What did the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness mean?

Answer 1

In Mark 1:13, the story of Jesus going into the wilderness, where he was ministered by angels, after his baptism by John, is an allusion to Elijah (1 Kings 19:5-7) who was ministered by an angel and in the wilderness forty days. Jesus was tempted by Satan, but The Temptations of Satan are not actually described. There is also no actual suggestion that Jesus fasted for this time, but those familiar with the story of Elijah are likely to have assumed he did do so. This brings into play another allusion, to Moses when (Exodus 34:28) he fasted for 40 days while he wrote the words of the Ten Commandments on tablets.

Mark's Gospel was the original account of the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness and can be seen as having meaning at both a theological and a literary level. Mark's Gospel is based on a parallel structure (a modification of the chiastic structure more commonly used in ancient times, in which an opening set of events is contrasted with another set of events that mirrors the first). This structure follows.

The 'Q' document, on which the accounts in Matthew and Luke are based, follows the allusion to Elijah in a subtly different way, taking the angel out of the gospel story and instead having Jesus fast for forty days in the company of Satan, who tempts him. These graphic temptations are intended to show both that Satan knew Jesus could do these things if he wished to, and that Jesus was strong enough to withstand temptation.

The structure that helped give rise to the story of Jesus' temptation:
A . John explains the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:1-8)

B .The baptism of Jesus (1:9)

C . The voice of God from heaven, "Thou art my beloved son" (1:11)

D . The forty days in the wilderness as an allusion to Elijah and Moses (1:13)

E . The people were astonished at what Jesus taught (1:22)

F . Jesus casts out an unclean spirit (1:23-26)

G . Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus (3:6)

H . Demons, whenever they see Jesus, fall down and say that he is the Son of God.

-- Jesus commands that they tell no one of this (3:11-12)

I .. Jesus calls the 12 disciples (3:13-19)

J .. Jesus rejects his own family: he has a new family, his followers (3:31-35)

K . Jesus rebukes the wind (4:36-41)

L . The demoniac, wearing no clothes (5:15), cries out that Jesus not torment him and Jesus sends out the demons (5:1-20)

M . Jesus comes into his own country (6:1)
-- Where he was brought up

N . The people misunderstand Jesus and he can do no mighty work (6:2-6)

O . Jesus sends out the disciples and curses those who will not receive them (6:7-11)
-- in sending the disciples with authority and expecting all to receive them, Jesus is asserting his own authority

P . Herod thinks that Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead (6:14)

Q . Herodias and her daughter conspire to kill John the Baptist (6:16-29)

R . Feeding the thousands, and related miracles and discourses (6:33-8:21)

S . Who do people say that I am (8:27)

T . Peter affirms faith in Jesus as the Christ (8:29)

U . Whosoever shall be ashamed of me: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed (8:38)

V . The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes (8:31a)

W . Be killed and after three days rise again (8:31b)

X . Prophecy of second coming (9:1)- Jesus tells the disciples that some of them would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God coming with power.

B' .The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2-3)

C' .The voice of God from heaven, "This is my beloved son" (9:7)

D' . Jesus talks to Elijah and Moses then to the disciples about Elijah (9:4-13)

E' .A great multitude was amazed at Jesus (9:15)

F' .Jesus cast out a dumb spirit (9:17-27)

G' .They shall kill the Son of man and he shall rise on the third day (9:31)

H' .Jesus clarifies his divine status, saying that he is not God: "Why call me good? There is none good but God" (10:18)

I' . Peter says the disciples have left all and followed Jesus (10:28)

J' . Those who have left their family for Jesus have a new family: all Jesus' followers (10:29-30)

K'. Jesus rebukes the 'sons of thunder', James and John (10:35-45 - cf 3:17)

L' .Blind Bartimaeus cries out for mercy and casts off his clothes, then Jesus heals him (10:46-52)

M' .Jesus comes into Jerusalem (11:1-10)
-- Where he will die

N' .Jesus misunderstands the fig tree that can provide no fruit (11:13-14)

O' .Jesus casts out them that sold and bought in the Temple and curses them for making the Temple a den of thieves (11:15-17)
-- Jesus is asserting his authority

P' .Jesus asks whether the baptism of John is from heaven or of men, and the priests, scribes and elders can not answer (11:30-33)

Q' .Parable of husbandmen who conspire to kill the vineyard owner's son (12:1-9)

X' .Prophecy of second coming (chapter 13)

-- on clouds of glory, within the lifetimes of some of those to whom he was speaking

R' .The Last Supper (14:17-25)

S' .Art thou the Christ, Son of God (14:61)

T' .Peter denies Jesus three times (14:66-72a)

U' .And when he thought thereon, Peter wept (14:72b)

V' .The chief priests, elders and scribes delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate (15:1)

-- Delivering Jesus is a similar concept to rejecting him.
-- Both parts of the pair involve chief priests, elders and scribes

W' .Jesus dies and on the third day rises again (15:37, 16:6)

A' .The young man explains the departure of Jesus(16:6-8)

Answer 2

As a human (see John 1:14), Jesus was fully tempted by fleshy appeals we humans face on a daily basis in various ways and levels. But Jesus resisted each of these attempts to have Him sin by praying to the Father for His power (John 5:30; 14:10) and having His Holy Spirit in Him to strengthen and guide Him. This is the same spirit we can receive after true repentance and baptism, following our perfect example, Jesus Christ (see Hebrews 4:15).

Jesus certainly faced genuine struggles and temptations while weakened by fasting. His fasting in the desert for 40 days and nights and being tempted by the devil ( Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.) Everything Jesus said and did had meaning for mankind and this temptation was not merely a pointless exercise. Satan tempted Jesus with food while He was quite hungry, a demonstration of His relationship with God to protect Him, and probably most attractive to many humans is power and wealth in exchange for His worshipping the god of this world over God, His Father. Obviously, many humans would consider at least one of these while in the desert and hungry and weak. It is appealing to any human being, and Jesus was human.

Jesus defeated the devil in the desert as well as during His lifetime, qualifying Him to rule from the 'throne of the earth' that is currently occupied by Satan. After the Millennial Rule, the New Earth will be the headquarters of the entire God Family (see Revelation 21).