sin because he is holy and he is distinct because what's on the inside of him is different than what's on the inside of you.

Turn to Mark chapter 7 for a moment I'll explain that to you. Mark chapter 7 verse number 20. And he was saying that which proceeds out of the man that is what defiles the man. For from within out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man. You see every sin that you commit comes from the inside out.

The reason God can never sin therefore will never sin is because on the inside of him there is nothing that's evil. There is not a sin nature. He has a nature unlike yours and mine because he is God in flesh. He is perfect humanity. He is perfect deity. Never to involve himself in any iniquity because he is God. And Christ says very clearly that which comes out of a man is what defiles him.

That's why the Bible is replete with exhortations about who you hang around with and where you go. Because the Bible knows, God knows that if you hang around the wrong people guess what you're going to do? You're going to sin. That's why the Bible says bad company corrupts good morals.

1st Corinthians 15 33. That's why in 1st Corinthians 5 Paul said to those in Corinth there's a man among you that's sinning. Get him out of the church because if you're not careful he will infect everybody in the church. Why? Because that's the power of sin. You hang around somebody, listen, who's involved in sin guess what you're going to do? You're going to sin. Because there's something in us that screams out slander, jealousy, thievery, fornication, immorality. Christ named just some of those sins.

They're in the heart of man and they scream out. And when the opportunity arises, it's almost like there's a hand in your heart that just reaches out and grabs it. Because that's what temptation does. See with Christ there's nothing in there to reach out and grab anything because he's completely holy and spotless and undefiled. So the Bible says in Psalm 1 the man who's blessed is not the one who walks with sinners or stands with evil people or sits in the seat of the scornful.

You don't stand, sit or walk with evil people. You just don't do those kind of things. Because if you do you will be like those people. You will fall into sin. That's why in Jude 23 it talks about how we in our evangelistic efforts pull people out of the fire by snatching with them. There's the warning giving making sure that your garments are not soiled in the process. Why? Because even in our evangelistic efforts when reaching out to people who are unsaved there is the possibility of endangering yourself and falling into that kind of sin.

Now having said that, think of the ministry of Christ and what did he do? He went to evil places. He came to the evil earth. He came to sinful people. You see because he is not like us, he's not a better brand of us, he's completely different than us, he could go and be with sinners and be completely unaffected by them. You can't. You can't do that. As much as you'd like to think you can in the piety of your own mind, you can't. You will be affected. You've got to know it's replete with exhortations.

Be careful where you go, who you hang around with, what you say with other people because if you're not careful it's going to snatch you right into sin. You've got to be careful about those kind of things. But look at Luke 5 for a moment with me if you would please.

Luke 5. Listen to this. Luke chapter 5. We'll be here in a couple of months. Luke chapter 5. Says this. Levi had in verse 27 followed Christ. He left everything behind, rose and began to follow Christ. Verse 29. And Levi gave a big reception for him in his house. And there was a great crowd of tax gatherers and other people who were reclining at the table with them. Think about that. Levi gets saved. So what does Levi do? Like any normal saved person, he wants to introduce all his unsaved people to Jesus.

By the way, that's how you know you're born again. Because when you get born again, what's the first thing you want to do?

You want to introduce all your unsaved friends to who Jesus is. Well that's what Levi does. He's born again. He's following Christ. Let's have a party at my house. So who does he invite? He invites the thugs. He invites the thieves. He invites local tax gatherers. He invites the prostitutes. That's the party he has at his house. Now can you imagine the conversation around the table? These people don't know who Jesus is. So can you imagine every thief talking about his next escapade and what he had just stolen?

Can you imagine every prostitute talking about how she wooed and seduced every man? All this around the table in the presence of who? Jesus, the Savior of the world. Verse 30, the Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at his disciples saying, why do you eat and drink with tax gatherers and sinners? And Jesus answered and said to them, it is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Jesus says this, it's not what they can do to me, it's what I can do for them.

See, I can lead them into glory. They can't lead me away from glory because that's who I am. That's why the commentary on Jesus, Matthew 11, verse number 19, was this. The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they say, behold a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax gatherers and sinners. That's how Christ was described. Because he came to save sinners. Well the only way you can save a sinful world is to be completely unaffected by the sinful environment of that world and that is God in the flesh.

That's what Jesus came to do. Luke chapter 7, turn there with me if you would for a moment. Luke chapter 7, verse number 36. Now one of the Pharisees was requesting him to dine with him and he entered the Pharisees house and reclined at the table. And behold there was a woman in the city who was a sinner. In other words she was a prostitute. She was a harlot because she was well-known in the city. And when she learned that he was reclining at the table in the Pharisees house she brought an alabaster violet perfume and standing behind him at his feet weeping she began to wet his feet with her tears and kept wiping them with the hair of her head and kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfume.

