How Many Days Was Jesus In The Wilderness

How Long Did Jesus’ Fast in the Wilderness Last?

During his earthly ministry, Jesus fasted only once, according to the Bible, and that was on the day of Pentecost. According to the Gospel of Luke, immediately following his baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he fasted for forty days (Luke 4:2). “Forty days and forty nights,” according to the Gospel of Matthew, was the length of the fast (Matthew 4:2). When Jesus fasted, what exactly did he mean, and why did he choose to do so? In addition, what can we learn about spiritual disciplines and their role in our lives from Jesus’ fasting for 40 days and 40 nights?

When and How Long Did Jesus Fast?

Just after Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan river, we are informed that heaven opens and the Spirit of God descends upon him, and the voice of God can be heard proclaiming, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” This is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 3:16-17). Afterwards, Jesus promptly departs for the desert, where he will be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1). According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit” when he was tested for forty days by the devil.

Many believe that the temptation helped Jesus prepare for his ministry.

Where Did Jesus Fast?

It is believed by scholars that Jesus fasted in the Judean wilderness, which is located close to the Jordan River. Temptation Mountain is an isolated and secluded location that overlooks the city but is steep and difficult to climb, according to legend, where the devil took him at one time. It is said to be the location where the devil kidnapped him at one point.

What Happens in This Story?

When Jesus fasts in each of the gospel stories, it signifies that he has chosen to limit or eliminate his food consumption. According to Luke’s story, “he didn’t eat anything for those days, and towards the end of them he was starving” (Luke 4:2). Jesus is tested at this period, as the devil tempts him in an attempt to take advantage of Jesus’s vulnerable position. To gain the grandeur of all the kingdoms of the earth, the devil tells Jesus to transform a stone into bread, to hurl himself from a cliff (to illustrate how the angels would save him), and to worship him (the devil).

The reality that “man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” is how Jesus responds to the devil’s challenge to change the stone into bread (Matt.

To the challenge of jumping from the cliff, Jesus responds with the words, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matt.

And in response to the temptation to prostrate oneself and worship the devil, Jesus says, “Away from me, Satan!

Because it says in the Bible, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone.” (Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:10). After that, the devil went; Jesus had passed the test and had refused to give in to temptation. Image courtesy of Unsplash/Kyle Cottrell.

Why Did Jesus Fast?

Jesus most likely fasted in order to prepare himself for service by becoming more intimate with God. One of the reasons people fast is to put their bodies into a condition of weakness, which allows them to concentrate on the essentials of life and hear God’s message more clearly without the distractions of so-called creature comforts, which may both soothe and divert us from our spiritual quest. Jesus was well aware that he had a difficult task ahead of him and that he needed to clear his brain before beginning to perform miracles.

He also saw that he needed to comprehend the far inferior intellect of humans, a sinful and occasionally rebellious people that sorely needed their savior, Messiah, the Christ, to be understood.

Did Jesus Drink Water or Eat Anything WhileFasting?

Fasting entails drastically decreasing one’s caloric intake, and in certain cases, completely eliminating it. We aren’t given any information on what is happening. Some academics believe Jesus ate nothing at all, which is consistent with the passage in Luke 4:2. Others believe he scavenged the bleak countryside for pieces of food that he had consumed very little of—virtually nothing. Because the fast simply mentions that he “ate nothing,” rather than that he “drank nothing,” the majority of scholars conclude that water was most likely consumed during this period.

How Did Jesus Fast for Forty Days?

Water and food are only needed for a few days, and individuals can do without water for a few weeks at the most, according to scientists. Forty days is a much longer period of time. According to the standard male lifespan, Jesus would not have survived forty days if he had only taken water and not eaten anything. He was not, however, a regular man; he was the Son of God who was empowered by the Holy Spirit and bestowed with miraculous powers, which enabled him to fast for as long was required.

Even if he had consumed some food throughout the fast, he would have been in a physically and psychologically debilitated position as a result of it.

It’s likely that he prayed and meditated in the presence of the Lord throughout this period.

What Is the Point of Fasting?

