When Jesus is fasting in the desert, what does it mean that the "angels ministered to him"?

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Davidius
Husband of Emily
Member of All Saints Anglican Church - Chapel Hill (AMiA / Anglican Church of North America)
Student: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, German and Classics

I assume it means that they provided for his physical needs at that point. He overcame all the temptations to gratuitously call down their help and, upon the conclusion of His trial, the Father sent them to comfort Him. It's pure speculation but I think they brought Him some food.

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Rich
PCA, Northern VA
Student, New Geneva Theological Seminary

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...and water!

Another thought:
Mark's Gospel mentions that "He was with the wild animals, and angels were ministering to him." [Mark 1:12]. Perhaps this indicates the angels provided some sort of physical protect for him from the wild animals.

-----Added 12/15/2008 at 11:06:40 EST-----

From Lange's Commentary:

-----Added 12/15/2008 at 11:26:09 EST-----

Matthew Henry says,

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Sterling Harmon
Presbyterian Church of Coventry (PCA)
Coventry, CT
Deacon
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"Our Lord God must be a good man, to be fond of worthless fellows. I cannot like them, and yet I, myself, am one."
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Good question. I never really thought about it. It is kind of like Adam tending the garden. I’m not sure what was there for Adam to actually do and that needed tending. It’s like “hey Eve, today I planted this garden with a new variety Hawaiian tropical's. Don’t you like my choice of “Bird of Paradise”, which I officially named Strelitzia?”

I think “and the angels ministered to Him” could be general term to tell us the angels were there with Him. Most likely they tended to the basic needs of food, water, clothing, shelter, protection. As well as there to keep Him company and comfort Him.

“Ministry of the good angels around all of us, is matter of great comfort considering nasty intentions of the principalities of darkness against us; and more so it reassures us, to have the indwelling of the spirit in our hearts.” …Matthew Henry

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Rangerus
Southern Baptist
Austin, TX
Teacher and Volunteer
1689 LBCF & BF&M 2000

Well we have to be careful quoting that Matthew Henry... Too "allegorical" .

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Benjamin P. Glaser, M. Div, Licentiate, Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
Member Fairmount ARP Church
Pittsburgh, PA

Deo Vindice

It is still quite wonderous and humbling to know God suffered as a human in the person of Jesus. Nothing but doxology seems to be able to communicate thankfulness for His obedience to the Father even to death on the cross.

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Joel Batts
Christ Presbyterian Church (PCA) - Memphis, TN

I believe that many would find that the heart sings unbidden while they are working their way through a tough bit of theology with a pipe in their teeth and a pencil in their hand. - CS Lewis

They gave him whatever another person how had spend 40 days in the dessert would need, both to body and mind.

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Martin - Reformed
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Jesus, the MAN, received whatever ministration another man would need. We might even be even assuming that these angels were the awesome, shining spiritual kind, when we ought to be thinking along the lines of the ravens that fed Elijah; but still he was also fed by the angel that fed him on his flight to Horeb.

Regardless, Jesus was out there, driven by the Spirit, to be tempted and tried, and not in a Paradise but a wilderness. And he was NOT to be using his divine power to extricate himself or help himself, but like WE would/ought, he entrusted himself to the Father, and relied on the Spirit. Who, of course, provided what he needed.

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Rev. Bruce G. Buchanan
ChainOLakes Presbyterian Church, CentralLake, MI


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I find it delightfully ironic in light of the fact that Satan tempted Jesus to throw himself off the temple to prove He was the Son of God 'knowing' that the angels would minister to His safety. Jesus would not tempt God, as He replied, to do such a thing, but He did trust His Father, as Bruce ably demonstrates above.

In other words, presumption with regards to God's unrevealed will is dangerous but trusting in God's revealed will (promises) is wonderful.

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Rev. Daniel Kok
Pastor of Grace Reformed Church (URCNA)
Leduc, Alberta CANADA

"What sort of pledge and how great is this of love towards us! Christ lives for us not for himself!"
John Calvin, Commentary on the Hebrews (7:25)

So he provided for Jesus' needs, whatever those were in this context, since he was fasting and therefore not eating, through angels?

Can God minister to us with angels? What do you think this would look like?

I'm not sure what it would "look like" but there are times that I have come through an experience and can't explain how I survived. My guardian angel? Don't know, but I do sense the Presence of the Almighty at times when that Presence is sorely needed.

Can God minister to us with angels? I believe God is able to do that.

I do believe that God's angels are very different than Clarence.

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Ivan R. Schoen, B.A., M.A., M.L.I.S.
Pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church (SBC)
Poplar Grove, IL, USA
http://maranatha-sbc.org

I just saw that movie for the first time this Christmas, so I get it.