Why did our savior LORD Jesus Christ fast?

 

Translated By Hiwot Salelew

His fasting in the Corinthians monastery for 40 days and night was:-

a) To Fulfill the law

Our creator God; Who is above all of the law, passed on His ‘fasting’ for the first mankind Adam, by the Pentateuch for him to inherit Eternal Life, fortifying his stability and safety by Holy Spirit as his cure.  It is the formation of the Pentateuch as well.

Our father Mosses, in Deu. 9:9 says, “While I went to the mountain for me to take the promised arc that GOD vowed with you on the two stone Holy plate, I didn’t eat bread nor have I drank water for 40 days and 40 nights.”

With this, mosses received the Pentateuch law; and thus, it is vital to fast. Our savior Jesus Christ made ‘fasting’ as the commencement of the Gospel to fulfill the law. At the Mathew’s Gospel 4:1-11, he says “I didn’t come to condemn the law but to fulfill it.”

b) To pay our debt (for our remuneration)

As GOD order our Father Adam, “Do not eat this fig (the forbidden fruit); if so, you shall die,” Gen.2፡16-17, but he disobeyed his law eating the fig and committing a delinquency. Then after he was baptized and resided in Corinthians monastery for 40 days and 40 nights without any consumption and drinking for the revocation of Adam’s eating the poison that consort death upon him; so GOD spilled his blood.

c) To be an ideal

The initiation of spiritual life and good conduct is fasting. GOD started his salvation on Friday and made it the origination of the Gospel as well. Our savior LORD Jesus Christ was baptized in this world in Jordan, where afterwards his endeavor started with fasting; as the apostles’ have also understood, they commenced abstaining.

Our Fathers made fasting the beginning of the Gospel; via which we can live with GOD’s Kingdom forever and the door to the Eternal Life was unlocked making them exemplary. However, we haven’t order them to fast while they don’t; we ought to fast and pray while living on earth with him as our savior, saving us from the predicament and ceaseless smoldering.

d) To preach us

 We should devote our life to LORD Jesus Christ to feat what is permitted, abscond what is forbidden, abiding the law, for salvation by the Gospel and to heal our sore soul. A soul with courage to fast and consequently experiencing spirituality and being diffident , denying the desire of eating and drinking needed for our corporeal can be permitted as the soul’s will.

If this soul attains what Christ sermons, we can bare every difficulty including imprisonment and whipping. Our abstaining to repentant our sin, not only to return back to GOD, but also to live Eternal Life and express our love by the Gospel of our savior LORD Jesus Christ.

e) To defeat Satan

 LORD Jesus Christ in Matthew’s Gospel 4:1-11 stated, during His fast, satan tormented him by greed, haughty and materialism. He defeated greed by tolerance, haughty with courteous and materialism through generosity.

Nowadays, we can identify these ordeals to defeat our enemy just as LORD Christ defeated satan and throw him to Hell! In Gospel of John 16-33, Christ said, “Therefore, conquer; for I have surmount the world,” because fasting heals Leprosy of soul’s. It wipes out the desire for physical craving; satisfy soul’s starvation and enslavement from satan uniting us with LORD Christ.

Why do we fast?

Alike our LORD Jesus Christ fast for our salvation; we need to follow his foot step and defeat our enemy satan for becoming heir to what our Fathers have inherited.  In the spiritual life of maturity and the physical longing, fast is a sacrifice to GOD. Fast is the foundation of every good deed of the Gospel, His first order to Adam and charismatic gifts, the beginning and the end; Alpha and Omega; GOD.

In Genesis 2:17, what He orders Adam was, “However, do not eat from the tree that distinguishes good and bad; the day you eat from that, you die.”

When we say fasting:-

  1. It is way for our trepidation of GOD and to ask for His mercy

In Ezra 8:23, it is stated, “We fast pleading GOD; and He hears our prayer,” for us to understand that fasting is our way to commune with GOD and for prayer; we recognize that those people have comprehended it.

  1. We appeal to GOD with our poignant and problems

The prophet Joel, during Israel was in their sorrow and starvation in Joel 1:14, informed us that we should “Bless fasting, announce the synod, gather elderly people and all living on earth to GOD pleading Him.”

The prophet Joel 2:12 told us, “GOD said, return back to Me with your entire heart with sorrow, fast and yelping; blow the trumpet in Zion; bless fasting, and announce the synod.” Thus, we shouldn’t ask GOD about our physical desire, what we eat, drink, for our peace and harmony. Foremost, Jesus Christ thought us through the prophets to fast and pray; for our enslavement of our problems and sorrow.

  1. It is a gear that heals our grievance and strain good generation

The prophet Isaiah in 58፡12 informs, “The houses torn down at ancient time, will be reconstructed, its formation will pass on to the next generation and you will be known as the emissary of what is broken and renewing the path of life”. Furthermore, in verse 5 “I didn’t choose this fast, at the day like this, we shouldn’t grief and while fast makes diffident, with that GOD is faithful; there will be blessing upon earth as well; GOD will nourish him with Jacob’s bequest as He Himself stated”.

  1. Way of worshiping

It is affirmed in the apostles 13:1-2 that Barnabas and Saul were called for spiritual life by fasting and praying. On those days after their fast, prayer and their blessing with their holy hand, they escorted them out.  When a person commences the path of worship, he ought to fast and pray; Like Lord Jesus Christ taught us, fast is the way of worship. To find the generation, the apostles fasted before taking apostolic pilgrimage.

  1. It is our weapon to exorcise satan and evil spirit; Mark 9:29

Subsequent to our LORD exorcising demons whom the disciples were unable too; they asked “Why couldn’t we exorcise,” and so he elucidated their lack of faith. “This generation can get salvation by praying and fasting; but none other.” Other than that, it is important to understand the improbability to exorcise. Opposing and resenting fasting, without its functionality and thinking we could expel demons; it could lead us into being despair and fools of satan.

Weeks of the Great fasting

Whilst our LORD and savior Jesus Christ abstained Himself for 40 days and night, Christians tribute the eight weeks termed in their holy scriptures.  These are:-

  1. The first Sunday of the Great fast is known as ‘Zewerede’ meaning the one who descended from above.
  2. The second Sunday known as ‘Kidist’, the name signifying GOD’s holiness.
  3. The third Sunday is ‘Mikurab’; the word standing for the synagogue, reminding us that our LORD during His ministry taught in the synagogue.
  4. The fourth Sunday is ‘Metsague’; meaning the one who infirm. A hymn for the healing of the sick and giving sight to the blind by the LORD is sung on this day.
  5. The fifth Sunday is ‘Debrezeit’ a geez word standing for mount olives. A hymn of our lord’s second coming -dooms day which he taught on Mount of Olives is sung on this day.
  6. The sixth Sunday ‘Gebreher’/Good servant/, the story of the good servant who received two talents are told and sung on this day.
  7. The seventh is ‘Nikodimus’– a hymn commerating the coming to ‘Nikodimus’ to our LORD during the night is sung.
  8. The eight Sunday is ‘Hosanna’/Palm Sunday/. It is a commemorative day on which our LORD entered into the temple in triumph and during which the people sung Hosanna in the highest.

Source: Amharic text by Deacon Yosef Bekele at/www.mahiberekidusan.com/amharicwebsite/