40 days in the desert

[jmanu86]

I'm new to this forum, so I hope this is not topic already posted.
OK, here's the deal: After being baptized, Jesus went into the desert to spend 40 days and nights and during this time he was tempted by Satan. I'm pretty sure you all know this passage from the Bible (according to Mark, Luke and Mathew). Now, how would you take this lecture? I mean: taking this as a real fact in the way it was told; Is it metaphor the temptation of the Devil? Like, a parable bearing another kind of "spiritual journey" or something else?

I do have a point of view; but I'd like see what you guys think first. :D

[togre]

As I look at the texts that record Jesus' temptation I see none of the literary features that would indicate this is a parable or any other rhetorical device. So that leads me to believe that it is a "real fact" or literal historical account of events that did happen.

But you're right, that is just the beginning of analysis.

Some salient points are:

--Jesus is described in the Bible as our perfect substitute. He takes our place. Sometimes we break his work down into two parts--his active obedience and his passive obedience. His active obedience describes his life (active=actions) where he lived a perfect, sinless existence (He was God-pleasing and did so in our place). His passive obedience describes what he endured (passively allowed to happen). His death and suffering on the cross was the payment for our sins (he suffered in our place). Jesus' temptation is an important part of his active obedience. If he really is going to take our place, he needed to face the challenges we face. Hebrews 4:15 makes the point "he was tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin." He faced the challenges we face--only he was successful where we fail.

--It's interesting to note the temptations the devil tries and the way Jesus resists. Why there is much beneficial that you can learn from this, that is not the reason for this encounter or for it being recorded.

--Note when this happened in the course of Jesus' life. It is immediately after his baptism in the River Jordon by John the Baptizer. Jesus' baptism (unlike ours which create/strengthen faith and give forgiveness) marked the official beginning of his public ministry. While he was carrying out his work (cf. his active obedience) before this, now his public proclamation and teaching begin. It is note worthy that his first act is to "do battle with the devil." It makes pretty clear that Jesus' primary work is not teacher, or social reformer or miracle worker, but instead he came to be the Savior-from-sin.

--An interesting factoid is the number 40. While first affirming that 40 real days passed, we still ask "Is the number significant?" There are a few times this number pops up (Moses on Mt. Sinai for 40 days, Israel in the desert 40 years, it rained 40 days and night during the flood, etc.). I am relying on the scholarship of others, but I'm told the 40 is representative of a time of testing and trial. That is fitting of what Jesus is undergoing at this time.


Those are the points that spring to mind. There certainly is far more that could be said, but when isn't there.

[ZTay]

As a deeply religious fellow I focus more on the 3 temptations themselves and not the general fact of Christ being tempted. Within each one is an example of common temptation and Christ's answer. They are meant to edify.

Within it you have the shamelessness of the devil illustrated- if the devil would presume to tempt Christ, how much more so should we expect it.

I've always noted the fact, too, that Christ answered the first two temptations with wisdom and the third with indignation. That the first two are suffered and soothed with wisdom, but serving another other than God: that cannot be tolerated; and ought to be met in a similar fashion as Jesus's "get thee from hence Satan".

[Neo_Sephiroth]

Similar to what Togre has said, I too, see no mention of these events being told as parables. In the scriptures, there are obviously many symbolisms, metaphors, etc. But there are also accounts of facts. Well, facts accepted if you are a religious fellow. If you're not, then you'll just ask "Show me the facts!"

Of course, there are always those that are in between true or parables. Even among the religious community.

[jmanu86]

Well, my point was that probably Jesus, as human he was too, went on journey to challenge himself. And the same thing one could do, in order to conquer the spirit. I don't know, maybe it was type of mission he choose to face and as I said, we could take it too. Much of us are not ready for such thing, but talking about Jesus, we could be sure he had a human side, and as a man, I think he must have defeated his "demons" to gain the right to be the savior.

Just an idea I come up with. The Bible teach us many things, make us come together but most importantly, to be better humans, as Jesus was. :)

[ZTay]

We can't hope to stand up to the challenges Christ did. So the idea of seeking the devil to defeat him is foolish- we must instead seek Christ because Christ already defeated him! Personally I don't think Christ had to do anything to gain his right to be our savior. He just was. As far as the means through which Christ resisted- it was his overriding love of God. Check out psalm 21, it refers to Christ and his love of God's goodness.

[jmanu86]

We can't hope to stand up to the challenges Christ did. So the idea of seeking the devil to defeat him is foolish- we must instead seek Christ because Christ already defeated him! Personally I don't think Christ had to do anything to gain his right to be our savior. He just was. As far as the means through which Christ resisted- it was his overriding love of God. Check out psalm 21, it refers to Christ and his love of God's goodness.

I meant; in our own possibilities, of course :yesnod:

[ZTay]

Matthew 8:23-27 is a valuable one to remember when in the midst of your ordeal. Talk about being ministered unto by angels!

[bluosean]

Sorry I won't be of too much help. I don't know the New Testament too well. But I know that the Bible does contain symbolism. More was added later though. By this I mean that later interpreters of the Bible tended to look at Biblical stories as allegorical. (An example is the Song of Songs which was for a long time viewed as the relationship of the Jewish community to God, as the relationship of the Christian Community to the Church, as the relationship between an individual and God etc. But scholars tend to think that it was written to be love poetry between a man and a woman. It contains allegory, but the passages about the devotion and love of the lovers were to be taken literally. In this case "my beloved" was what they called each other and it did not refer to God.) Back in the day though, these stories, especially stories that recount history or events, were stories and not allegories. I think, for this reason, that Jesus absolutely did go into the wilderness for 40 days and that being tempted by the devil (in person) was very real. With any allegory contained in the story beyond that I can't help. I don't know what the meaning of the story is either. I just know that it happened. It is the writers recounting the events of Jesus' life.