Why was Jesus' forty days of fasting in the wilderness a setup for temptation?
The forty days of fasting left Jesus hungry in the wilderness, creating a perfect setup for temptation. Satan came knowing He had been in the desert and was hungry, then tempted Him to satisfy that hunger by commanding stones to become bread, testing whether physical appetite would be put above every word of God.
Les explains that after Jesus had been out in the wilderness forty days fasting, it was a perfect setup for the temptations. The devil came along realizing He had been out in the desert and was hungry. In Matthew 4:3, the tempter said, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” Les points out that because Jesus was hungry, the thought of bread would send His taste buds crazy, so He was tempted with the whole concept of satisfying His hunger. Jesus answered in verse 4, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” The lesson Les draws is that in spite of our physical appetites, whatever they are, we must temper them with spiritual things that are far more important and keep our priorities straight.
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.