Jesus Understands

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18 (ESV)

When it comes to temptation, do you consider that Jesus understands what you’re going through?

Maybe you think, “Jesus, walked the planet and was tempted. Big deal! That’s nothing compared to what I face.” But is that true?

Jesus fully experienced life as a human with all the desires, limitations, pain and temptations. Philippians 2:5-8 (MSG) says that Jesus “set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges.”

Jesus faced temptation in all the same areas as we do. It was so hard on Him that today’s verse says He suffered through it. Don't think about Jesus as teflon-covered and skipping through life, dealing with the devil and enduring a brutal death without even breaking a sweat!

Jesus was betrayed and abandoned by His closest friends (Matthew 26:56). He was lied about, plotted against and publicly mocked (Mark 14:1). He experienced loneliness, frustration and anger (Mark 3:5). He knew distress, and what it felt like to be misunderstood (Mark 14:33-34). Because Jesus endured and withstood all the temptations life threw His way, He can relate to us far more intimately than we realize.

If you’re thinking, “Nobody gets what I’m going through,” I’ve got good news. Jesus understands. He experienced struggles and temptations first-hand. There is not a single thing that you’ve gone through that Jesus doesn’t understand, and He wants to help you.

The more you get that revelation, the more it makes you love Him!