Matthew 4:1,2 - Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness

4:1

The temptation narrative is recorded in all three of the synoptic gospels. It is clearly seen as important, and this importance lies on several levels. It is an example of dealing with temptation, especially in the use of Scripture, but the primary importance is in Jesus’ role as the “second Adam”, ie representing humanity. Adam failed when he gave in to temptation in the Garden of Eden. Jesus resisted temptation. Adam’s fall stopped humanity fulfilling its God given purpose. Jesus’ triumphing over temptation was vital in His fulfilling His God given purpose, and therefore in enabling us to fulfill our God given purpose, despite the fall.

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness  in order to be tempted. This episode was a God-led episode. Times of trial can come soon after “spiritual highs”, as the baptism must have been.

4:2

Jesus had prepared Himself for battle, having had forty days of prayer and fasting.This naturally raises questions about the precise nature of the fasting. Did Jesus drink water? Was it a continuous forty days without food? We don’t get answers to these questions. It would seem certain that he drank water, otherwise the event would have to be supernatural. It is possible to go without food for forty days, but not very wise. We cannot rule it out, but it may have been a period of fasting spread over forty days. But we are perhaps focusing on the wrong things. Jesus was dedicating Himself to God, and no doubt meditating on the Scriptures, especially deuteronomy. The Scripture quotes that Jesus used come from Deuteronomy (8:3; 6:16 and 6:13), along with the devil quoting Psalm 91:11,12.