What were the temptations in the wilderness?

IF Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, I am wondering... what were the temptations he experienced?

In another thread one member suggested the event in the bible was allegorical... perhaps it was, but what if it wasn't?

What IF Jesus actually decided to wander off into the desert... One could see it as a journey of soul searching... even coming to terms with the mission he was given.

Theres been plenty of stories over the years about people going on a soul searching trip out into the desert though they usually involved some sort of psychedelic drug... but wandering out there without food or water for the trip is basically what I believe he did... It says nothing about him preparing for the journey... He specifically relied on God for this journey...

Of course he would experience starvation after a few days, and extreme thirst after two or three days...

perhaps lack of sleep, which I can tell you from personal experience... That can drive a man crazy!

What other things would he have experienced?

hallucinations would likely be guaranteed... in which case he might have even saw "the devil"...

Think about it for a minute.... 40 days in the desert

What would his temptations have been aside from what is written?

Second Adam went off to be tested the same way the first Adam was. Second one won because unlike the first one he was actually God hiding in the meatsuit of Jesus. Satan probably wasn't expecting that one. Kinda puts a whole new spin on it when satan tried to offer Jesus the world if he would worship him, and then Jesus busted out with "it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only". Jesus was telling satan to worship him instead, because that was God talking. Pimp slapping the angel of death with his words. Booyah devil take that!

Doggers.

reply to post by Akragon


I believe that Jesus went to the desert, after his baptism, for the purpose of private meditation and vision. But, I do think he would have brought water. Man can live with food for some time, but not water. Neglecting to bring water would have been tempting "God" from the get go to provide living water to him before he even met the devil, who tempted him to create bread from rocks.

Life was the temptation and he went to the desert to get away from temptation completely. He died just as anyone would if they fast from everything. The devil was the first to meet him because he is the ruler of the air. Satan tempted him by offering to revive him and take his place. Jesus was then healed by the angels. It should be clear to most that this took place in the spiritual realm because Jesus had not yet received his spiritual body and after being reborn he could now see into the spiritual realm. Is it not after this point that he began to do miracles?

Originally posted by windword
reply to post by Akragon

 

I believe that Jesus went to the desert, after his baptism, for the purpose of private meditation and vision. But, I do think he would have brought water. Man can live with food for some time, but not water. Neglecting to bring water would have been tempting "God" from the get go to provide living water to him before he even met the devil, who tempted him to create bread from rocks.

Being a second Adam we have no way of knowing how long he could go without food or water, but he would have known. He never sinned so he wasn't dying.

reply to post by Akragon

Think about it for a minute.... 40 days in the desert

What would his temptations have been aside from what is written?

I like the short and sweet version from Mark.

Mark 1:12-13
New International Version (NIV)
12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted[a] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Footnotes:

Mark 1:13 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested.

So, if he was out there with the wild animals and being attended by angels, I would think that a great temptation would be to just stay out in the wilderness and give the whole ministry a miss.

But seriously, the wild animals is a giveaway. Compare Daniel chapter 4. Here are the highlights:

17 “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’

31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.

37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

At least it was 40 days and not 7 years. Notice also the teaching of Jesus pretty much spurned the rulership based on self glory or even competition. So in a real sense, hooking the Mark version to Daniel 4 is more meaningful than the Matthew version that goes into great detail about the kingdom temptation.

Just to emphasize something important: The Devil said "bow down and receive" Jesus looked up to heaven instead.
see Mark 6:41 and Mark 7:34

"Forty days" is a figurative expression, it means "for a while," Compare Josephus' oft-repeated "ten thousand," which means "many."

That said, taking the story at face value, we can appreciate that Satan will not be a "fallen" angel until after Jesus is crucified, and Christians come to identify Satan with their evil figure, "The Devil.". However, a Jewish man meeting Satan during Jesus' lifetime is meeting a loyal servant of God, an elite angel who has special insight into the affairs of planet Earth.

What Satan explains to Jesus are the necessities of the messianic mission. You are going to have to feed people, not just preach to them. You are going to have play politics. And most crucially, you are going to have to risk your life.

