Why did Jesus piddle around for 40 days in the wilderness?

nowwhat?

After all he only had 3 and half years to perform his ministry so every day counted. Instead of witnessing to Satan couldn't he have made better use of his time reaching as many people as possible? Just using some jdub reasoning on the matter.

minimus

He had to prepare himself. If he was going to not give in to Satan’s attacks for 40 days, the chances are he would be able to remain loyal to the very end of his existence and prove Satan the devil to be a liar.

wemusthavethefaith

I believe there was an Watchtower that mentioned that "Heaven had been opened up to him" at his baptism, so his pre-human thoughts come back to him, so he needed a couple of days to get his mind right. Of course depending on which gospel you read, he dis start preaching the 'next day' (John 1:29)

cobweb

Different numbers have particular significance in the bible. They reoccur with such regularity it is difficult to ignore. Twelve is an extremely common one. Ask yourself: Does the bible writer know that Jesus was in the wilderness for literally 40 days or was the number 40 used to represent an aspect of the story's meaning?

Finkelstein

Its just one of many mythological expressions which were fictional story telling, the number 40 was used in this instance because of its previous use and acceptance in ancient Hebrew mythology.

lriddle80

It represented the 40 years Israel was made to wander around in the desert. "Wilderness" meant testing to the Israelites. When the Israelites were in the wilderness, they didn't pass the test, but Jesus did. This is a complex study, but on The Bible Project podcast, they discuss this in "Jesus with the Wild Beasts"

I believe in overlapping

Their arithmetic was limited!

Rain fell for "forty days and forty nights" during the Flood (Genesis 7:4).

Noah waited for forty days after the tops of mountains were seen after the flood, before releasing a raven (Genesis 8:5-7).

Spies were sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan (promised to the children of Israel) for "forty days" (Numbers 13:2, 25).

The Hebrew people lived in the lands outside of the promised land for "forty years".

The Lord’s anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, Numbers 32:13

1 Samuel 4:18 New International Version (NIV) 18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led Israel forty years

Acts 13:21 Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years.

1 kings 11:42 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

Goliath challenged the Israelites twice a day for forty days before David defeated him (1 Samuel 17:16).

Moses spent three consecutive periods of "forty days and forty nights" on Mount Sinai:

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Acts 7:23 When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites

Acts 7:30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.

Acts 7:36 He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness

Billie Jean Lryics-Michael Jackson @ the 1:50 mark

For forty days and forty nights
The law was on her side
But who can stand when she's in demand

https://youtu.be/b3dvkD-SKnw?t=112

smiddy3

When I was Fourty I bought my first pair of Ice skates , that was pretty significant for me .

Xanthippe

Watchtower that mentioned that "Heaven had been opened up to him" at his baptism, so his pre-human thoughts come back to him,

So all that going into the temple when he was twelve teaching the priests about his father and knowing more than they did, what was that, deja vu? Another WTS contradiction!

smiddy3

And why in heavens name did he wait until he was 30 years old before he got baptised and only started preaching from then on.?

And only for 3 years ?

What a wasted lifetime ,he could have been out their preaching from the time he was twelve years old .He wasted 21 years of his life keeping his mouth shut and not sharing his life saving message to his fellow man/woman.

Why do JW`s drag their kids along in D2D work when Jesus didn`t do it until he was 30 years old ?

Oh that`s right JW`s only follow the Bible message.

Why did Jesus piddle around for 40 days in the wilderness?

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