Some people fast in order to lose weight, however the majority of people fast for spiritual reasons instead. The majority of the time, individuals engage in a spiritual fast as a means of depriving themselves of physical pleasures, or even basic nutrition, in order to achieve a higher level of consciousness and knowledge of the Lord. Jesus would have fasted in order to come closer to God and to concentrate on his spiritual self, putting aside as many of his physical demands and desires as he could.

When we fast, we do it in order to deny ourselves and achieve more spiritual understanding. It is through fasting that we are able to lower our own strength and be strengthened by relying on the Lord. We also fast in order to show our support for those who are suffering.

How Can We Do a Fast Today?

If you are interested in attempting a spiritual fast, keep in mind that you are not Jesus, and that going into the wilderness alone for forty days is not a suggested choice for you. There are, however, several safe methods of fasting that you can use. In the Bible, fasting is mentioned dozens of times as a method of prayer, of grieving, or of drawing closer to God. First and foremost, contact with a medical professional before fasting to ensure that you do it in a healthy manner. Following that, experts recommend that you begin with short durations of time at a time and work your way up to larger periods.

It is more important to realize that the goal is to reach a state of bodily denial in order to better focus on your spiritual heart.
Allow yourself to be honest and vulnerable with your Creator throughout this period of time.
What we don’t know is whether Jesus fasted only once or whether this was a regular occurrence for him.
In contrast, when Jesus emerged triumphant from the desert and into the presence of his heavenly Father, he was ready and eager to accomplish anything God asked of him—including dying on the Cross for the sins of all mankind.
We can also learn about the necessity of spending time alone with God and about what we can learn when we walk away from bodily comfort and embrace difficulties for a period of time.
What Is the Purpose of Fasting, Exactly?
Her novel, The Memory Garden, was nominated for the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award, which she received for her work as a Christian novelist.
Jessica Brodie’s fiction may be found at jessicabrodie.com, as well as her religious blog.
You may also find her on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and others.

The First Sunday of Lent: Jesus is tempted in the desert // Faith at Marquette // Marquette University

As one Bible scholar pointed out, if Jesus had not revealed this event to some of his disciples, it would not have been included in the stories of his life and work. He is depicted as being susceptible to the deceptions of Satan. In the aftermath of his baptism, why would Jesus go into the desert for a forty-day retreat? For the same reason, individuals go on retreat: to reflect on who they are, where they are heading, and how they will get there in the best possible way.

The blurring of one’s perspective on life occurs as a result of all the noise and bustle of everyday existence. At his baptism, Jesus required time to process the revelation of his identity revealed to him by the words of his Father: “You are my beloved Son, and my favor is upon you.”

Matthew 4:1-11

At that point, Jesus was brought into the desert by the Holy Spirit, where he was tempted by the devil. He had fasted for forty days and forty nights and had become hungry as a result. “If you are the Son of God, order that these stones be transformed into loaves of bread,” the tempter said as he approached him and added. “It is written: ‘One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,'” he remarked in response. He was then taken to the sacred city, where the devil forced him to stand on the parapet of the temple and demanded that he throw himself down since he was the Son of God.

“Again, it is stated, you shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test,” Jesus said.

It is written: “You shall worship the Lord, your God, and you shall serve him alone,” says the Bible.

Reflection from the Preface of the Mass:

Because of his forty-day fast, this is considered a holy season of self-denial. Choosing to reject Satan’s temptations has taught us to cleanse ourselves of the hidden corruption of evil, and in doing so to eat his paschal feast with purity of heart until we reach the fulfillment of the meal’s completion in the promised land of heaven.

Suggestions for Reflection

Jesus was tested in the same way that we are. Temptations are not inherently harmful
Rather, it is how we respond to them that determines whether we turn to God or away from God. Were we tempted by temptations as a means of turning to God rather than relying on our own resources? Is there a difference between the ways Jesus was tempted and the ways we are tempted, or is there a similarity? Satan is inviting Jesus to deny his status as the Son of God, which is hidden under the surface of the various temptations he faces. Temptations, aren’t they, an encouragement to abandon the sort of person we want to be and instead turn to harmful means of satisfying ourselves? By refusing to give in to the temptations, Jesus opted to rely on his Father to fulfill his deepest hunger, to relate to people in a normal way, and to not place his trust in his reputation, power, or wealth to provide for him. How can we sate our most insatiable cravings? Do we rely on our position of prominence and power to make ourselves acceptable to others
And Are we going to utilize the forty days of Lent as a time of retreat, setting aside time for extra introspection and prayer

