Did you and I have a beginning? Yes, I began to be March of 1939. No, this not what we call my birthday but month I was conceived! When my mother conceived me I was a human being. Jesus became a human being at the time Mary conceived him. This is also the way all of us began to be!
There are nations that start the age of a person from conception, and they count your age as one year old at birth. So just back up nine months from your birth and that is how old you really are. If I remember correctly, South Korea is one nation that counts their age as one when born. This would work for America but we have a hard time getting a woman to tell how old she is and would make her one year older than she is the way we do it.
The point is that Jesus had a beginning, in his flesh and blood being. John put it this way: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14). As pointed out in the first article on this subject; the words “was made” is the Greek word, “ginomai,” and means “to cause to be.” (Strong). Notice how Luke puts this: “To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.” (Luke 1:27) Then, read these words also from Luke: “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall beover shadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). Here are the words of Matthew: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:18). Mary was not found with child of Joseph or any other man but of the Holy Spirit. Here we have both his humanity (of Mary) and of the Holy Spirit (His Deity) the Son of God. John use the words, “The Word (Diety) was made flesh” (his humanity). Yes, Jesus had a beginning; a time when he was not and a time when he was! At the same time, he had no beginning – God!
To answer our first question, which was: Did Jesus have a beginning, a time when he was not and a time when he came into being! This also answers the our other two 2) Can God be tempted and 3) Was Jesus tempted?
First, can God be tempted? One verse will answer this, James wrote: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:” (James 1:13) God cannot be tempted! But this put us in a state, of answering this question: “Was Jesus tempted, if so, and he was, how can he be God. As we have pointed out, Jesus was both human and God and it was through his humanity that he was tempted and not his Deity! Here are few verses that will show his humanity: “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt. 26:9). Jesus prays in his humanity. As he said, “not as I “(his humanity) then “but as thou wilt,” the will of Deity! How deep was his prayer, let Luke tell us: “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” This was his humanity, as Deity does not have sweat but humanity does. How grateful are we of Jesus and his humanity? Before continuing let us once more recall the word in Hebrews: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15-16). How grateful are we for the humanity of Jesus?
Second, was Jesus tempted and how can it be so? Jesus in his humanity he was tempted but not his Deity! God cannot be tempted; hear James once more: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:” Never say, “God is tempting me!” Let James tell us how we are tempted: “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1”14-15).
Jesus was both Deity and human! If we lose sight of this we will miss the greater part of the four gospel accounts! Yes, Jesus in his humanity he was tempted just as we are but in his deity he was never tempted!
– Frank R. Williams