Last week on Things Unseen, we were thinking briefly about a series of passages in the prophecy of Isaiah,

passages that shape the life of our Lord Jesus.

And I thought that this week we should perhaps continue this focus on Jesus, but this time focus

on his temptations.

I imagine when I say the temptations of Christ, most of us think instinctively of the 40 days

at the beginning of his ministry, and we are going to think about those days.

But you'll remember he also spoke about the whole of his

life as being a time of testing. And remember how towards the end of his life he said to the

apostles, you are the ones who have stayed with me in my temptations or trials or testing.

So throughout his whole life, as Hebrews emphasizes, Jesus was being tempted in every way

just as we are. Now, how can that be? And what does it mean? After all, the scriptures teach us

that Jesus is the son of God. He's divine. And you'll remember that James says that God neither tempts nor can he be tempted.

So how could Jesus really be tempted?

Well, this is where our theology, our Christology,

helps us, isn't it?

Incidentally, I wonder if you've read R.C. Sproes' great book titled Everyone's a Theologian.

A title is fascinating, isn't it? We are all theologians.

But the point of that book is that we need to learn to be good ones.

Because if we're not clear on our theology and here on our Christology, our understanding

of the Lord Jesus, if we haven't seen how the biblical teaching about Him fits together,

then we'll be all at sea.

Well, I think you probably know the answer to the question.

...