Mark 1:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The divine essence of Jesus, which in a manner beyond human comprehension uniquely intertwined with humanity, gradually became more apparent. The illumination of humanity by the Divine increased continuously, yet this transformation remained often unnoticed within His own awareness, similar to how we typically disregard the gradual growth in our physical bodies or spiritual abilities until reflected upon over time. The immediate revelation of the entirety of the Divine nature within the limited scope of human existence was unattainable. However, there were moments in Jesus's life where this typical development appeared intensified, where the Divine light and powers infused His human consciousness to an extraordinary degree, and the union of His humanity with the Godhead became much more evident—the declaration of His Divine nature was heightened. One such moment, perhaps the most significant of all that followed, occurred after His baptism. In this state of vulnerability, Jesus retreated to the wilderness (Mark 1:12). He had been baptized by John in the wilderness, yet He deliberately chose a remote and desolate area, inhabited only by wild animals (Mk. 1:13).

Furthermore, the malevolent spirit is never simply referred to as το πνευμα—spirit in the New Testament, but always with an additional qualifying term. Christ's own spirit cannot be the focus in this context. From the initial words of St. Luke, it is evident that Christ was preparing to return from the Jordan to Galilee to commence His ministry (Jesus, however, filled with the Spirit to return from the Jordan); at the same moment He was on His way to Galilee (compare v. 1 with v. 14), a spirit unexpectedly seizes Him and guides Him into the wilderness. This Spirit must be the Spirit of God, embodying light and righteousness, leading Him into the wilderness to confront the spirit of evil. The spirit of malevolence is referred to as the devil in Matthew and Luke, and as Satan in Mark. The term Diabolus, derived from Greek, means slanderer, while Satan, from Hebrew, signifies adversary (Zech. 3:1,2; Job 1:6). The first term reveals the evil spirit's stance towards humanity, whereas the second denotes its position against God. This understanding aligns with the teachings of the early Church fathers and many contemporary interpreters.

We are not informed about the specific desert to which the Spirit of God led Christ for the purpose of temptation. It is often stated that Christ was led from the wilderness into the desert, but this assertion is incorrect. He was actually guided from the banks of the Jordan into the desert (Keil). From the Gospel of Mark, it becomes evident that this desert was entirely desolate and wild, inhabited only by predatory creatures; and the phrase “with beasts” may also refer to demons, which are believed to dwell in deserted areas according to biblical perspectives (Is. 13:21; Tob. 8:3; Var. 4:35; Mt. 12:43; Lk. 8:29; 11:24; Rev. 18:2).

Tradition holds that this wilderness lies between Jericho and Jerusalem, commonly referred to as Jericho's wilderness (Hab. 16:1; 18:12). Within this wilderness, there is a high mountain identified as the site of the Lord’s forty-day trial, known as Quarantana. Mount Quarantana rises almost vertically above the Jordan valley, reaching from 171 to 215 saz. Numerous caves on the eastern side of this mountain are inhabited by ascetics and desert dwellers. Presently, a Greek Orthodox monastery commemorates Christ’s forty-day fast and temptation. St. Matthew and St. Luke closely associate Christ's confrontation with the tempter with His forty-day fast. St. Matthew records that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil and notes that He fasted for forty days and forty nights. St. Luke articulates it with even greater clarity: “and He would not eat anything during these days.” The stringent nature of Christ’s fasting can be attributed solely to His profound, reverent, and prayerful meditation, during which the forty days seemed to condense into a single day, rendering Him unaware of hunger until the end.

