Sometimes my sweet tooth gets me into trouble. It’s so hard to stop eating a yummy snack! I read once that a weight loss strategy is to eat half of something, dump the rest into the garbage can and then pour coffee grounds over it so that there is no temptation to dig it out. I remember reading that and thinking “if it’s really good, I don’t think coffee grounds would stop me”.

Sometimes we joke about being tempted by decadent desserts or tempted to spend the day reading instead of cleaning the house. But giving in to real temptations of sinful thoughts and actions is no joke. It’s not funny at all when we sin against our neighbor or coworker by spreading gossip about them. By listening to gossip as a friend “vents”, we are also gossiping! When we see something that we want and “borrow” it without asking and “forget” to return it, this is stealing! When we take five minutes extra for a lunch break, we are stealing time from our employer. These are all real temptations that we face every day.

Jesus felt the same temptations and pressures that we do, but unlike us, he was not born with sin. Sometimes we call the sinfulness that we were born with our “Old Adam” because we remember that first sin that Adam and Eve committed in the garden. But Jesus did not have an “Old Adam”. He was fully human, tempted by the devil, but he was not sinful.

The words that Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are” should bring us comfort. Jesus knows our struggles because he lived them! He felt the same pressures, needs, and feelings that we do. What makes him different from us is that he never sinned, never gave in to temptations, never failed. Jesus had all the feelings, emotions, and senses that we do, and yet he did not sin, not even in his thoughts.

Jesus conquered sin for us! By living his perfect life, he was worthy in God’s eyes. He earned our place in heaven, and now God sees us as his redeemed children. As Jesus stands in victory, we sit at his feet. We read and study his Word, knowing that through the works of Jesus we will one day stand before him in heaven, with the crown of victory that he won for us. Now we can approach God’s throne with confidence, knowing that our debts are paid for in full. Praise God for his mercy and love!