Was Jesus perfect? That question might be one of the most important questions you can ask. As a follower of Him myself, it’s the fact that He was perfect and the Son of God that is the foundation of my faith and everyone who follows Jesus to make disciples.
Why is it important to answer “Was Jesus perfect?”
Long before Jesus ever came down to earth, the Old Testament prophesied that a Messiah would come. In the Jewish culture, they temporarily atoned for sins with a sacrifice for God. It had to be their first and their best, a perfect sacrifice. The Messiah would be a spotless “lamb of God” and serve as the ultimate, permanent sacrifice and forgiveness for not just one person’s sins but for all the sins of humanity. Was Jesus perfect? He had to be to fulfill the Messianic prophecy.
This perfection was crucial for our salvation. Without Jesus’ sinless life, the sacrifice on the cross would not be enough to free us from our own penalty of sin.
So, was Jesus perfect?
He was indeed. By His very nature, as God came to earth, Jesus was perfect. We see His perfection in the wisdom and righteousness of his actions, miracles and words throughout the Bible. By every moral standard, He was perfect and his act of sacrifice is the world’s greatest example of altruism. Even in the face of great temptation, He was perfect.
It’s hard enough for us to be without sin for ten minutes thanks to our own selfish desires, much less having to endure temptation directly from evil incarnate.
In Luke 4:1-13, Jesus was led by the Spirit to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing, while Satan tried to goad Him into fulfilling his basic needs by turning stone into bread. But Jesus told him “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone’” affirming the Word, and telling Satan He will not betray the spiritual world to satisfy the physical need.
Then Satan offered Jesus power over all the kingdoms of the world if He worshipped him. In our power-hungry world, people do much worse for far smaller amounts of power. But Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
Then he attempted to trick Jesus by telling him to prove to everyone He was God with a miraculous act. But Jesus responded, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” In each temptation, Satan asked Jesus to act selfishly. But Jesus knew the will of God and acted in perfect accordance to His will.
What does Jesus’ Perfect Example Mean for us Today?
When Jesus died sinless on the cross for our sins, he defeated death so we could live eternally with Him in heaven. And during our time on earth, we can live our lives fearlessly with this assurance.
It also means we can study his perfect example and apply it to our lives to get closer to God. We can even talk to Him anytime and ask for His guidance.
Are we perfect? No, and that’s ok.
Was Jesus perfect? Yes, and I’m eternally grateful for it.
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