What Jesus did for US!

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

I wonder if we really realize everything that Jesus went through for us. Jesus, left His glory and His kingdom, was born into this world as a baby, suffered through life, suffered pain and heartache and temptation for you and me. We think about the pain and His suffering but do we ever think about what it was like for Him to be tempted? Today's verse says, "for God cannot be tempted with evil", which is a true statement. Jesus never faced temptation while He was with His father. He never knew the pull of sin personally. He is God, so He knew the effect that it had on us, but He had never experienced it until He came to Earth. When we think about Jesus being tempted, there is a thought in the back of our mind telling us that He wasn't really tempted, the devil was just trying to tempt Him. That is a lie straight from the devil. Hebrews 4:15 says, "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." Jesus was tempted so that He could be there for you and me when we are tempted. Hebrews 2:18 says, "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." I went to seminary with a Police Officer that had surrendered to preach. He was offered the position of Police Chaplain and He was telling us what an opportunity this was for Him. He said that many times, Police Officers were hesitant to talk to the Chaplain because they were talking to someone that had never been an Officer. The Chaplain didn't really know what the Officers faced or what kind of stress it brought on them because he had never experienced it. Since my friend had been an Officer, the men and women he served would be more likely to trust him and to open up to him, giving him more opportunities to share Christ. Jesus is in the same position for us! We don't have to trust a God who has no personal knowledge of what it's like to be a human. He became a human for us. He was tempted like we are tempted so that when we are tempted, we can go to Him and find help. Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." If you read Hebrews 4:15 and 16 together you realize that we can come unto the throne of grace becaue of Jesus being tempted like we are. Many times we are embarrased by what tempts us. We are ashamed and want to hide from God, not go to His throne, but Jesus is telling us to come to Him when we are tempted. Seek Him. Remember His faithfulness..."13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 He knows you are going to be tempted. Turn to Him when you are.