He Gets Us: Diving Deeper | Plan 2Sample

He’s Vulnerable like Us

Ask any recovering alcoholic and they’ll tell you before you claim victory one day at a time, you must resist the temptation to drink one hour at a time. Even one moment at a time.

Overcoming the temptation to choose the wrong is a battle of moments for all of us. When faced with what to do, we too often do what we want, regardless of the consequences.

• We know we should love each other, but how quickly that sharp word comes out.
• We know we should resist getting distracted by media, but too soon we’re scrolling through content that imbeds itself in our brains.
• We know we should hang in there with a tough relationship but the very next time we’re offended, we walk out of the room.
• The temptation to choose the wrong is strong and we wish we were stronger. But sometimes we’re not. It may surprise you to know that Jesus knew all about this pull. He lived in the tension of temptation every day.
• When people lied about him and wrongly accused him, don’t you think he was tempted to take revenge, like in a flash? Nobody would have blamed him.
• When he interacted with wealthy people, don’t you think he was tempted to covet their stuff? He didn’t even have a home or a bed to sleep in and often, not enough to eat. It just would have been nice.
• When the women who followed his ministry served him—like when they washed his feet with their tears and dried them with their hair—don’t you think he was tempted to lust?
• When his cousin John the Baptist was beheaded, don’t you think he was tempted to doubt that God knew what He was doing?
• At the turn of every event leading to his death on the cross, don’t you think Jesus was tempted to find an exit? He could have easily enough.

But he stood strong. If Jesus had given in to those temptations, he would have been nothing more to us than a casualty of war. He knew the battle, yet he never gave in.

So the question now is, do you think you’ve stepped over the line, gone too far, and now each bad decision you make further disqualifies you from this life Jesus modeled? Think again.

Because Jesus knew the full force of temptation, he gets the struggle you face today. He identifies with you in every way and to the greatest degree.

And he isn’t walking away.