Mark’s account of the temptation of Jesus (Mark 1:12–13) is far shorter than Matthew or Luke’s. Why? Is he being brief to the point of being cryptic? Or is he emphasizing something crucially important about Jesus — something that will equip you in your Christian life?
The Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness — for you. Being tempted is the first messianic task of Jesus. In this introduction to his Gospel, Mark has given you a snapshot of the preparatory work of John the Baptist. He has pointed you to the baptism of Jesus by John, and then the Father equipping his Son, with whom he is well pleased, with the Holy Spirit. That Spirit will enable the Messiah to be the mighty one announced by John, the one who will accomplish is work and will ultimately baptize his followers with the Holy Spirit. But there is one more step in preparation for that messianic work.
The Spirit sends Jesus. In the Lord’s Prayer, you pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” Here, however, it is the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, who sends (“pushes” or “thrusts” would be possible translations) Jesus into the wilderness. There in the wilderness during the 40 days, Jesus in tempted by Satan. To be clear, the Spirit does not tempt Jesus. James 1:13–15 reminds you that God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone. Temptation, for us, comes from our own evil desires as well as from the devil, compared in 1 Peter 5:8 to a roaring lion. But Jesus is the God-man. In his human nature he truly undergoes very real temptation during his time of humiliation here on earth.
You certainly can learn some tactics about resisting temptation as you read the more detailed accounts of Matthew and Luke. Satan, who disguises himself as an angel of light, uses Scripture to tempt Jesus. And Jesus resists him with Scripture — used in context and properly. But if we read about Jesus being tempted, and the only, or even the primary, lesson you learn is that Jesus is a good example, we’ve missed the heart of the event. The very brevity of Mark’s Gospel helps you sharpen your focus.
Jesus was with the wild animals. The first Adam was tempted in the Garden of Eden. Ask yourself why Mark mentions the wild animals. Don’t imagine Jesus sitting in a lush meadow with the birds and fawns surrounding him. These are beasts, the creatures of the wilderness, the kinds of animals you avoid or hunt. Mark wants you to think of another temptation scene, on which took place, not in a wilderness, but in a portion of the creation that was prepared by God to be the home for your first parents, Adam and Eve. Genesis 2 describes Adam naming the animals, apparently not an arbitrary process, but studying them, understanding them, and giving them appropriate names. The man and the woman, created in the image of God, have been given dominion over the creatures (not over each other), and Adam names them. The Garden in Genesis 3 is peaceful — at least until invaded by the serpent. Adam had plenty of fruit trees, though Mark does not mention the fasting described in the other Gospels. But this lush, peaceful garden was the setting for the temptation at the beginning of our history. And you know that Adam failed. Eve and he succumbed to the temptation. The wages of sin is death, and it is in this broken world of suffering that you and I live.
The second Adam was tempted in the wilderness with wild animals around him. It is in this broken world that Jesus, the second Adam, is tempted. It is wilderness, not lush garden. The animals are the beasts, the kinds that threaten and harm. The sparse account in Mark pushes you to focus, not on the details of the temptation, but on the fact of it. For Jesus to be the Christ, he would have to undergo the testing, the probation, that Adam underwent. Only if he passed that could he be the successful Messiah. And so he underwent temptation in the place of his people.
“For although real temptation could not come to Jesus from within but only from without, he nevertheless possessed a human nature, which dreaded suffering and death. Thus, throughout his life, he was tempted in all sorts of ways — by Satan, his enemies, and even by his disciples (Matt. 4:1–11; Mark 13; Luke 4:1–13; Matt. 12:19; Luke 11:22; Matt. 16:23; Mark 8:33). And in those temptations he was bound, fighting as he went, to remain faithful….”
Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 3, page 315
Give thanks that angels attended Jesus. Cherubim prevented entrance to the Garden after Adam sinned. The penalty for disobedience in the Garden was death. Though God graciously did not strike them dead at that moment, death entered the world. Fellowship with God was broken — spiritual death. Though they both would live for an extended time, their bodies began to decay. The death that we all experience had come. And because of that sin, God set cherubim with a flaming sword at the entrance to the Garden from which they had been expelled. The way to the Tree of Life was barred.
Thankfully God did not end the story of our first parents there. He covered their shameful nakedness with animal skins, more than hinting that the death of a substitute would be needed to set things right. Even in the context of pronouncing curses and punishment on disobedience, God gave the promise that one day the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head. And, if Aaron Mize is correct in his his suggestion of looking at Revelation 12 to help us understand Genesis 3:16, the desire of Eve (and not only Eve, but the bride of God’s people in the Old Testament) was for the man God had promised. The word of man is the same as husband, translation depends on context. Eve’s desire is reflected in the (mistakenly) hopeful name she gives to her firstborn son.
“One cannot stress the historicity of both Adam and Eve enough. Without them there cannot be a gospel. However, there is also a deeper structure that needs to be exegeted to shed light on some of the mystery surrounding Eve. This article is seeking to pull out the biblical theological significance on a broader scale. If the woman of Revelation 12 is symbolic of the covenant community, awaiting the promised offspring (also having other offspring), while being tormented by the serpent and his offspring, then the same can be said about Eve in Genesis 3.”
“[A]pplying what we have discovered to Genesis 3:16, what we have is this, ‘Your desire will be toward your man (the Messianic-Redeemer-Offspring who will deliver her from her sins as a sin offering and by the bruising of his heel in crushing the serpents head), and he shall rule with you.’”
“Genesis 3:16, immediately following Genesis 3:15, is not speaking about an issue between Adam and Eve in their marriage relationship. It is concerned with the church and the Last Adam. It is speaking of the hope of the gospel for the covenant community typified in Eve, a community in a wilderness world persecuted by the dragon and the curse.”
Aaron P. Mize, “The Church’s Desire toward Christ Her Sin Offering in Genesis 3:16,” Ordained Servant Online, April, 2024.
Angels serving Jesus show his successful completion of temptation. Why does Mark, like Matthew, mention the angels? They met the needs of Jesus. The other gospels mention the 40 day fast — undoubtedly they fed him. But think of what condition his body must have been in. I recently ran across photos of Jewish prisoners being released from Nazi concentration camps as well as soldiers who had survived the death march on Bataan. Those people needed care to return to health, and likely Jesus was in a similar position. I have wondered at times what went through the minds of the angels who appeared to the shepherds and sang “Glory to God!” Preparing this message I wondered what it must have been like for these sinless, heavenly attendants to serve their Lord! How could they not be asking themselves, why is he going through this!
Mark mentions the angels, because these angels are not the result of a failed temptation, but the indication that the temptation has been successfully endured. Mark doesn’t even need to mention that Satan left Jesus for a time. All he has to to do is tell you that angels were there serving him. The first, crucial step of his messianic work has been successfully completed. And that gives hope and confidence to you. You don’t merely look at Jesus’ temptation and tell yourself, well, I hope I’ve learned enough from him to resist Satan. You have far more than encouragement in your struggles when Satan attacks you (and he does — read Revelation 12). You have the assurance that the accuser of your brothers has been cast out. He has been overcome by the blood of the Lamb. The victory was not complete after Mark 1:13, but the crucial battle had been won. Thus you can face both the persecutions and the temptations of daily life with confidence. James 4:7 assures you that you can successfully resist Satan. 1 Peter 5:8–9 warns of his danger, but give you confidence because of your Lord’s victory.
You live in a world that persists in rebellion against God. You are called to serve God in every area of your life, your home, your job, when you are involved in political activity you do so as one who belongs to the King of kings. But your confidence rests on someone far more powerful than any human prince. Paul writes to Christians surrounded by a pagan Roman culture, and he gives them and you the assurance of a powerful benediction: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (Rom. 16:20).