Did Jesus Sin?

Did Jesus sin, could Jesus have sinned, Jesus could not sin, Jesus was tempted but without sin, Questions
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Did Jesus sin? The Bible says, “No!” Let’s answer your question.

Jesus Was Born Without a Sinful Nature

Conceived Sinless
Since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, every human – except Jesus – is born a fallen person, needing a Savior. Jesus is an exception because His mother, Mary, was a virgin when the Holy Spirit conceived Him in her womb. So, since the fall, Jesus only was born without a sinful nature.

Jesus Was Tempted but Did Not Sin

Lived Sinless
Yet Jesus was tempted to sin just like we are:
“We have a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God…. We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who was in every sense tempted like we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:14-15). 

Jesus came as a Jewish Messiah, yet at His first advent, the nation rejected Him. He defended His mission, telling them the Father had sent Him to them, yet many wouldn’t believe. So, He pointed to His purity, asking them,
“Which of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me?” (John 8:46).

Jesus was Sinless

The Bible testifies that Jesus was sinless. He had to be sinless to save others so the Father could place our sins on Him. If Jesus had sinned, He could only die for His own sin, He could only save Himself.

Jesus Bore Our Sin

Made Sin
Jesus is the only One who lived and never sinned. Yet the Father placed our sins on Jesus, and He bore our sin and took it away by dying on the cross in our place:
“God (the Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we (believers) might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus Saves Us from Our Sins

Because Jesus died and rose again, He cleanses and saves those who believe in Him (John 3:16).

Compelled to Face Satan
Jesus faced temptation at the beginning of His ministry when the Holy Spirit drove (compelled) Jesus to face Satan’s temptations in the wilderness:
“The Spirit immediately drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan” (Mark 1:12-13, also Matthew 4:1). 

When the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to face temptation, it implies that Jesus, fully human, was reluctant to face temptation—just like any of us! He didn’t keep Himself from temptation but fully experienced its terrors before defeating it.

Luke described Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane while facing the temptation to avoid the Father’s will, i.e., His crucifixion.
“When He (Jesus) came there (to the Garden) … He knelt down and prayed, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup (the cross) from Me. Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” … And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly. And His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground (Luke 22:40-42, 44).

The Temptations Jesus Faced

Satan’s Temptations
The Bible doesn’t tell us every temptation Jesus faced from Satan, but it does list three.
(1) Jesus went without food for those forty days, so Satan tempted Jesus to use His divine power to provide Himself with bread:
“(Satan) said, “If (Since) You (Jesus) are the Son of God, command that these stones be turned into bread.”
But He (Jesus) answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3-4).
(2) Satan then “Set Him (Jesus) on the highest point of the temple, and said to Him, “If (Since) You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down (because angels will save You)” (Matthew 4:5-6).
“Jesus said to him, “It is also written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Matthew 4:7).
(3) Finally,
“(Satan) showed Him all the kingdoms of the world (saying), “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:8-9). Then Jesus said … “Get away from here, Satan! For … ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve” (Matthew 4:10).

Jesus Defeated Satan’s Temptations

Jesus’ Victory
After Jesus defeated Satan’s temptations, we’re told that “the devil left Him (Jesus)” (Matthew 4:11).

Was Jesus Peccable?
People often ask if Jesus could have sinned, and there’s a word for that: Peccable. If someone calls Jesus peccable, they’re saying He could have sinned. If someone says Jesus was impeccable, they mean He couldn’t sin.

Because Jesus is human as well as God, we might think He could have fallen to temptation. Some say that if He couldn’t have sinned, the temptation He faced wasn’t real. But temptation isn’t sin, and we’re humanly capable of defeating temptation. And we’ve already seen Jesus’ victory. He didn’t sin.

Jesus Could Not Sin

Because Jesus was God, He could not sin and fall to temptation. So, whether He was peccable or impeccable (preferred), He did not sin.

Summary
Jesus was conceived sinless by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary.
Though Jesus faced temptation, He lived a pure life.
God the Father made Jesus sin for us by placing our sins on Jesus.
Jesus faced Satan’s temptations in the wilderness and triumphed over them.
We discussed whether Jesus was peccable or impeccable (preferred).
Jesus had to be sinless to save the world and apply that salvation to those who believe.

We invite you to watch the “Great News” video on this page and find out more about God’s love for you and how you can receive forgiveness and eternal life – today!

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The Prayer of Salvation

Jesus, I don't know You, and I don't know what Your plan is for me. But thank you for coming to die in my place. I'm sorry for anything I've ever done wrong in my life. I don't understand how You could ever forgive me, but if You really would, I would like to accept your free gift of grace and complete forgiveness. Please come into my life and take control, and help me trust You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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