Could Jesus Have Really Sinned If He Is God?
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles Tags: Bulletin Articles on God, Bulletin Articles on SinA querist asks, “Regarding the temptation of Christ in Matthew 4:1-10, was Jesus really tempted since He is Deity? Sin is separation from God, so could Jesus have really sinned if He is God?
According to the Scriptures, the answer is “yes” to both questions. Even though Jesus is divine in nature (Hebrews 4:14), He was also human (Philippians 2:5-8; cf. Hebrews 4:15) and thus became man’s perfect sin offering (2 Corinthians 5:21; cf. Exodus 29:14; Hebrews 9:26-28). Christ (in His human existence) had to experience the same similar trials and temptations that mankind experiences in order to be “a merciful and faithful high priest” and to properly “make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17-18). Christ was indeed tempted according to the Hebrew writer in Hebrews 4:15. This is why our Lord is able to “sympathize with our weaknesses” (ESV). Note that in Philippians 2:6 – ASV, the American Standard Version of 1901 renders the first phrase, “….who, existing in the form of God….” The word, “existing” is a present tense participle. It denotes that Jesus is “in the form of God,” i.e., He possesses the very nature of deity – prior to His incarnation, during that phase of His existence, and following it. He always was, is, and forever shall be God, i.e., deity in nature. But, also note in Philippians 2:6 – ASV, that Jesus did not consider His equality with God as something to be “grasped.” His equality with God was not something that He willingly chose not to selfishly “grasp” or to hold on to at all costs; rather He “emptied himself” (Philippians 2:7 – ASV) of His divine rights and privileges and assumed the role of a “servant.”
In outward fashion, the Lord became as one of us, though he ceased not to be on an equality with God. His whole humiliation from the incarnation to the cross was His own voluntary act (cf. John 10:17-18. This one act of self-sacrifice by our Lord transcends the reach of human thought.
In Jesus’ fleshly state, He was just as susceptible to sin as we are (Matthew 4:1-10). In fact, He was tempted in all avenues of sin (Matthew 4:3-10; cf. 1 John 2:16), and yet overcame those temptations. Not only was He successful in overcoming sin’s influence, but was successful in destroying the power of the devil and death (Hebrews 2:14-15; cf. 1 John 3:8; 2 Timothy 1:10; 1 Corinthians 15:26; Revelation 20:14). Praise God that our Lord overcame the world and its evil influence (John 16:33)! Because He overcame, we can as well (1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:4; cf. Romans 12:2; Colossians 1:9-10; Colossians 3:10).