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Bible Question: I know and firmly believe that Jesus is the Messiah and that He is both God and man. My question is, "Could He have sinned?"
Bible Answer: This is a historic question that many have asked down through the years. There are several passages in the Bible that seem to imply that Jesus could have sinned. Yet, other passages seem to imply that He could not have sinned. So here we go.
Jesus Was Tempted. The book of Hebrews makes the most significant comment with,
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For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. (NASB) Heb 2:18 |
Jesus was tempted. That is what scripture clearly says. Some people have wanted to "adjust" the meaning of the passage. But the Greek word, for "tempted" has the idea of being tempted or seduced to sin. He was tempted to the ultimate limit in His suffering before and on the cross. This is the message of Hebrews 5:7.
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In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. (NASB) Hebrews 5:7 |
Jesus suffered before He was nailed to the cross and while He hung on the cross before dying. Matthew 26:36-46 tells us that Jesus had even asked the Father if He could avoid going to the cross. He was suffering! Hebrews says Jesus was loudly crying, praying and pleading, but He still submitted to the will of God the Father. Jesus suffered. He was fully tested or tempted, yet he did not sin.
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. . . but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. (NASB) Hebrews 4:15 |
That sounds like Jesus could have chosen to sin.
God Cannot Sin. Then we find scripture which tells us that God cannot lie. He keeps His promises. His "yes" is "yes" and His "no" is "no." He is not like us. He does not lie.
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God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (NASB) Numbers 23:19
. . . it is impossible for God to lie (NASB) Heb. 6:18 |
God cannot lie because He is holy. There is no shadow of evil in Him. There is no darkness.
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. . . coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow. (NASB) James 1:17
. . . because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” (NASB) 1 Peter 1:16
And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. (NASB) 1 John 1:5 |
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