Marie’s daily verse: Psalm 56:3-4: New King James Version3 Whenever I am afraid,I will trust in You.4 In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

DAILY DEVOTION, January 5, 2024

^“ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

What a fantastic statement. Jesus is our High Priest. Under the Old Covenant, the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. He performed the rituals that brought forgiveness to the people. Jesus is our High Priest who atoned for our sins on the cross, once and for all. We sometimes think of Jesus as remote, the Son of God. How can He understand what we go through?

The inspired Scriptures teach us that He experienced temptations even as we do. We know Satan tempted him in the wilderness, and we can assume He faced many other temptations. Since He was without sin, we conclude that being tempted is not a sin. Acting on temptation is a sin.

It is difficult for me to conceive of Jesus being tempted like I am, but that is what the text says. “In all points” can only mean that His temptations were similar to ours. I find comfort in knowing that the thought of doing wrong is not sinful unless we act upon it. Jesus must have had thoughts to stray from God’s path, even as we do. Big difference. He never acted on thoughts in conflict with the will of God.

Had He sinned, He could not have atoned for our sins. He was the perfect Lamb of God who was able by one great sacrificial act to remove our sins. When you are tempted, Jesus understands. He sympathizes. He will help you resist temptation as you trust in Him.

Thank You, Jesus, for standing firm against the temptations of Satan. Thank You for atoning for our sins.  Thank You for understanding how difficult it is for us to resist temptation. Help us live close to You so that we might receive Your strength when tempted. In Your name, we pray, Amen.