Ask Your Preacher - Archives
“Forty Days in the Wilderness”
Categories: NEW TESTAMENTWhy did Jesus go into the desert for 40 days where He had to be thirsty, hungry, and face the elements of heat, cold, and discomfort - maybe even come close to dying of dehydration and starvation - JUST so he could prepare to die a horrible death. Could He have prepared for death in a less uncomfortable way?
Sincerely, Seriously Sympathetic
Dear Seriously Sympathetic,
Those 40 days were Jesus’ first major test. Jesus had to do more than just go to the cross; He had to live a life free of sin as well (1 Pet 1:19). Christ had to live a perfect, sinless life while still enduring all the temptations that every other human experiences (Heb 2:17-18).
After Jesus was baptized and before He started preaching, He was led into the wilderness for forty days. The purpose of those forty days was for the devil to tempt Christ (Matt 4:2), plain and simple. In a weakened physical, emotional, and mental state (Lk 4:2), the devil threw his best and cleverest arguments at the Son of God. Jesus repelled them all (Matt 4:10). After that initial temptation, Jesus was left alone by the devil for a period of time (Lk 4:13). Jesus’ character is shown not only in how He died… but in how He lived like no other man.