To each of these truths, Jesus, still viewing his situation from the perspective of his own ego, makes a formulaic Bible-quoting rebuff. Jesus' immediate conscious reaction, then, is to reject the advice. Luke has Satan withdraw for the time being. Who tells the truth needn't insist. The rest of the story amply illustrates that what Satan told Jesus was the truth. More importantly, Jesus incorporates these elements into his ministry, contributing to its success.

Retrojection is a powerful force. Just as it invents "The Devil" and places him in Eden, over the objection of the black-letter text, so, too, can Satan be recast as this "Devil," rather than the loyal servant of God who he is.

Among the living, my experience is that interested Jewish readers get this interpretation of the "Temptation" pericope immediately, as something fairly obvious. However, Christians and Muslims are orders of magnitude more numerous than Jews, and neither they nor their irreligious critics see the interpretation as grounded in the text at all.

reply to post by Akragon


All whom comes from above must be tested and tried, even from others that are from above posing to bring about a result. It was quite longer than 40 days as well. The testing is for internal self, to give the human side a feeling of overcoming and confidence. To properly teach man, Brother had to endure what man endures so he may show the way in a way that is understood by man.

Some of those things included: homelessness, hunger, hurt, emotional pain, a feeling of detachment from above for a time, awareness, among many other things not named. This provided him all the experience by way of experience to properly teach.

I had originally decided not to continue with this thread, but there have been some interesting replies...

Originally posted by lonewolf19792000
Second Adam went off to be tested the same way the first Adam was. Second one won because unlike the first one he was actually God hiding in the meatsuit of Jesus. Satan probably wasn't expecting that one. Kinda puts a whole new spin on it when satan tried to offer Jesus the world if he would worship him, and then Jesus busted out with "it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only". Jesus was telling satan to worship him instead, because that was God talking. Pimp slapping the angel of death with his words. Booyah devil take that!

edit on 13-6-2013 by lonewolf19792000 because: (no reason given)

IF the demons that Jesus sent into pig knew exactly who he was... Why wouldn't their master?

Makes no sense...

And Jesus wasn't telling "satan" to worship him...

6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

"the devil's" mission was to tempt Jesus... Which he was in the process of doing... Why would Jesus say "don't tempt me im God" IF that was the purpose of this event happening...

CLEARLY... Jesus was saying "I will not tempt my God" by attempting suicide, even though I know angels will save me....

Being a second Adam we have no way of knowing how long he could go without food or water, but he would have known. He never sinned so he wasn't dying.

Well if you subscribe to the Gnostic Jesus then of course we have no idea how long a spirit can go without water...

On the other hand if you subscribe to the theory that Jesus was "fully man and fully God"... and subject to the same things in the physical world as we are... Then yes we know exactly how long he could have went without water...

NO more then 4 days... 3 is the consensus from a medical perspective...

Of course this is not to say that he didn't find water.... considering "the angels attended him" as it says

Originally posted by windword
reply to post by Akragon

 

I believe that Jesus went to the desert, after his baptism, for the purpose of private meditation and vision. But, I do think he would have brought water. Man can live with food for some time, but not water. Neglecting to bring water would have been tempting "God" from the get go to provide living water to him before he even met the devil, who tempted him to create bread from rocks.

Perhaps... on the other hand, he may have been testing exactly who HE was... finding the limits of what God would let him do...

like I said, its very possible he could have found water... the angels were with him right?

reply to post by Akragon


Why not try rather to understand the three temptations themselves?

Mathew 4:1-11

(1)Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

(2)5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’]”

(3)8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

This is the beginning of Christ's ministry after his baptism. You see this prophecy was a sign for all those who would be disciples of Christ, and become Elders. I think it is fair to assume Satan knew exactly who he was talking to.

So what tests were Christ given before he was allowed to minister.

*****
(1) Tells these stones to become bread. (Turn the stone tablets into bread) paid ministry
The answer - man does not live by food alone but by the very word that comes from the mouth of God.

