Matthew 4:1-2

The same Spirit who brought Jesus into the world (Matthew 1:20) and demonstrated God’s approval of Him (Matthew 3:16) now led Him into the wilderness for tempting by Satan.

"Just as God led Israel out of Egypt and through the waters and into the desert (Numbers 20:5; Numbers 1 Bas 12.6; Psalms 80:1 LXX; etc., all using anagein [’to lead up’]), so does the Spirit of God lead Jesus into the desert after he is baptized." [Note: W. D. Davies and D. C. Allison, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew , 1:354. Cf. Deuteronomy 8:2; Deuteronomy 8:16.]

"According to Hosea 2:14-23, the wilderness was the place of Israel’s original sonship, where God had loved His people. Yet because they had forsaken Yahweh their Father, a ’renewal’ of the exodus into the desert was necessary for the restoration of Israel’s status as the ’son’ of God. In this new exodus, God’s power and help would be experienced again in a renewed trek into the wilderness." [Note: Garlington, p. 287.]

The wilderness of Judea (Matthew 3:1) is the traditional site. Israel had, of course, experienced temptation in another wilderness for 40 years. The number 40 frequently has connections with sin and testing in the Old Testament (cf. Genesis 7:4; Genesis 7:12; Numbers 14:33; Numbers 32:13; Deuteronomy 9:25; Deuteronomy 25:3; Psalms 95:10; Jonah 3:4). Jesus experienced temptation in the wilderness at the end of 40 days and nights.

The Greek word translated "tempted" (peirazo) means "to test" in either a good or bad sense. Here God’s objective was to demonstrate the character of His Son by exposing Him to Satan’s tests (cf. 2 Samuel 24:1; Job_1:6 to Job_2:7). Scripture consistently teaches that God does not test (Gr. peirazo) anyone (James 1:13). Nevertheless He does allow people to experience testing that comes from the world, the flesh, and the devil (1 John 2:15-17; Romans 7:18-24; 1 Peter 5:8). [Note: See Sydney H. T. Page, "Satan: God’s Servant," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 50:3 (September 2007):449-65.] God evidently led Jesus into the wilderness to demonstrate the obedience of this Son compared with the disobedience of His son Israel (Matthew 2:15; cf. Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 8:3; Deuteronomy 8:5). God tested both His sons "to prove their obedience and loyalty in preparation for their appointed work." [Note: Carson, "Matthew," p. 112.]

Fasting in Scripture was for a spiritual reason, namely, to forego a physical need to give attention to a more important spiritual need. [Note: On the practice of fasting, see Kent D. Berghuis, "A Biblical Perspective on Fasting," Bibliotheca Sacra 158:629 (January-March 2001):86-103.] During this fast Jesus ate nothing but presumably drank water (cf. Luke 4:2). Moses and Elijah, two of God’s most significant servants in the Old Testament, likewise fasted for 40 days and nights (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9; 1 Kings 19:8). Jesus’ fast would have connected Him with these servants of the Lord in the minds of Matthew’s Jewish readers, as it does in ours.