With Jesus in the Wilderness for 40 Days – Sword of the Spirit

— written by Don Schwager A site of trial and error, encounter, and rebirth What drove Jesus to spend 40 days and nights in the Judean desert in isolation, prayer, and fasting is still a mystery today. This desert area was essentially inhospitable, and anybody who ventured into it for an extended period of time would be in grave peril. The dangers of blistering heat during the day and extreme cold during the night, as well as the dangers of wild animals and scorpions, as well as the paucity of food and water The desert served as a location of trial, encounter, and rejuvenation for God’s chosen people Israel, as well as for many of its leaders.

As a time of cleansing and preparation for entry into the promised land, this was regarded as a holy period.
After being supplied with bread from heaven, Elijah went through the desert for 40 days without sustenance to reach the mountain of God, where he was eventually killed (1 Kings 19:8).
When Jesus went into the desert to pray and fast for a lengthy period of time, why did he chose such a desolate, lonely location?
It is stated most forcefully by Mark: “Immediately, the Spirit drove him out into the desert” (Mark 1:12).
Was it merely to put himself through his paces and prepare him for his mission?
In English, the word tempt typically refers to enticing someone to do something that is improper or forbidden.
We put airline pilots through rigorous testing to ensure that they are capable of flying in any weather circumstances, including bad turbulence and low visibility.

God tested Abraham on several times in order to demonstrate his faith and to deepen his confidence in God’s promises.

When the Israelites were put through a harrowing ordeal in Egypt for more than 400 years, they did not lose sight of God.

Jesus was tested in the same way that we are.

He traveled to the desert with no food in his stomach.

Their disobedience resulted in them eating the forbidden fruit because they placed their faith in themselves rather than in God.

For people who have lost their way, Jesus gladly traverses the desert in order to reclaim Paradise on their behalf.

Jesus responds with Scripture when Satan attempts to persuade him to change stones into food.

With regard to this text, Jerome, the renowned bible scholar who lived near the Judean desert (347-420 AD) has the following to say: The Lord answered in this manner because it was his intention to defeat the demon by humility rather than through strength.

In what source did Jesus draw the strength he needed to endure the hard circumstances of the desert and the temptation of the tempter?

Satan will undoubtedly entice us, and he will do all in his power to persuade us to choose our own desires over God’s.

Jesus was tempted in the same way that we are, and he defeated sin not through his own human effort, but through the grace and power that his Father bestowed upon him.

In order to satisfy his Father, he set off on his journey with the hope and confidence that his Father would provide him with the strength he needed to tackle the challenges that lay ahead.

When Jesus was tempted by the devil, he did not attempt to combat his enemy solely on the basis of his human might.

Jesus came to defeat the wicked one who had held us captive to sin and the fear of death for thousands of years (Hebrews 2:14).

Because of his triumph over sin and death, we have received not only forgiveness for our sins, but also adoption as God’s sons and daughters.

We all have sin and moral weakness in our life, but how can we get over them?

Those who are humble and admit their reliance on the Lord (James 4:6) are blessed by the Lord.

(1 Peter 5:8-10; Ephesians 6:10-18).

Our God desires for us to “fight the good battle of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) with the power and strength that comes from inside us through the Holy Spirit.

For me, your word is full of life and joy.” I pray that you would fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I may have the strength and courage to follow your will in all things and to abandon everything that is in opposition to it.” Besides being a member of TheServants of the Word, Don Schwager is also the author of the Daily Scripture Reading and Meditationwebsite.

This story was taken from the February 2020 issue of Living Bulwark. With permission, this image has been used. «We have a new, “refreshed” image. «The Alleluia of Easter»

Why did Jesus have to go into the desert?

