Did Jesus Ever Sin?

When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they introduced sin into the world; they understood evil and could choose to engage with it. From then on, each person to exist entertained and engaged with the sinful side of their nature. These sins created a debt in the ledgers of people’s lives; for a while God instituted a sacrificial system, but every sin required a new sacrifice.

To pay for these debts once and for all, Jesus Christ came to earth, lived as a man, and died on the cross, paying for them in full. He rose again three days later. While on earth, Jesus was fully God, and fully man. He was still one with the Father, but experienced human frailty. For some, they wonder if that means He sinned, failing to live a perfect life. However, the Bible makes it clear that Jesus did not sin, or He could not have served as the perfect lamb, innocent of the sin committed for which He gave His blood.

Jesus did not sin during His life on earth, and because of this truth anyone who repents and follows Him can be forgiven, forever.

Did Jesus Ever Sin?

Jesus’ existed before His birth on earth, in perfect harmony with the Father and the Spirit. He was at, and participated in, Creation; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14).

When He did come to earth, He gave up some of His divine nature. He could be harmed, existed in time, and needed food and water to stay physically strong. He got sick, needed sleep, and needed Mary and Joseph to help Him grow up. He was fully human. However, the Bible also makes it clear He knew who He was, and that He still maintained attributes of God.

The Apostle Paul expressed it succinctly, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people...waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11, 13). Jesus is God, and did not cease to be God, even when He lived on earth. He even got in trouble with the religious leaders when He said, “I and the Father are one,” to which the Jews responded, “...you, being a man, make yourself God” (John 10:30, 33b). While He had human frailty, Jesus still maintained His connection to the Father and the Spirit, and God cannot sin.

What Does It Mean That Jesus Was "without Sin"?

When the Bible says that Jesus was “without sin,” it means that He did not commit any sins; but it also means that He did not carry a sin nature the same way other people do.

Paul wrote, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Even when examining the temptation of Jesus Christ in the desert, Satan did not tempt Him with regular, fleshly behaviors or lusts. He was tempted to turn stones to bread, to throw himself down so as to bring the angelic hosts to him, and to bow before Satan who would then hand over the kingdoms of the world. None of these things are true temptations for Jesus, as they are things that were already, or will be, His.

The ability to exert power over the natural world, to command the hosts, and to rule the kingdoms of the earth were and always will be His. He even stated this fact at His return to Heaven after the resurrection, “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…’” (Matthew 28:18a). Satan could not tempt Jesus with earthly delights, but only with things that would become Jesus’ in the fullness of God’s timing.

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Was Jesus' Anger at the Merchants in the Temple Sinful?

One passage that can seem like an instance of Jesus being in sin is His moment of anger at the temple. In the week leading up to His crucifixion, the Lord came into Jerusalem, and went to the temple that was the center of worship for the Jewish religion. People made pilgrimages there, journeying great distances to make sacrifices to the Lord. Often people could not bring the animals needed to appropriately sacrifice to the Lord, whether because of distance or cost. It became common practice for there to be markets around the temple so people could buy what they needed.

Over time, these markets became increasingly exploitative. They charged a premium, particularly if they knew the person did not have options. They also conducted this business within the temple grounds. While the practice of selling inside the walls had happened a long time, this meant they were abusing their power and draining the poor and the believing gentiles of their resources. Sometimes they would ask for so much the individuals could not pay.

Another exploitative practice employed at the temple was the selling of animals that were not up to the requirements outlined in the Levitical law. Jesus was angered at the deceitful practices in His Father’s house; “He said to them, ‘It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:13).

What Jesus felt here was righteous anger. This emotion is driven by correctly identifying a sin or a wrong, understanding its offense against God, and responding appropriately, if with firmness or even a harshness. Throughout the Bible, God expresses righteous anger at sin, particularly when it hurts the down-trodden. Jesus’ actions here are in line with that part of God’s nature, and are not sinful.

Why Is It Important That Jesus Never Sinned?

In order for the sins of the Israelites to be atoned, a spotless lamb had to be sacrificed. In order for the sins of all humanity to be cleansed, an even more perfect lamb was required. Jesus needed to be perfect, and without sin, because then He would have needed saving redemption as well.

Even more significant though, He did not come and spend a few moments without sin, and then die. Instead, He came and lived a full price, so that He could stand before the Father as an advocate who understands the struggles of humanity. “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). He endured the same things as others but overcame them.

Because our Redeemer lived an ordinary life, humanity can have hope, because there is nothing this fallen world, or Satan, or others can beset upon believers that Jesus did not conquer up to and including death. No matter how great the sin, Jesus’ sacrifice was fully sufficient because He was sinless. “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:14). If Jesus sinned, He would not be God, nor could He be the Savior.

It can seem impossible to believe that anyone lived a perfect life, or that someone capable of doing it would allow their perfect life to be ended for the sake of billions of imperfect ones. Jesus’ love and compassion for others, as well as His submission to the will of the Father, is what led Him to be willing to be the perfect lamb. Just as the Hebrews sacrificed perfect lambs to atone for their sins, the sacrifice to atone for humanity needed to be perfectly sinless, lest that individual also need redemption.

If Jesus had not lived a perfect life, His death would have been in vain. Instead, He lived without sin, rose from the grave after His sacrifice, and paved the way for all who put their faith and trust in Him to go to be resurrected one day alongside Him.

Sources

Bloesch, Donalg. Jesus Christ Savior & Lord. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 1997.

Piper, John. Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2006.

Sanders, Fred and Klaus Issler. Jesus in the Trinitarian Perspective. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2007.

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Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com.