The significance of Christ fasting for a precise period of forty days corresponds with the sacred number traditionally associated with fasting and prayer. Historical accounts from the Old Testament confirm that both Moses (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9) and Elijah (3 Kings 19:8) also fasted for forty days, and Christ followed this same pattern. It is noteworthy that Christ’s forty-day fast is directly related to the original command given to humankind in paradise: “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it” (Genesis 2:17). Philaret, the Metropolitan of Moscow, commented on this topic, stating that the temptation related to the forbidden fruit, which led Adam to favor the sensual over the spiritual, caused his fall from a paradisiacal existence to earthly life. This could have ultimately resulted in his and his progeny’s descent into perdition if it had not been redirected by the Son of God, who became the seed of the woman, thus posing a renewed challenge akin to Adam’s original test. In this way, the failure of the first Adam to adhere to a simple fast in paradise finds resolution in the rigorous fast of the second Adam on earth. Consequently, He was able to resist and bring low our overpowering adversary. The New Testament Church, following the Lord's example, instituted a period of fasting known as the "Great Fast" and established the reading of the Gospel of the Temptation (Matt. 4:1-11) on the Saturday following the Feast of Enlightenment, which is celebrated after the Epiphany or Baptism of the Lord. St. Matthew does not describe the temptations that occurred during the forty days of fasting with the same clarity as Mark and Luke. It is likely that he chose not to elaborate on these temptations because they were more preliminary, and the adversary only confronted the Lord directly at a pivotal moment. From that point onward, the actual temptations, which comprise the central narrative of Matthew and Luke, unfold in detail.

When it is mentioned that Jesus was guided by the Spirit into the wilderness, the three Gospel writers do not specify which Spirit is being referenced. Because of this, some interpreters have suggested that the Spirit that led Jesus could be associated with evil, the same one that tempted Him later. However, this interpretation is clearly at odds with the straightforward meaning of the Gospel narratives. Luke states that Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led into the wilderness by the Spirit, which is undoubtedly the Holy Spirit that filled Him. Matthew underscores this distinction by leading Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, contrasting the guiding Spirit with the source of temptation, thus affirming that he refers to the Holy Spirit.

Additionally, throughout their accounts of the temptation, the Evangelists never label the devil as merely a spirit of evil; instead, they refer to him specifically as the devil, the tempter, and Satan. The Gospels do not detail the location where the Holy Spirit led Jesus, but tradition holds that the temptation occurred in the desert between Jericho and Jerusalem; one of the mountains in this area is known as the Forty-Day Desert, named for Jesus' forty-day fast there.

As noted by St. Philaret of Moscow, the first Adam's slight failure to endure a simple fast in paradise necessitated that the second Adam practice a rigorous fast on earth, allowing Him to confront and ultimately subdue our relentless tempter. Through His fasting, tempting, and triumph over the tempter, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) inspires His followers by exemplifying resilience in the battle against the enemy of salvation, demonstrating the most effective means to counter his accusations (2:17-18). St. John Chrysostom emphasizes that Jesus fasted “not because He required fasting, but for our instruction,” and, after enduring forty days without food, “He engaged in combat with the devil, setting a precedent for us to arm ourselves with fasting and enter into battle with the enemy fortified by it.”

For this purpose, the Lord Jesus withdrew to the desolate wilderness, devoid of human presence, except for wild animals. In one of the caves that provided temporary refuge for the God-Man, He fasted for forty days and forty nights, consuming nothing during that time. This mirrors the fasts of significant figures from the Old Testament, such as Moses (Exodus 34:28) and the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 19:8). St. John Chrysostom observes that if Christ had fasted even longer, it could have prompted doubts about the reality of the Incarnation; therefore, He did not prolong the fast excessively to prevent any uncertainty regarding the truth of His coming in the flesh. St. Cyril of Alexandria adds that He avoided exceeding the limits set by earlier fasting saints to ensure that the adversary would not evade confrontation, recognizing who He was and fleeing from the battle.

Only the God-Man could fully comprehend the thoughts and emotions that filled His sacred soul during those forty days leading up to His public ministry. However, for humanity, this period of fasting served as a purposeful preparation for the trials and sufferings awaiting Him (Matt. 21:18; 26:36-46; 27:27-50; Lk. 5:16; 6:12; Jn. 4:6). At the conclusion of these forty days and nights, He submitted to His hunger, allowing, in the words of Blessed Theophylact, “by His hunger the devil an opportunity to confront Him, to tussle with Him, allowing Him to emerge victorious and grant us triumph.”