The word is life you cannot sell the word for food and expect to find life, since the word is the food that brings life. The word is free and must remain so.
*****

(2) Throw yourself down, (you are the son of God, now fall into sin, accept unconditional love as a free will, free pass to do as you please.
The answer - Do not put the Lord your God to the test.

Paul says I can do everything but everything is not good. The unconditionally loved man knows that he will return to the father regardless of what he does here on earth. That does not mean we should test the love of our God, but rather we should be inspired to live "in" it and share it with others.
*****

(3) I will give you the world to rule if you would give into sin, pursue other "material" Gods.
The answer - Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.

The "enlightened", especially Jesus can obtain such knowledge that they could use if for their own good, power.

With power comes responsibility. Satan was looking at it from a worldly view so he was tempting Christ to use his knowledge to become an "earthly king", but Christ knew his Kingdom and the Kingdom of his father could only be found "within". There was nothing in this world that could make him turn to worship the world and thus become at one with it.

Men who enter ministry.

(1)Most men who pursue discipleship fail at test 1 so they become paid ministers. They have turned stone into bread.

(2)Some men have used their free will to pursue greed. Their God has become money, they have thrown themselves into sin.

(3)Few men, the Popes of the Inquisition, Egypt's Pharos, Hitler and a few others, have decided that they should rule the world thus proclaiming themselves equal to God. This can only lead to insanity, because how can the created truly believe he is the creator, and not merely a part of it, and not go mad. How can you be your own God, when you are Mortal?

To me this is a warning to all those who would pursue Christ and become Disciples. This was a warning against paid ministry, greed, and power.

Realizing that the one who serves God/Love is always the one truly in power.

reply to post by eight bits

What Satan explains to Jesus are the necessities of the messianic mission. You are going to have to feed people, not just preach to them. You are going to have play politics. And most crucially, you are going to have to risk your life.
. . .
More importantly, Jesus incorporates these elements into his ministry, contributing to its success.
. . .
my experience is that interested Jewish readers get this interpretation of the "Temptation" pericope immediately, as something fairly obvious.

And that's why Jesus is accepted as the Messiah by the Jews. Oh, wait, no, that's false Messiah.

Judaism generally views Jesus as one of a number of false messiahs who have appeared throughout history.[1] Jesus is viewed as having been the most influential, and consequently the most damaging, of all false messiahs.[2]
Judaism's view of Jesus

Maybe the post-exile concept of Jewish Messiah is where the flaw is, and not in the ministry of Jesus.

I've read the lists of how and why Jesus can't be the Messiah, quite compelling, Christians should read them.

If Jesus was the first born of his mother, he would have been the "throw away" son, according to the traditions (redemption of first-born, reversal of Primogeniture)

After Jesus died, his relatives seem to have made themselves quite important in Jerusalem, (James the Just, Simeon of Jerusalem)

What we see today, a small .12% Jewish population, riding the coattails of Christianity 33% of world population, into high positions of worldly power. Maybe Jews should admit that Christianity is their Messiah, at least those portions of Christianity that view Jewishness as an eternal "chosenness" by the god that Christians borrow from the Old Testament.

Originally posted by lonewolf19792000
Second Adam went off to be tested the same way the first Adam was. Second one won because unlike the first one he was actually God hiding in the meatsuit of Jesus. Satan probably wasn't expecting that one. Kinda puts a whole new spin on it when satan tried to offer Jesus the world if he would worship him, and then Jesus busted out with "it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only". Jesus was telling satan to worship him instead, because that was God talking. Pimp slapping the angel of death with his words. Booyah devil take that!

edit on 13-6-2013 by lonewolf19792000 because: (no reason given)

Given that Luke 1:26-38 says that an open declaration by an angel was given to Mary that God will manifest in the flesh in her womb and even stated that his name will be Jesus, its quite obvious that Satan certainly did know who Jesus was from there on in. Out of everybody else on planet earth he could have picked that would be wondering "in the wilderness", a desert, or anywhere else, he chose the living God. For all intent and purpose, scripture states that God cannot be tempted, so Satan was already defeated as soon as Jesus was born anyway.