Don Schwager contributed to this article. A site of trial and error, encounter, and rejuvenation In the Judean bush, Jesus fasted and prayed for 40 days and nights. What was it that drove him to do so? Those who ventured to stay in this arid area for an extended period of time would face several hazards as a result. Extreme heat during the day and extreme cold during the night, as well as danger from wild animals and scorpions, as well as a paucity of food and water, are all factors to consider.

Upon their liberation from slavery in Egypt, the Israelites embarked on a 40-year wandering expedition over the Sinai desert.
During his forty-day and forty-night sojourn on the mountain of the Lord in the Sinai wilderness, Moses engaged in prayer and fasting (Exodus 24:18).
In the desert for 40 days, Jesus fasted and prayed in order to prepare himself for the task that the Father had assigned him to carry out.
In their gospel narratives, Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell us that Jesus was driven into the desert by the Holy Spirit.
What drove Jesus to seek isolation for such an extended period of time, away from his family and friends?
In other words, was Satan tempting him as well as himself?
It is also possible that the scriptural term here refers to testing someone in the sense of proving and purifying them in order to determine whether or not they are prepared for the work at hand.

God, in the same way, tests his servants to see whether or not they are suitable and ready to be employed by him in his service.

Although God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the son of promise, Abraham did it voluntarily and without hesitation.

It was because they listened to God’s word and recalled his promise to deliver them from their foes that they gained freedom.

In this pattern of testing, Jesus did not stand out in any way.

In the Garden of Paradise, Adam and Eve had all they needed.

As a result, they were expelled from Paradise and sent into the desert.

Food is refused by Jesus in order to demonstrate his reliance on the bread of heaven, the word of God, which would sustain him not only during his physical hunger, but also throughout his hour of temptation.

He says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (quote from Deuteronomy 8:3; see also Matthew 4:4).

As a result, the Savior’s response demonstrates that he was tempted in the form of a man: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” That means that any individual who does not consume God’s Word will perish.

It gave him strength to feed on God’s word and to carry out the desire of his Father.

Unless he is able to persuade us to renounce our faith or to commit a fatal sin, he will attempt to persuade us to make choices that will take us away from what God desires for us one decision at a time.

But he overcame it, not through his own human efforts, but through the grace and power that his Father provided to him.

In order to satisfy his Father, he set off on his journey with the hope and faith that his Father would provide him with the strength he needed to tackle the challenges that lay ahead.

The devil tried to convince Jesus to battle him with his own human power, but Jesus refused to do so.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus came to defeat the wicked one who kept us hostage to sin and the dread of death (Hebrews 2:14).

Because of his triumph over sin and death, we have not only received forgiveness for our sins, but we have also been adopted as God’s sons and daughters.

Can we, as individuals, transcend our own sinfulness and moral weakness?

Those who are humble and admit their reliance on the Lord (James 4:6) are blessed by the Lord.

(1 Peter 5:8-10; Ephesians 6:10-18).

God desires for us to “fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) with the power and vigor that comes from the Holy Spirit in our lives.

“Lord Jesus, your word gives me life and pleasure.

A version of this article appeared in the February 2020 issue ofLiving Bulwark magazine. This is a licensed use. «We have a new, “refreshed” picture for you to enjoy. ‘The Alleluia for Easter’

Forty Days of Lent – Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness

This content is also accessible in the following languages: Spanish, Italian Why Lent lasts forty days, which corresponds to the meaning of the number 40 in both the Old and New Testaments, as well as the meaning of Jesus Christ’s fasting and temptation in the desert. Cycle C will be used for the first Sunday of Lent on March 1. In the English language, the particular season before Easter is referred to as “Lent.” The term is derived from the “lengthening” of daylight hours as we travel from the darkness of winter to the fresh brightness of spring, which is when the term originated.

Currently, we are in the season of theforty-days.

40 Days of Temptation in the Wilderness

As a result, we fast for forty days in remembrance of Jesus’ forty days of fasting in the desert. But, have you ever questioned why he was out there for forty days rather than seven, 10, or fifty as you might expect? Consider the stories of the Old Testament. For 40 days and forty nights, Noah and the other passengers in the Ark sat in the Ark and watched the rain fall. Moses was up on Mount Sinai for 40 days, receiving the Ten Commandments from God. For 40 years, the Israelites wandered aimlessly through the desert.

