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When John’s baptism of Jesus was completed, God spoke, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” Immediately, the spiritual forces of darkness rose up in horror. This world had served Satan well. Now Satan’s only thought was “How do I destroy this Messiah before He has a chance to destroy me?”  

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 For thousands of years, Satan was often victorious. He had caused the fall of Adam and Eve, God's first human creation; he had been successful in turning many Israelites away from God into worshipping human made idols; and had even watched the destruction of the first temple to God by the invading army. He sneered in exaltation when the Hebrew people were carried off into captivity. He exalted in his victories.  

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The Hebrew writings also recorded the times Satan’s actions had failed: he failed at having Abraham kill his son, Isaac; Satan had not been able to stop Moses from freeing the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Yet he looked with satisfaction at all the human lives he still ruled. In Satan’s book, the list of those who had fallen to his schemes was much longer. It was now time to put his trickery to work against this Son of God.  

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For Jesus, it was time to confirm His calling. “Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness, and Jesus was there in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beast; and the angels ministered to Him.” (Mark 1:12-13.)  This was not a peaceful, idyllic setting but one that would challenge anyone. Wild beast, therion, means exactly that—wild beast. Both the Asian lion and the Syrian brown bear were known to inhabit the Judean desert in Biblical times. Poisonous snakes called the wilderness home. (j.post.com; jewishpress.com) The battle of wills started.  

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Why would the Spirit send Him so quickly into the desert? The Scribes taught that trials must come before promotion. “The Holy One, blessed be His Name, does not elevate a man to dignity until he has first tried and searched him; and if he stands in temptation, then he raises him to dignity.” (Edersheim). Throughout the Bible, stories convey Biblical heroes being forced into the desert: Moses after fleeing Egypt, David spending approximately 13 years fleeing from Saul, and of course, John the Baptist. Each developed a disciplined walk with God. And so, it was with Jesus. Developing discipline, facing adversity, and hearing God’s directions were life lessons to practice. The most important lesson to be learned, was just to let go and let God guide.  

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“After He (Jesus) had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.” (Matthew 2:12) Forty serves as a significant meaning Biblically. Moses spent forty years in the wilderness before being called by Jehovah to return to Egypt and free the Hebrew people; the nation of Israel spent forty years wandering the wilderness because of disobedience; Moses spent forty days on the mountain before receiving the Ten Commandments; Goliath mocked the Israelite army for forty days before David slew him; the first three kings of Israel—Saul, David, and Solomon—each reigned forty years. The most significant use of forty, though, is God flooding the earth for forty days. Just as God rebuilt humanity following the flood, He would now rebuild humanity through the life of Jesus, the Messiah. (womenofnoblecharacter.com). 

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Fasting forty days might replenish our spirit, but forty days without food can be disastrous. Besides fatigue and muscle loss, the loss of essential minerals could lead to heart failure. A simple task, such as walking or even digesting food was difficult. After forty days of starvation, Satan began an all-out assault on Jesus’ humanity.  

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“Now the tempter came to Him. ‘If You are God’s Son, tell these stones to turn into bread.’” (Matthew 4:3). This temptation centered on the weakness of the human body—Jesus's lack of nutrients to accomplish even simple physical tasks. Jesus, however, was quick to remind Satan, “The scriptures say: ‘No one can live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4). 

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His obedience was tested. “The devil took Jesus to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest part of the temple. The devil said, ‘If you are God’s Son, jump off.’” (Matthew 4:5-6). Jesus once again began his counterattack with “It is written,” and then reminds the devil, “The scriptures also say, ‘Don’t try to test the Lord your God.’” (Matthew 4:7).  

  

 One final test. Would Jesus succumb to earthly fame, fortune, and power?  “The devil took Jesus up on an extremely high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms on earth and their power. The devil said to Him, ‘I will give all this to You if You will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus answered, ‘Go away Satan! The scriptures say worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.’” (Matthew 4:8-10).  

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Jesus exemplifies an important life lesson. In God’s kingdom, there is no pass/fail or grading on a curve. Simply follow God’s direction and leave the results at the Saviors’ feet. You will then hear the words, “Child, I am well-pleased! You have overcome.”