For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
– Hebrews 2:18
There’s so many amazing, breathtaking, awe-inspiring, overwhelming pictures of Jesus in the book of Hebrews. This is one of them. So Hebrews 1:3 was definitely one of them. Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature. He upholds the universe by the Word of his power.
Hebrews 2:18 teaches us that Christ experienced temptation just as we do.
What an awesome picture of his glory. Now see this one, and make the connection with Hebrews 1:3. He himself has suffered when tempted, and he is able to help those who are being tempted. Do you realize this? The one who is the radiance of the glory of God took on a robe of human flesh. He experienced suffering and temptation in his humanity. Jesus experienced the fullness of the kinds of temptations we face.
Now, you might say, Yeah, but Jesus didn’t live in a day with social media. Or Jesus didn’t live in a day with this or that that we have in the 21st century. Well, yes, of course he didn’t. But this is where temptation at the core to turn aside from God, and his good ways for our lives, to ourselves, and our own ways. To give into pride, and to lose self-control. And to dishonor God or others. Those are the same in every age, regardless of what those specific temptations look like in practice. And the good news of Hebrews 2:18 for you and me today is that when we face temptation… And we will, not if, when we face temptation today… The one who upholds the universe by his power is able to help us because he is like us. That’s the picture in Hebrews 2:17.
Right before this, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest. He knows what it’s like to be tempted, and the one who upholds the universe by his power is with you today when you face temptation. And he will help you to resist it. If you and I will look to him, and trust in him, he will.
Hebrews 2:18 teaches us that Jesus shows mercy to us in our temptations.
He guaranteed will help us, which means when you face temptation today, you are not powerless. Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world, and he will help you and me at every moment we need it today. So Jesus, we look to you as our helper amidst temptation. We praise you for being tempted like we are, for suffering through temptation, you and all of your glory, taking on a robe of human flesh, and experiencing temptation like us.
All glory be to your name for your humility, for your love for us in this way, and for your help for us today. God, I pray in my own life. I pray for every one of us who’s praying this right now. God, help us amidst temptation today, amidst temptations to sin, to trust in ourselves, to turn from your ways, oh God, to our own ways.
God help us amidst temptations to doubt your goodness, your wisdom, your love for us. Help us amidst temptations to think that which is not honoring to you, to desire that which is not pleasing to you. God, help us in our temptations to say that which is not good for others, and glorifying to your name, God help us amidst temptations to do things that you’ve told us not to do, or to not do things you have told us to do.
Prayer for the Pajonal Asheninka People
Jesus, we pray. Help us today to obey your Word, and to experience life according to your good ways, by the power of your Spirit in us. We praise you for your sinlessness Lord Jesus, and we pray that you would help us to resist sin today, and to spread your salvation from sin to people around us today. Help us to point them to who you are, as the one who lived a sinless life, and died sacrificial death on the cross for us.
Oh God, help us to boldly, lovingly, wisely, gently, confidently share the gospel with someone today. And God, we pray for the spread of this gospel to the ends of the earth for the Pajonal Asheninka people in the Andes Mountains of Peru. Oh God, this small people group that’s unreached by the gospel, we pray for the spread of the good news of Jesus among the Pajonal Asheninka people of Peru. We pray all this according to your Word in Hebrews 2:18 in your name, Lord Jesus, amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