Prelude to New Birth

So what’s the deal with all these forties? The reason for this is most likely because it takes forty weeks for a woman to carry her developing baby before a new life may be born from the womb. It is important and uncomfortable to go through all of these “forties” in order to prepare for something fresh. As in Noah’s story, it’s about the restoration of an ungodly world that had been cleaned by violent floodwaters. This occurred in Moses’ situation with regard to the creation of the people of the covenant.

And what about Jesus Christ?

The approaching birth of a new Israel, freed from sin, reconciled to God, and governed by the law of the Spirit rather than a law etched in stone, is a source of hope for Christians everywhere.

The Slave Master resists Liberation

Recall, however, the history of Moses and the Israelites. A certain individual did not want them to travel into the desert to offer sacrifice to their God, and this individual was the source of their opposition. Pharaoh was not about to accept the loss of his cheap workforce without a fight. When Jesus begins his mission of freedom, there is another slave master who is no more eager to let his slaves leave without a battle than Pharaoh was to let his minions go unopposed. The devil has been dismissed as a vestige of old mythology or medieval imagination in certain circles since the 1960s, and this has been mainstream in recent years.

In cartoons and costume parties, the person with the sharp tail and the pitchfork might come in useful, but how can we take such a ridiculous picture seriously? They argue that “Satan” should be seen simply as a metaphor of human evil in the Bible.

The true EnemyHis Tactics

Such a point of view is plainly at conflict with the teachings of Scripture, Tradition, and contemporary Magisterium teaching. According to St. Paul, our struggle is not against flesh and blood. If you don’t know your adversary and his strategies, you will almost certainly lose. Zeina Kassem’s image for the banner/featured image was found on Scopio. With permission, this image has been used. During Christ’s temptation in the desert, we learn about the strategies of the “Dark Lord.” Bread, which serves as a metaphor for everything that keeps our bodily lives going, is a tremendous blessing.

Government and all leadership are designed by God to be used for the benefit of the general public; Satan, on the other hand, distorts the situation to produce leaders who are self-seeking, repressive dictators like himself.

After that, there’s religious temptation, which is perhaps the most difficult of them all: using God for our own glory, utilizing God’s gifts to draw people’s attention away from God rather than to Him.

Jesus Triumphs

In this first wrestling match, Jesus comes out on top. He instructs us on how to avoid being pinned down. Fasting helps us to let go of our unwarranted ties to temporal benefits while also stimulating our spiritual appetite. The shackles of pride are broken by humble service. The sincere worship of real faith dismantles the entire system of superstition, magic, and all pompous religious practices. Also shown as a sword of the Spirit, the word of God is revealed to be a hidden weapon that cuts through the falsehoods of the enemy.

Lent – Breaking the Strongholds

So, what happened to our forty days? It’s time to employ the strategies taught to us by our commander and take down the strongholds. Prayer, fasting, and humble service are all recommended. The Eucharist is both the heavenly bread of God and the Word of God. It is possible to achieve greater freedom if we make diligent use of our resources during this season, which is brimming with possibilities. Darkness can give way to growing light in some situations. Something completely fresh and amazing can be conceived within us.

Italy on how to make this Lent the best one yet by reading his blog post 40 FRESH IDEAS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE LENTEN SEASON.

Read Dave Armstrong’s post TheBiblical Background for the Practice of Asceticism and the Season of Lent for an excellent summary of biblical support for the Lenten Season.

Banner/featured image of the Judean desert wilderness by David Twellman. With permission, this image has been used. All intellectual property rights are retained.

Why Jesus was 40 Days in the Wilderness

. Have you ever pondered why Jesus chose to spend 40 days in a desert environment? Now here he is, the Son of God, sent to redeem the world, with just a short amount of time left to complete his earthly mission. God, on the other hand, saw it necessary for His son to spend 40 days and 40 nights away from civilization, away from any possibility to assist or benefit others. Why? Before we can comprehend why Jesus walked into the desert, we must first comprehend the incident that occurred immediately before it and the significance of that event.

