This weekend I was asked an interesting question. “Did Jesus ever fall ‘in love’ with a woman the way we fall in love with the opposite sex, and have desires like us?” My mind was quick to respond, but heart made me wait and try to put the right words together.
In Hebrew 2:18 the morning I read, “Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” Jesus was tempted in every way. But He is God in the form of man. He can do no wrong. Being tempted is not a sin, but complying to that temptation is. Jesus experienced all the pain and all the suffering when He died on the cross.
Let’s go back a little and read verses 14 and 15, “Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it’s logical that the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into Himself, He destroyed the Devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death.” Jesus is God in human flesh. He had a purpose for doing so. He did this so that we (humans) can be rescued from sin (death) and death in the eternal fire, and that God can relate to us on our level. Jesus took death by the hand and destroyed Satan’s hold it has on our lives. When Jesus died on the cross, I think He literally went “to Hell and back” when He had all of our sins put on Him.
Now step back even further and read verse 13 and discover where “He puts Himself in the same family circle when He says, ‘Even I live by placing my trust in God.’” I’m thinking that if Jesus can put His trust in God, face death and defeat it, can relate to me in every situation in my life, then I’m totally going to put my trust in God too.
Now, I’m no theologian or bible scholar, but I try my best to understand God’s word.
So how did I answer the question above? I used some of the same scripture thoughts that I read today in “Walking in the Word”. I simply explained that I do not believe that Jesus had the same type of ‘love’ feelings this person was talking about in a “lustful or sexual” way. He loved women, but through God’s eyes. He had a mission and purpose on life, and engaging in this type of ‘love’ would cause complications to His purpose. He was born of a virgin and remained one Himself. How can He relate to us? Through His death on the cross, He experienced every imaginable sin when He died. But He rose again! Death did not keep Him in the grave. He is alive today. He and His word is alive (one reason) so that we can learn how to stand up to temptations ourselves, and learn from the experiences in the bible.
You may agree or disagree. You may have scripture to back it up totally and be a biblical scholar. Either way, I would love to hear your take on this, with scripture backing you up.
I do know one thing, God LOVES me and you. I hope you strive to love Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Blessings to you.
November 6, “Walking in the Word”
