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Hebrews 2:18 - Victory in Christ.

Hebrews 2:18 (NIV) Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 2:18 (NLT) Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

INTRODUCTION

Knowing that Jesus suffered pain and faced temptation helps us face our trials. Jesus understands and empathizes with our struggles because he faced them as a human being. We can trust Christ to help us survive suffering and overcome temptation. When you face trials, go to Jesus for strength and patience. He knows your needs and will help you (see 4:14-16). [Life Application SB 2019]

COMMENTARY PEARL

Never Another Like Him.
   "we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but One that hath been in all points tempted like as we are." Hebrews 4:15, R.V.
   "In that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted." Hebrews 2:18.
   Christ alone had experience in all the sorrows and temptations that befall human beings. Never another of woman born was so fiercely beset by temptation; never another bore so heavy a burden of the world's sin and pain. Never was there another whose sympathies were so broad or so tender. A sharer in all the experiences of humanity, He could feel not only for, but with, every burdened and tempted and struggling one. Ed 78-79

COMMENTARY

Your Salvation Sponsor
   Dr. Bob Smith, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, sponsored more than 5,000 alcoholics over the span of a decade. Smith, like all sponsors, was a recovering alcoholic. He knew the pitfalls personally, and he'd made progress in his own sobriety. Those two factors are critical ingredients to winning the confidence of another alcoholic - and without that confidence between an alcoholic and their sponsor, recovery is unlikely.
   Jesus is your salvation sponsor. Though He was perfect and without sin (Hebrews 4:15), Jesus was also fully human. "Made like His brethren," He lived In a broken world, where He suffered and was tempted as we all are in one way or another. Because of this experience, He understands broken humans. He knows humanity's pain and limitations.
   Because Jesus experienced temptation and because He remained perfectly righteous, you can have confidence in Jesus as your High Priest. He knows how to help you when you are tempted! The help Jesus offers is not just empathy. It is overcoming power. He has conquered temptation, so He can help you do the same!
   Note these words: "He had to be made like His brethren: Taking humanity on Himself was necessary in order to be the kind of High Priest you need. Jesus' brotherhood with humanity makes Him uniquely merciful and faithful. This is excellent news! His mercy means that He's willing to forgive when you deserve punishment. His faithfulness means that He won't give up on you no matter how long it takes. Hallelujah! Victory is possible - and Jesus will help you each step of the way.
   Dear Lord, I need Your help to overcome. Thank You for the confidence that comes from knowing that You are uniquely able to understand and help me. [The Most Amazing Bible Promises by Amazing Facts]

Tempted As We Are
   You will never face a temptation so strong that God has not made complete provision for you to overcome it. God, out of His love, has done everything necessary for you to be victorious whenever you face temptation. He has clearly revealed His will to you in Scripture so that you will not be confused about the right thing to do. He has placed the Holy Spirit within you to guide you in your decisions and to convict you when you make harmful choices. With every temptation God also provides a way of escape so that you never have to yield to it (1Co 10:13). Everything is in place for you to experience victory over every temptation.
   God in His infinite love, however, has done even more to safeguard you from temptation. He has allowed Himself to suffer the full brunt of temptation. The very Son of God humbled Himself, taking on all the limitations of frail human flesh, and was tempted in every way that we are. Jesus knew what it was like to grow tired, to be hungry, to experience the same limitations we have; yet He was without sin. It is to this One that we turn when we are facing temptation. Ours is not an unsympathetic God who is unconcerned with our struggle to live righteously, but we follow a God who knows how difficult it is to resist sin and withstand temptation. We can approach Christ with confidence, knowing that He understands our plight. He knows how to aid us when we are tempted. [Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby ]

ILLUSTRATION

   The church service had barely begun when I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket. Annoyed that a notification alert was interrupting the moment of worship, I checked it quickly to make sure no one in my family needed me. They didn't. Instead, the notification read: "Totally not spam would like to share a photo." I rolled my eyes and ignored it. There was no way I was accepting photos from a strange account. Who knows what I would find if I did?
   But a few minutes later, a second alert came through. "Totally not spam would like to share a photo." Someone in the church service was sending this request. I scanned the auditorium, looking for anyone who was on his phone instead of singing along with the praise band, but no one looked suspicious. I ignored the alert again but struggled to keep my mind on Jesus after that. I was so curious. Who was sending this request? What photo did they want me to see? And why was the urge to accept the request so strong even though I knew that Totally not spam was most certainly a spam account?
   This is what temptation feels like, I realized. I knew what was right, but I still felt the desire to satisfy my curiosity. I thought about Jesus and His promise to help those who are being tempted by providing a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). With a prayer of thanks, I turned off my phone, buried it in my purse, and began worshipping Jesus again. Emily E. Ryan
   Faith Step: Next time you feel temptation growing stronger, begin worshipping Jesus. [Mornings With Jesus 2025 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]

INSIGHT

Often misunderstood is how Jesus was tempted "in all points ... as we are." Rather than having experienced every sinful craving known to humans, He felt the intensity of sinful craving in all three classes of temptation: "the lust of the flesh [sensualism], the lust of the eyes [materialism], and the pride of life [egotism]" (1 John 2:16). All sin can be categorized into one of these three major divisions of sin. [The Most Amazing Bible Promises by Amazing Facts] mod.

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY

1 Corinthians 10:13 - Temptation Comes with Limits and a Way of Escape.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2025/20250103-1352.html

Hebrews 4:15 - Sympathy And Empathy in Temptation.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20241027-1341.html

Hebrews 4:16 - Pray For Mercy And Grace To Help In Time Of Need.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220407-0942.html

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/