And it came to pass during those days that Jesus traveled from Nazareth in Galilee to Jordan, where he was baptized by John the Baptist.
And there was a voice from heaven, saying, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I take pleasure,” and the voice continued.
Until that point, despite the fact that he was born of the spirit of God, his sole means of communication with his Father was through the (Old Testament) Scriptures.
It was his baptism by John that most accurately depicted what occurs to us when we are baptized by the Holy Ghost.

In the same way, when Jesus was baptized, the heavens were opened unto him; and behold, the Spirit of God descended like a dove and rested upon him; and behold, there came a voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well delighted.” (1 Corinthians 3:16–17) Until yet, only Jesus has reported seeing the Spirit of God descend like a dove (it is not said that the Spirit looked like a dove, but rather that the Spirit descended like a dove) upon him.

However, in the Gospel of John, we discover that John the Baptist witnessed what Jesus witnessed, and we also learn why.
(John 1:14) And I had no idea who he was (as the Messiah), but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, “Upon whoever you will see the Spirit descending, and abiding on him, the same is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I had no idea who he was (as the Messiah).
(See also John 1:32-34) John didn’t look at Jesus and recognize him as the son of God, and this was a mistake.
The very first thing God ever said to His son was that he was His beloved son, and that He was delighted with him (another way of putting it is “This is my son, the beloved, in whom I have found joy.”).
The first things God affirmed to Jesus once He was given the power to interact with him directly were that 1) he was His son; 2) he was cherished by Him; and 3) He was thrilled in him (that is, inside him).
Then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was driven into the desert to be tempted(to be tempted) by the devil.
Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:17) He is instantly sent out into the desert by the Spirit (with the intention of forcing him out in this case).

(Matthew 1:12; Mark 1:13) And when Jesus returned from Jordan, he was overflowing with the Holy Spirit, and he was driven into the desert by the Spirit.

Then, when those days were over, he was starving, and when those days were over, he became hungry again.

In the desert, it was the spirit of God who “guided” him, if not “drove” him, into the wilderness.

His Father never abandoned him or left him alone at any point in his life.

In Mark, there is a sense of urgency and intensity that is lacking in the other two recordings.

What was it?

The second thing that Jesus needed to learn about (after discovering his Father’s love and joy in him) was how his adversary operates and thinks.

What is the significance of forty days?

It rained for 40 days and 40 nights during Noah’s period.

After rejecting the notion that they were heirs to the Promised Land, Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years, until all those who did not believe died, at which point Israel entered the Promised Land and became the nation of Israel.

Having the power to directly reach heaven and his Father means, in the case of Jesus, having the ability to recognize and deal with the devil and all of the devil’s spirits on a one-to-one basis.

While in the desert, apart from others, Jesus not only experienced a tremendous closeness with his Father, but also stood up to the devil and conquered him, ensuring that this well-seasoned skill would be totally at his disposal when he carried out the duties of the Christ.

The Bible says in I John 3:8b: Since Adam, no other man has ever confronted the devil personally, with the exception of Jesus.

(If you have any queries about how the devil and his spirits reside in heaven, please refer to the study.) What is Heaven like, and when will we be able to get there?) This is because the mission of Jesus as the Christ could not begin until Jesus, as God’s visible spiritual son, had successfully tested Satan (and so had learnt to plainly discern and overcome him) (the devil and all his spiritual host of devil spirits).

Only after his effective stand against the devil in the desert, in which he demonstrated that he had gained and operated authority over the wicked one, was Jesus anointed to be the Christ, and only then did he begin his earthly ministry in the role of the Messiah.

And he made his way to Nazareth.

When he opened the scroll, he discovered the following passage: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me(verb form of “Christ”)to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who have been bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord, And he started to speak to them, saying, “This day is the fulfillment of this scripture in your ears.” (Luke 4:14a, 16a, 17-19, and 21; Matthew 4:14a, 16a, 17-19, and 21) The devil has not been able to successfully test those who appear to represent the things of God in today’s church bodies, even those who teach and preach and exercise authority over others, in far too many church bodies.

Despite the fact that they have been taught the Bible and how to teach it, as well as how to handle the affairs of their denomination, heaven has not been opened unto them in order for them to learn to distinguish the voice of their adversary and to stand against him.

