What does Luke 4:2 mean?
Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (Luke 3:21–22). After this, He headed into the uninhabited regions near Judea. During this time, He fasted, for a total of forty days. Moses spent forty years in exile from Egypt before returning to lead the exodus (Acts 7:29–30). He then fasted on the mountain for forty days while waiting to receive God's law (Deuteronomy 9:9). Israel spent forty years wandering in punishment for disobedience (Numbers 14:34; 32:13). Jonah's preaching in Nineveh lasted forty days (Jonah 3:4).Depending on how one translates this passage, it either implies that Jesus was tempted by Satan during the forty days, or that He was tempted at the end of that period. The latter view is more in keeping with Matthew's account (Matthew 4:2).
As one would expect, a nearly six-week-long fast would leave someone intensely hungry. Many forms of "fasting" involve merely abstaining from food for most of the day, eating only a small amount of simple food at a designated time. In this case, Jesus is said to have eaten nothing for the entire time. This is close to the maximum limit a person can survive without food, so long as they are drinking water. As one might expect, Jesus would end this experience in need of healing and recuperation (Matthew 4:11)
