What Happened While Jesus Fasted?
by Eric Anderson—
What Happened While Jesus Fasted?
As we have seen in previous posts, Jesus fasted for 40 days in the Judean wilderness. During his fast something very significant happened. But to understand why we need to go back to something that happened with Adam and Eve.
God had placed Adam in the garden of Eden and gave him one important command. Adam could eat from any tree in the garden, except he must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But later his wife Eve was deceived by the crafty serpent (who was later revealed to be Satan).
The serpent said to the woman, “You won’t surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” [1]
Instead of trusting and obeying God, she looked at the tree and decided for herself what seemed to her best to do.
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too. [2]
This disobedience broke God's command to Adam with terrible consequences for them and for us. Even now to this day, we too are tempted in ways that Eve was tempted.
Eve saw "that the tree was good for food", and now we are still faced with the strong desires and hungers of our body. An apostle of Jesus named John referred to such desires when he wrote of "the lust of the flesh". [3]
Eve saw "that it was a delight to the eyes", and now we are still faced with strong desires for whatever our eyes find delightful or appealing in appearance. John referred to such desires when he wrote of "the lust of the eyes". [3]
Eve saw "that the tree was to be desired to make one wise", and now we are still faced with strong desires for whatever might make us look great in the eyes of others. John referred to such desires when he wrote of "the pride of life". [3]
After Jesus was baptized he went into the wilderness and fasted for 40 days. This was the kind of fasting where he ate no food at all the whole time. He only drank water. If a human body has water, it can live for weeks on its fat reserves, but eventually these also run out and starvation hunger begins. This happened to Jesus as he fasted for forty days, and while he was fasting, the devil came to tempt him. Each test was like the temptations that we face—and that Eve faced—but each temptation of Jesus was made much worse.
Eve only saw that "the tree was good for food", but Jesus had not eaten anything for forty days and his body was hungry for any food.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” [4]
Jesus did not give in to the temptation to break his fast, even with his body so hungry for food.
Eve only saw that the forbidden tree "was a delight to the eyes". Jesus was tempted with a sight having far greater splendor and glory.
The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The devil said to him, “I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want. If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “Get behind me Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’” [5]
The Boastful Pride of Life
Eve was tempted with the pride of how "the tree was to be desired to make one wise", but the devil tempted Jesus to show everyone at the temple that Jesus was supernaturally protected.
He led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answering, said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” [6]
Tempted Like We Are, Yet Without Sin
In every way that Eve was tempted and that we are also tempted now, Jesus was also tempted by the devil himself. Yet Jesus resisted each kind of temptation and did not sin. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews described Jesus as a high priest who is able to help us in our time of need.
Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold tightly to our confession. For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need. [7]
The victory of Jesus over temptation and sin was not only for his own faithfulness. It was also for our benefit. That is why we are invited to "draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need." God wants us to have the gifts of mercy and grace for help that he offers to us through Jesus.
*If you would like to participate in a Bible study about this subject and similar ones, email us at comparingfaith@gmail.com or text 313.485.7153.
[1] Tawrat, Genesis 3:4,5
[2] Tawrat, Genesis 3:6
[3] Injeel, 1 John 2:16
[4] Injeel, Gospel of Luke 4:3,4
[5] Injeel, Gospel of Luke 4:5-8
[6] Injeel, Gospel of Luke 4:9-12
[7] Injeel, Hebrews 4:14-16
Quotations are from the World English translation of the Bible (WEB), Public Domain