Luke 4:1-2

Luke 4:1-2

[1] And  Jesus  being full  of the Holy  Ghost  returned  from  Jordan,  and  was led  by  the Spirit  the wilderness,  [2] forty  days  tempted  of  the devil.  And  in  those  days  he did eat  nothing:  and  when they  were ended,  hungered. 

What does Luke 4:1-2 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Reference to Jesus" fullness with the Spirit links this incident with Jesus" baptism ( Luke 3:22). There seems to be a deliberate comparison between Israel as God"s Son ( Exodus 4:22-23; Hosea 11:1) and Jesus as the Son of God in this story. Both sons experienced temptation in the wilderness for40 periods of time, Israel for40 years and Jesus for40 days (cf. Genesis 7:4; Exodus 24:18; 1 Kings 19:8; Jonah 3:4). Perhaps God regarded a period of days as the appropriate counterpart for a man compared to years for a nation. [1] Moses also went without food for40 days in the wilderness ( Deuteronomy 9:9). Israel failed, but Jesus succeeded. God led Israel into the wilderness, and God"s Spirit led Jesus there. God tested Israel there, and God allowed the devil to test Jesus there.
Satan tempts people to depart from God"s will, but God never does this ( James 1:13). People tempt God by making unreasonable demands on Him ( Numbers 14:22; Deuteronomy 6:16; Psalm 106:14). God tests, but does not tempt, people ( Exodus 16:4; Exodus 20:20; Deuteronomy 8:2; Deuteronomy 13:1-3; Judges 2:22; Judges 3:4; 2 Chronicles 32:31). All three types of testing occurred in Israel"s temptation in the wilderness and in Jesus" temptation there. [2]
Jesus proved completely pleasing to God in His trials, but Satan was displeasing to Him. Jesus, filled with the Spirit, sided with God, whereas Satan, not filled with the Spirit, opposed Him. [3] Jesus was physically hungry, but He was full of the Spirit. Thus the importance of Spirit control is obvious in this passage as is the importance of familiarity with and fidelity to the Scriptures. Jesus had been fasting ( Matthew 4:2; cf. Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9). Evidently Jesus experienced temptation all40 days, but the three instances Luke recorded happened at the end of that period (cf. Mark 1:13).