Almost every man and woman who desires to serve the living God through the spirit must, by necessity, and in accordance with God’s timetable, undergo a period of testing by the devilish principalities and powers of the heavenly realm and emerge on the other side cleansed and strengthened by God.

This allows them to carry out the service to the body that Christ has worked in their heart and life successfully and powerfully, free from the deception of the enemy of God.

Related Studies

After reading this study, you may want to check out one of the linked studies listed below to see how it challenged your thinking and opened up your knowledge of Christ: What Are the Advantages of Tribulation? What is Heaven like, and when will we be able to reach there? Conform, reform, or transform are the three options. The Unforgivable Sin is a sin that cannot be forgiven. What causes us to be tempted? The Justification of Satan A Gospel that is free of impurities The Devil is our adversary.

The Reason Jesus Went into the Desert (A Lenten Commentary)

“Because Lent is a time of deeper love, pay attention to Jesus’ hunger. He is well aware of your weaknesses. “All he wants is your love, all he wants is the opportunity to love you.” — St. Teresa of Calcutta, in her autobiography During Lent, many people give up something in order to live with less; for example, some people may give up chocolate and television in order to donate a bit more money to the needy and spend an additional fifteen minutes in prayer. These activities represent a period of preparation for Easter, a period in which we should turn away from whatever it is that prevents us from truly embracing life with Christ.

In order to one day emerge into the light of the Resurrection, Jesus must first vanquish the darkness of the desert, and Lent is an invitation for us to follow him on that journey of faith.

My understanding of the Holy Spirit, the nature of Christ as God’s son, and even the beauty of Christ’s restoration of covenants from the past has been transformed as a result of this brief eleven-verse passage.

During my own faith journey, Matthew 4:1-11 has become an annual rallying cry or a source of victory for me as I walk with Jesus from the dust of Ash Wednesday, through the wilderness of temptation, and finally to joy in the Resurrection:Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil: Also, after forty days and forty nights of fasting, the man found himself starving.

After that, the tempter appeared to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, order these stones to become loaves of bread.” “It is stated, ‘Man shall not live by food alone, but by every word that goes from the mouth of God,'” he said.

He was taken to a very high mountain by the devil, who showed him all of the kingdoms of the earth, as well as the grandeur of each one, and told him, “All of this I will give you if you would fall down and worship me.” Jesus then told him, “Begone, Satan!

It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him alone will you serve.'” “Begone, Satan!” Jesus said. The devil then abandoned him, and lo and behold, angels appeared and tended to him.

The Spirit

The Holy Spirit serves as a transitional connection between Matthew’s Gospel chapters 3 and 4, and this link serves as a bridge between the two chapters. Following Jesus’ baptism, we are told in Matthew 3:16-17 that “when he came out out of the water, he looked up and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and falling upon him.” Later in chapter 4, shortly after his baptism, “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil,” according to the Bible.

When the spirit of God descends upon Jesus, “a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well delighted,”” says the Bible (Matthew 3:17).
It is also mentioned in the Catholic Church’s Catechism as a “revealing” understanding of the Holy Spirit’s actions.
CCC 689 The Holy Spirit is always revealing who the Father is, who Jesus is, and who the Father and Jesus are to one another via the revelation of the Father and Jesus.
According to the context of our specific temptation narrative, the Holy Spirit opens the doors to allow Jesus’ identity as the Son of God to be revealed via the temptations that will follow.
This passage demonstrates the tripartite character of God by showing us what the Father means when he says “beloved son” in chapter three, and by leading us into the reality of what the Father means when he says “beloved son.”

Divine Sonship

When I’m delving into the depths of the temptation scene, I’m constantly reminded of what Douglas R.A. Hare writes in Matthew: Interpretation:A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching: “This story is less concerned with the vanquishing of Satan than it is with the meaning of Jesus’ divine Sonship.” “It is, in fact, a theological reflection on the baptismal tale, answering the question: What is suggested by the celestial pronouncement, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased?'” Matthew: Interpretation, verses 23 and 24 What what is meant by ‘divine sonship’ is examined via the examination of Jesus’ humanity and divinity, as well as his teachings.

