Chapter 14—Fasting
The Desire of Ages, 117-118
With Christ, as with the holy pair in Eden, appetite was the ground
of the first great temptation. Just where the ruin began, the work of
our redemption must begin. As by the indulgence of appetite Adam
fell, so by the denial of appetite Christ must overcome. “And when He
had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungered.
And when the tempter came to Him, he said, Thou be the Son of God,
command that these stones be made bread.’ But He answered and said,
‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
From the time of Adam to that of Christ, self-indulgence had
increased the power of the appetites and passions, until they had almost
unlimited control. Thus men had become debased and diseased, and
of themselves it was impossible for them to overcome. In man’s
behalf, Christ conquered by enduring the severest test. For our sake
He exercised a self-control stronger than hunger or death. And in this
first victory were involved other issues that enter into all our conflicts
with the powers of darkness.
When Jesus entered the wilderness, He was shut in by the Father’s
glory. Absorbed in communion with God, He was lifted above human
weakness. But the glory departed, and He was left to battle with
temptation. It was pressing upon Him every moment. His human
nature shrank from the conflict that awaited Him. For forty days
He fasted and prayed. Weak and emaciated from hunger, worn and
haggard with mental agony, “His visage was so marred more than
any man, and His form more than the sons of men.” Now was Satan’s
opportunity. Now he supposed that he could overcome Christ.
Letter K 158, 1909
Christ entered upon the test upon the point of appetite, and for
nearly six weeks resisted temptation in behalf of man. That long fast
in the wilderness was to be a lesson to fallen man for all time. Christ
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