Verse 39. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself if this man were a prophet he would know who and what sort of person this woman is who was touching him that she is a sinner. In other words if Christ was truly God in the flesh he would know who this woman was because no natural man who was a man of God would allow himself to be touched with a woman of this sinful stature. Because the Pharisee knows that if the woman was doing that to him he would succumb to temptation but not God.

Because it wasn't about what she did to him it's about what he could do for her. He could save her from her sin because he is a sin conqueror. He is the one who defeated sin in the temptation of the wilderness throughout his entire life and ultimately at Calvary's cross. So when it's all said and done the commentary on Christ after he died and rose again was this. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens.

That was the commentary of his life after he died and rose again completely separate from sinners, undefiled, unblemished, unstained because he is God in the flesh. One more illustration Isaiah chapter 6. Isaiah chapter 6. In the year King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on the throne lofty and exalted with the train of his robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above him each having six wings and two he covered his face and with two he covered his feet and with two he flew and one called out to another and said holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.

The whole earth is full of his glory. Isaiah gets a vision of the Lord of hosts and what he hears and sees is holy, holy, holy. It says in verse number four in the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said woe is me I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and I live among the people of unclean lips for my eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts. Isaiah says I am unclean because I have seen the Lord of armies.

I have seen Yahweh Sabaoth. I have seen the one who is holy, holy, holy. And the Lord asks who will go for me? And Isaiah said I will go. I will go for you. And Christ said go and tell this people keep on listening but do not perceive. Keep on looking but do not understand. Render the hearts of this people insensitive their ears dull and their eyes dim lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears. Understand with their hearts and return and be healed. Then I said Lord how long? And he answered until studies are devastated and without inhabitant.

Houses are without people and the land is utterly desolate. The Lord has removed men far away and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land yet there will be a tenth portion in it. Isaiah says I will go. And Christ says you go.

You go. But people will not hear because their ears have been dulled. Their hearts have become insensitive to the truth. They will not hear. And then Isaiah says well if they are not going to hear how long do I keep on going? He says you keep going because there is a remnant. There is a tenth who will believe in me. You keep going because some will believe. Not all but some will believe. Now turn to John chapter 12. John chapter 12 verse 36. Christ says while you have the light believe in the light in order that you may become sons of light.

These things Jesus spoke and he departed and hid himself from them. But though he had performed so many signs before them yet they were not believing in him. And the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled which he spoke. Lord who has believed our report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? That is Isaiah 53. Verse 39 for this cause they could not believe for Isaiah said again. This is Isaiah 6. He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart lest they see with their eyes and perceive with their heart and be converted and I heal them.

These things Isaiah said because he saw his glory and he spoke of him. In other words what Isaiah saw in Isaiah chapter 6 was the Lord of hosts who is Christ himself. He saw a Christophany. He saw an appearance of the Lord Christ himself in glory and he is holy, holy, holy. And when John comes and writes his gospel because John's emphasis remember is on the deity of Christ. He is proving that Jesus is God in the flesh. And the way he does that is he takes you back to Isaiah 6 to show you what Isaiah saw because what Isaiah saw is what John and everybody else experienced with the incarnation of Christ.

He is the holy, holy, holy one of Israel. He is God in the flesh. And folks that's the only way, the only way you can understand the Christmas season. And that's what this season is all about. The holy one of God came to destroy the works of the devil. And that is clearly seen in the temptation of Christ in Luke chapter 4 as he was unable ever to sin because he is God in the flesh. And because of that he who knew no sin became sin for you and me. Why? That we might obtain the perfect righteousness of Christ.

That somehow we might obtain that life for us. That we might have eternal life. The life of God in us. That's why we celebrate Christmas. We celebrate it because it's the reality of God becoming man. The sinless one involving himself with sinful people yet untouched by sinful man because there was nothing in him that would scream out to succumb to temptation because he is completely separate, distinct and unique from us. He is God in flesh. Let's pray. Father God we thank you for this day. The opportunity you give us to study the Word of God and the great truth that Jesus could not ever sin.

And the reason he cannot sin is because he is God in the flesh. What's in him is not what's in us. And therefore Lord we realize even more today that what you did by sending your son Jesus Christ to this sinful world was to redeem us from the stronghold of Satan in our lives. That we truly might experience salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.