Following the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “‘son of God’ is a term given to the angels, the Chosen People (the children of Israel), and their rulers in the Old Testament.” It denotes the adoption of a sonship connection between God and his creature, resulting in a relationship of exceptional closeness between them.

“At the allotted moment by God, the only Son of the Father.
CCC 479 is a classification code.
Jesus is completely human; he goes through the motions of hunger, exhaustion, and weariness in a physically demanding desert environment.
However, since he is entirely God, he does not fall into sin, he does not fail, and he does not submit to the devil’s temptations.

True to his word, Jesus demonstrates to us what it means to live out one’s humanity in the midst of the physicality of temptation while also learning how to rely on the divine, which is a reality we all share as beings created in the image and likeness of God.

Fulfilling Covenants of Old

Because Jesus has been revealed to us as the Son of God, who is both completely God and fully man, he is able to accomplish what human beings before him were unable to. “Mathew depicts Jesus as the real Son of God who passes the tests set out by the devil and emerges as the exemplar of covenant integrity,” writes author Daniel Harrington. Sacra Pagina, number 69 As a starting point for our discussion, we noted the presence of the spirit in guiding us into all truth by leading Jesus to the desert so that he would explain to us what it means for Jesus to be “God’s son,” as we did in our last discussion.

As the Catechism describes in paragraph 394: “Scripture bears witness to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls ‘a murderer from the beginning,’ who would even attempt to divert Jesus from the mission given to him by his Father.” The appearance of the Son of God was prompted by the desire to destroy the works of the devil.

In his Homily 13 on Mathew, St.
The human Adam, on the other hand, fails to follow God and enter into covenant fidelity with God, and we see in the temptation scene that Jesus takes on the role of the “new Adam,” doing what the previous Adam was unable to do.
Jesus faced three temptations: gluttony, vainglory, and avarice.
“All three of them reenacted the one temptation that Adam faced.” 56th chapter of the Old Christian Commentary on Scripture

Becoming the New Adam

As is customary in Matthew’s Gospel, it is notably stressed that Jesus “fulfills the human shortcomings of Adam,” who fought initially with the temptation of gluttony before falling into sin (whether or not to partake of eating the fruit from the forbidden tree). This is a decision over whether or not Jesus will change the stones into bread to satisfy his hunger. Second, Adam aspires to be like God and believes that he can accomplish things on his own, without the assistance of God; in contrast, Jesus recognizes that he should not put himself in a position of testing God by jumping from the top of the parapet.

According to Hare, all three of the temptations posed to Jesus by the devil are intended to test his name and real identity as the “Son of God,” and “the primary underlying temptation that Jesus shared with us is the desire to consider God as less than God.” Interpretation, verses 26 and 27.

Treating God as though he were less than God is to either elevate oneself to the level of God or believe that one’s deeds are sufficient in and of themselves.

Restoring Relationships

As Ulrich Luz explains, “When the devil asks, ‘If you are the son of God,’ he is not disputing Jesus’ divine sonship; rather, he is presupposing it and putting it to the test.” A Commentary on Matthew 1-7, 151 pages Indeed, Jesus affirms the title of “beloved son” that was bestowed upon him at the christening ceremony. He demonstrates this by saying, “Jesus is the Son of God because he is obedient. In line with the fundamental duty to love God, he has demonstrated that he is the Son of God. As a result of this understanding of divine sonship, a new perspective on human existence is opened up: “The Son of God, in an example fashion, loves only what God has revealed in his word and obeys God alone” (2007, 154).

In the Sacra Pagina, Harrington refers to Jesus’ achievement of the temptation as “the theme of Israel as God’s son,” which means “the son of God” (pg.
A connection may be made between this understanding and the wider concept of covenants with Israel and how Jesus (in rejecting the devil) is able to restore the agreements of obedience and loyalty that God had established with the Israelites in the Old Testament.
In the wilderness, Jesus places complete confidence in God and remains true to him, demonstrating what it means to be in a mutually beneficial relationship with God and to place covenant trust in him.
“Because Lent is a time of deeper love, pay attention to Jesus’ hunger.
“All he wants is your love, all he wants is the opportunity to love you.” — St.