Jesus Forty Days Tempted of the Devil - Luke 4:2

Luke the physician shared how Jesus was, “ full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness”, and in chapter four and verse two of his book Luke shared how Jesus was “forty days tempted of the devil” where we read:

Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing:

and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

The verse reads, “Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing:” Luke began with the words, “being forty days” or “and for forty sunrises to sunsets Jesus was” “tempted of the devil” which means “tried, tested and enticed to sin by the slanderous, accusing falsely, calumniator and Satan”. “And in those days” or “and within the forty sunrises to sunsets that Jesus was in the wilderness” “he did eat nothing” which means “Jesus ate, consumed or devoured not one thing”. Luke shared how Jesus stayed in the “desert area” for “forty days”, and while He was there not only was He “tested and tried” by Satan, but He also “fasted” or refrained from eating while there.

The verse continues, “... and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.” Luke added the words, “and when” which means “and at the time and moment” “they were ended” or “the forty days were over”, “he afterward hungered” which means “Jesus later began to suffer want, need, crave ardently and seek with eager desire to eat food”. Luke shared how Jesus was “hungry” after “fasting” in the wilderness for “forty days”.

When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn what Jesus was doing in the “wilderness”. Jesus was “led” by the “Holy Spirit” to go there, and He began to “fast” for “forty days” while He was there. “Satan” came to “tempt” Jesus, especially after not eating for such a long period, and because Jesus lived in a body of flesh, He was “hungry” afterward. We shall see what Satan says to Jesus in the next verse, but let us be mindful that Jesus experienced “hunger” even as people do, and because the body begins to feed upon itself after forty days of fasting, it was necessary that He eat or He would die. Jesus came to “save” people from their sins and was willing to deny His bodily desire by “fasting” so He could not only demonstrate the importance of a relationship with God, but also to prove Himself to be worthy as the “Savior and Lord” of mankind.

Next time Luke shares how, “the devil said unto him, If you are the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".