No Samantha shortcuts

In the 1960s there was a silly sitcom called Bewitched about a likeable and pretty suburban witch named Samantha who marries a human. Her husband Darrin forbids her from using her superpowers once they’re married. For the most part Samantha submits to her husband’s rule, but now and then she finds herself in a real I Love Lucy jam, and gives in to resorting to shortcuts.

What do you think of when you are told that Jesus suffered? Do you picture His last two days on earth? Do you picture His being born in a stable? (Our pastor said last Sunday, “Yankee Candle doesn’t have a scent called ‘Bethlehem barn.’”) This is all true, but not enough to fit the bill handed us in the Bible:

“… he had to be made like his brothers in every respect…” (Hebrews 2:17, ESV).

“In every respect” means “in every respect.” When Philippians 2:7 says he “emptied himself” it means he “emptied himself.” No divine perquisites.

One “respect” in which you and I are humans is that we are tempted, and the temptations are genuinely difficult (if they weren’t tempting, they wouldn’t be temptations). Jesus’ temptations were just as tempting for Him as for us. Here is the proof:

“… he himself has suffered when tempted …” (Hebrews 2:18, ESV).

It was hard for Jesus to put to death personal desires, just like it’s hard for you. Jesus’ personal desires that were not in line with God’s will required Him to deny Himself, to put them to death. No free passes. No chimerical temptations. No shortcuts. No magic tricks.

The Bible says something shocking about Jesus:

“Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8, ESV).

Imagine the Son of God Himself learning obedience! What, pray tell, did He “learn”? I am going to assume He learned the same thing that other humans learn if they succeed in fighting and overcoming a temptation: (1) We learn that it’s doable; (2) we learn that there is a spiritual refreshment that comes afterward; (3) we learn how we did it and can do it again the next time.

When God exhorts us through the apostles’ writing to share in His suffering (Romans 8:17; 1 Peter 4:13, ESV), He is talking about temptation, not just persecution. He is telling us to join Jesus in fighting temptations through spiritual warfare—temptations to complaining, to self-pity, to lust, to doubt, to retaliation, to giving up. And when we’re told that Jesus is “able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18), He is offering actual power against precise attacks of temptation.

Samantha may have cheated now and then. But Jesus never did. Praise for the baby in the manger. Putting up with straw and cold of night was just the start of what He did for us.