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Tempted for our sake
The Scriptures tell us that our High Priest Jesus was "tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4,15). This significant truth is reflected in the historical Christian doctrine, according to which Jesus, with his incarnation, assumed a vicar function, as it were.
The Latin word vicarius means "to act as representative or governor for someone". With his incarnation, the eternal Son of God became man while preserving his divinity. Calvin spoke of the "miraculous exchange" in this context. TF Torrance used the term substitution: “In His incarnation the Son of God humbled himself and took our place and positioned himself between us and God the Father, taking upon himself all our shame and condemnation—and not third person, but as the one who is God Himself” (Atonement, p. 151). In one of his books, our friend Chris Kettler refers to "the powerful interaction between Christ and our humanity at the level of our existence, the ontological level," which I explain below.
With his vicarious humanity, Jesus stands for all of humanity. He is the second Adam who is vastly superior to the first. Representing us, Jesus was baptized in our place - the sinless in place of sinful humanity. Our baptism is therefore a participation in his. Jesus was crucified on our behalf and died for us that we might live (Romans 6,4). Then came his resurrection from the grave, with which he made us alive at the same time as himself (Ephesians 2,4-5). This was followed by his ascension to heaven, with which he gave us a place at his side in the kingdom there (Ephesians 2,6; Zurich Bible). Everything Jesus did, He did for us, instead of us. And that includes his temptation on behalf of us.
I find it encouraging to know that our Lord faced the same temptations as I - and resisted them in my behalf, representative of me. To face our temptations and resist them was one of the reasons why Jesus went to the desert after being baptized. Even though the enemy cornered him there, he remained steadfast. He is the overcomer - representative of me, in my place. Understanding this makes a world of difference!
I recently wrote about the crisis that many are going through in terms of their identity. In doing so, I explored three unhelpful ways people typically identify: had to resist. In his human representative function, he met and resisted her in our place. "For our sake and in our stead, Jesus lived that vicarious life in utter trust in God and His grace and goodness" (Incarnation, p. 125). He did this for us in the clear certainty of who he was: the son of God and son of man.
In order to resist the temptations in our lives, it is important to know who we really are. As sinners saved by grace, we have a new identity: we are Jesus' beloved brothers and sisters, God's dearly beloved children. It is not an identity that we deserve, and certainly not one that others can give us. No, it is given to us by God through the vicarious incarnation of his Son. It only requires trusting in him to be who he really is to us in order to receive from him with great gratitude this new identity.
We draw strength from the realization that Jesus knew how to handle the treachery of Satan's subtle yet powerful temptations regarding the nature and source of our true identity. Carried by the life of Christ, in the certainty of this identity, we realize that what has tempted us and made us sin is becoming ever weaker. By embracing our true identity and bringing it to our lives, we gain strength, knowing that it is inherent in our relationship with the Triune God, who is faithful and full of love for us, his children.
If we are unsure of our true identity, however, temptation is very likely to set us back. We may then doubt our Christianity or God's unconditional love for us. We may be inclined to believe that the very fact that we are tempted equates to God's gradual turning away from us. Knowledge of our true identities as God's sincere beloved children is a generous gift. We can feel secure thanks to the knowledge that Jesus with his vicarious incarnation for us - instead of us - withstood all temptations. Knowing this, if we sin (which is inevitable), we can suddenly pick ourselves up again, make necessary corrections and trust that God will move us forward. Yes, when we confess our sins and need God's forgiveness, this is a sign of how God continues to stand by our side unconditionally and faithfully. If this were not the case, and if he had actually let us down, we would never turn to him again of our own free will to accept his generous grace and thus experience renewal thanks to his acceptance, which we meet with open arms. Let us turn our gaze to Jesus, who, like us, was tempted in every way without succumbing to sin. Let us trust in his grace, love and strength. And let us praise God because Jesus Christ triumphed for us in his vicarious incarnation.
Carried by his grace and truth,
Joseph Tkach
President GRACE COMMUNION INTERNATIONAL
