Mark 1:12-13

¹² Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.

¹³ And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

Also found in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13.

Only Mark mentions that Jesus was with wild beasts. Also, it’s interesting to note that he doesn’t give the outcome—he just assumes his readers know.

drove (v.12) — Stronger than Matthew’s “was led up,” and Luke’s “was led,” literally, “to throw out from within, to cast out, to drive out.” It is used of our Lord’s expulsion of demons (Mark 1:34, 39). [It occurred immediately after the Lord’s baptism.] Thus, the first act of the indwelling Holy Spirit was to bring Messiah to the place of testing and temptation. — Wuest, page 25.

tempted by Satan (v.13) — tense indicates a continuous action. The Lord was tempted by Satan for all of the forty days. The three temptations recorded in Matthew 4:1-11 were probably a ramping-up in intensity at the end of the forty days.

tempted (v.13) = to put to the test to see what good or evil there is in a person. So, since people so often fail under temptation, it also means “soliciting to do evil.

The Last Adam was being put to the test to show that He was equipped and ready for His ministry as prophet, priest, and king. The universe was looking on, God the Father and the holy angels, the fallen angels, and the demons. What a battle royal was waged there. What tremendous things were at issue. But not only was He put to the test. He was solicited to do evil by Satan. [Regarding the wild beasts,] The first Adam fell into sin in an environment that was prefect and harmonious. The Last Adam maintained His sinlessness in an environment that was hostile. — Wuest, page 26.

Satan (v.13) = lit. “an adversary”

the angels ministered to Him (v.13) — “the” angels. No humans were around.

ministered (v.13) = To serve one, used especially of those who execute the commands of others. In this case, the commands of God the Father. Tense indicates continuous action—the angels ministered for all of the forty days. Matthew 4:11 says the angels came after the temptation. That likely indicates physical service, such as food. The ministering during the forty days, therefore, was spiritual.