The Year of our Lord, Jesus Christ
1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
This may seem like a strange verse to start a devotion about the words that Jesus spoke while on earth. After all, the above verse is not attributed to His lips, the Apostle John wrote these words as inspired by the Holy Spirit. But however, by the end of this short devotion perhaps the loop will be made and the teachings in today’s verse will be seen in the life of our Savior.
John states clearly that sins in this world can be grouped together in three distinct categories. One is the lust of the flesh. One is the lust of the eyes. One is the pride of life. All sin, no matter its name can be placed into at least one of these three categories.
Now, the writer of Hebrews stated about the Messiah: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15 The phrase “in all points” means that the Lord was tempted in all three of the categories of sin.
Now, consider the story of the great temptation of Christ. When he was hungry after fasting for forty days the tempter tempted Him with bread; the lust of the flesh was tempted. By tempting Jesus to cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple to prove that He was the Son of God He was tempted in the pride of life. Then by showing the Lord all the kingdoms of the world promising to give them to Him, Jesus was tempted in the lust of the eyes. Combined this means that our Hero was tempted in all points, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Yet, He did not sin; He yielded to none of these. He was absolutely perfect without sin or fault. This he had to be, for without such perfection He would not be the suitable sacrifice for the sins of the world.
This sets the Lord Jesus Christ apart for all who ever lived, are living or will ever live because every single person has, at one time or another, to one degree or another, sinned in one or more of these three areas. Isaiah said it like this in Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Thankfully, when God the Father laid our iniquity upon Jesus, He was found to be perfect. He truly gave His life for the sheep, not only in death but in every moment of His life on earth.
Until Next Time,
William T. Howe, Ph.D.
Comments