Zach asks:
“Hebrews 4:15 says (ESV) "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."
Guilt. While this isn't necessarily something that I struggle with I can honestly say I have had a couple friends admit to me that they struggle with feeling guilty about their sins. Yes they are Christians and they do know that if they ask for forgiveness they will receive it, but there are still times where Satan will try and tempt them into believing that they are too guilty and not "good" enough for God. How can Jesus sympathize with this weakness? He was "good" enough for God because hew as perfect. Guilt is a feeling he never had to deal with and yet I still feel Satan can use that as a means to tempt someone. How then can Jesus have been tempted in every way?
I look forward and appreciate your response.
Soli Deo Gloria
Zack”
Very interesting question, Zach. I will do my best to provide a Biblical answer.
Answer
As I thought about this question, I realized how difficult it is to answer. Jesus never committed a sin and thus would have no reason to ever experience guilt. However, it must be remembered that Hebrews does in fact say that Jesus had “been tempted in every way” (Hebrews 4:15, NIV) and that would include being tempted to feel guilty. While Jesus never actually experienced guilt, He might have been tempted to (due perhaps to the sin He was about to bear). It must not be forgotten that while Jesus was completely God, He was also completely Human.
Speaking more generally, however, it must also be observed that the passage you quoted states that “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15, ESV) The passage states that Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses, not necessarily that He has experienced every single human weakness. Thus, rather than finding a way in which Jesus might have technically felt guilt, it is more likely that He never did. This does not take away from Jesus’ ability to sympathize with our plight as weak human beings, however, since on a very basic level Jesus understands that as God He is perfect and as sinful human beings we are not. Thus it would be natural to still experience some guilt after salvation since one will continue to recognize how sinful he or she really is. Jesus, knowing this, can thus sympathize with us and comfort us (He is, in fact, the God of all comfort, see 2 Corinthians 1:3) so that we do not wallow in such a place.
Thank you for the question! My apologies for how long it took to respond to it.
God bless,
Robert A. Rowlett