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Contemporary attitudes and practices around many sacred Christian traditions can often obscure the true meaning behind them. Like Christmas, for example.
This is why it’s so important to understand the Biblical origins of our most celebrated religious traditions — to appreciate the spiritual impact they can have on our lives.
Do you know, for example, why we fast ahead of Easter?
The practice originates from the incredible trip Jesus took to the Judean desert in Israel, fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. During this trip, Jesus was tempted in various ways by Satan himself, who made every effort to make him betray his holy mission.
What exactly happened on this trip, and how do we commemorate Jesus’s experiences in the desert?
We’ll detail the scriptural origins of this trip and its significance for practicing Christians today.
When people discuss Jesus’s fast for 40 days and 40 nights, they are referring to the story we now know as the Temptation of Christ.
The scriptural origins of the temptation can be traced to the Gospels of Luke 4:1–13 and Matthew 4:1–11 in the New Testament. It took place after Jesus’s baptism, when he spent time in the "holy city" (Jerusalem) before returning to Galilee.
In both accounts, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the Judaean desert before starting his public ministry, where he’d fast for 40 days and nights.
“He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry,” Luke 4:2.
During Christ’s spiritual journey, he was confronted by a “tempter” (Satan), who urged him to break his fast or defy God in various ways.
He first urged Jesus to turn stones into bread, then to worship the devil atop a high mountain in exchange for “all the kingdoms of the world” (Luke 4:5). Finally, Satan told Jesus to throw himself off the highest point of a temple so that angels would catch him.
Despite severe hunger and the devil’s persistent goading, Jesus was able to resist all three of the temptations with poise and grace.
The devil left in defeat, and angels attended to Jesus, sent by the mouth of God Himself.
Why was Jesus out in the desert for so long without food? What was he hoping to achieve, and what is the significance of the specific number of 40 days?
The practice of abstaining from food for religious or spiritual purposes is known as fasting.
Typically, fasting preceded a significant spiritual struggle in the Bible. Other examples of fasting can be found in the Old Testament, where both Moses and Elijah also fasted for 40 days and nights.
Fasting is said to induce a psychological state that makes one receptive to the influence of the Holy Spirit. Many Christian denominations still regularly practice fasting today to commemorate a Biblical event or bring themselves closer to God.
The practice of fasting encourages one to train the important skills of self-denial, piety, and repentance.
Some Christians practice Eucharistic fasts, for example, before receiving Holy Communion. Lent is another, more common tradition of fasting, which we’ll expand upon later.
The particular reasons Jesus chose to fast for precisely 40 days and 40 nights are subject to debate among religious scholars.
Some maintain that, linguistically, 40 didn’t refer to the specific number then as we know it today, but rather to a general expression of a large amount of time or things.
However, there’s an abundance of symbolism and tradition surrounding the number 40 in Christian orthodoxy.
40 days was the period from Jesus’s resurrection after his crucifixion to his ascension, as described in Acts 1:3.
Similarly, God stated that the Israelites would wander in the wilderness for 40 years, owing to their unwillingness to occupy the land.
Finally, in Eastern Orthodoxy, 40 days after someone’s death marks the memorial period, as it is believed that departed souls wander the Earth for 40 days.
The temptation of Jesus is the reason we practice the period of Lent.
Lent is an important observance in the liturgical calendar that commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert.
The word ‘Lent’ is an old English word that means “lengthen,” as in how the days during the Spring period get longer.
Commencing on Ash Wednesday in the run-up to Easter, Lent is a tradition that involves three core customs:
How each Christian practices Lent depends on their denomination and level of spiritual observance. Common practices include vegetarianism, teetotalism, giving up various personal luxuries like cell phones or television, and investing time or money in charities.
While we celebrate and encourage engaging in Christian holidays and traditions, we also believe that understanding their origins and meaning is equally important.
The son of God’s exodus to the desert gave us the practice of Lent, which we can engage in to drastically enhance our relationship with God and understanding of Jesus Christ.
Through fasting, you’ll learn of the hardships in the life of Jesus and feel as he did, appreciating his commitment to the word of God. As it comfortingly states in Hebrews 4:15, Jesus is “tempted in all things like as we are, without sin.”
To always stay connected to God’s word and the power of the Holy Spirit, download the Pray.com app in the iOS App Store or on Google Play.
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