Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. (Mark 1:12-13)
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record the temptation of Jesus, but Mark gives at least one detail the other gospels don’t mention. This happened after the dramatic appearance of the Holy Spirit at the baptism of Jesus, the work of the Spirit in Jesus was to lead Him – rather, to drive Him, into the wilderness.
Characteristically, Mark said the Spirit did this immediately. That word is often repeated in Mark, because this gospel presents Jesus as a man of action, never wasting time.
Jesus was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan. After identifying with sinners by His baptism (Mark 1:9-11), Jesus then identified with sinners in their temptations (Hebrews 4:15). In the Bible, the number 40 – as in the forty days of Jesus in the wilderness – often shows a time of testing or judgment. In Noah’s flood, it rained 40 days and 40 nights. Israel was in the wilderness 40 years. Moses kept sheep in the wilderness 40 years. This was the time Jesus was tested.
In those days, Jesus was tempted by Satan. Matthew and Luke described three specific temptations Jesus suffered and how Jesus resisted Satan each time by standing on the word of God. Mark tells us that Jesus faced more than the three dramatic temptations described by Matthew and Luke. This entire period was a time of testing.
Then, Mark added something significant and interesting. During those 40 days, Jesus was with the wild beasts. Matthew and Luke made no mention of this, and according to one commentator, the grammar of the original puts the emphasis on with. In other words, Jesus was at peace with the wild beasts. This shows at least two things:
– Jesus is presented as the Second Adam. Like Adam before the fall, Jesus had a peaceful relationship with all the animals, including the wild beasts.
– Jesus remains the unfallen, sinless Man. Despite all the temptation, He retained His authority over the animal kingdom. Even the wild beasts could perceive the perfect image of God in Jesus Christ, and they paid respect to the Son of God.
Not only was Jesus among the wild animals of the wilderness, but also among the angels, who came and ministered to Him (also in Matthew 4:11). The sense in Mark is that the angels served Jesus at the end of this time of intense temptation. Victorious over sin, Jesus received the kind help and strengthening brought to Him by angels.
What a privilege for those angels! To see the victory of Jesus over sin and temptation, and then to serve their Master, was their honor.
So it is for us. Jesus identified with you in His temptations and remained the spotless Son of God. Now, Jesus asks us to also see His victory and to faithfully serve Him.