Jesus fasted for forty days and was then tempted by the devil. Jesus showed he could master his physical body, the temptation for public admiration, and the powers of evil. Jesus being “with the beasts” points to a peaceful messianic age. Jesus is able to deal with the powers of Satan, and for the duration of his ministry he will face unseen powers and triumph over them.
The Temptation of Jesus
“Luke 4:1-13,” S. Kent Brown, excerpted from The Testimony of Luke
Kent Brown looks in depth at each verse of the narrative of the tempting of Jesus, describing the significance of the “forty days,” how the Greek implies “testing” as well as “tempting,” the symbolism of the bread, and much more. This event in Jesus’ life signifies who he is and what he will do for all people.
“The Temptations of Christ,” Howard W. Hunter, General Conference, October 1976
Running through all the temptations is Satan’s insidious suggestion that Jesus was not the Son of God. This suggestion foreshadows the final temptation that would come at the crucifixion, “If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
Jesus Calls His Twelve Apostles
“Of Men and Mantles: Kierkegaard on the Difference between a Genius and an Apostle,” John S. Tanner, BYU Studies, Vol. 40, no. 2
What does it mean to be called as an apostle? John Tanner tells how Soren Kierkegaard, a religious philosopher, identified key points about apostleship: that while a genius is born, his realm is finite. An apostle, on the other hand, is called by God and thus has divine authority.
Chart 13-4: “Four Lists of the Original Twelve Apostles,” Charting the New Testament
Jesus’s Twelve Apostles are listed in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts. While the lists vary in order, they include the same individuals. This handy chart helps clarify the names of these men.
