Hebrews 4:15

Be touched. Gr. sumpathed, “to symphatize,” literally, “to experience together with.” Having, through His human nature, experienced the weaknesses that are common to man — though without the least taint of sin — Christ is fully sympathetic with the problems and difficulties that the sincere Christian has to face. In fact, one purpose of the incarnation was that Deity might come so close to humanity as to experience the very same problems and infirmities that are our common lot. By so doing, Christ qualified to become our High Priest and to represent us before the Father.

Infirmities. Or, “weaknesses.” The negative form in which the statement is expressed makes it even more impressive than a positive statement would have been.

All points. That is, every type of temptation. For comment on some of the respects in which Jesus was tempted see on Matt. 4:1—11; cf. DA 687-694. In some mysterious way that we cannot understand, our Lord experienced the full weight of every conceivable temptation the “prince of this world” (John 12:31) could press upon Him, but without in the least degree, even by a thought, responding to any of them (see John 14:30). Satan found nothing in Jesus that responded to his cunning devices (see DA 123). See on Heb. 2:18.

As we are. In all respects, sin excepted, He became one with us (see Vol. V, p. 918; see on Phil. 2:6-8).

Without sin. Herein lies the unfathomable mystery of the perfect life of our Saviour. For the first time human nature was led to victory over its natural tendency to sin, and because of Christ’s victory over sin we too may triumph over it (see on Rom. 8:1-4). In Him we can be “more than conquerors” (Rom. 8:37), for God “giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57), over both sin and its wages, death (see on Gal. 2:20).