The Temptation of Jesus or Jesus in the Wilderness:
As the apostles testify (Mark 1:12; Matthew 4:1-8; Luke 4:1-13) after Jesus
was baptized the Spirit led him into the wilderness, to be tempted by the
Devil.
After a forty days fast the Devil approached him and said, ‘If you
are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread’. And Jesus answered,
‘Man is not to live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the
mouth of God’.
The Devil then took Jesus to Jerusalem on the Temple and said, ‘If
you are the Son of God, throw yourself down’ and angels will rescue you.
And Jesus answered, that ‘you are not to put the Lord your God to the test’.
The Devil then took Jesus on the highest mountain and showed him all
the kingdoms of the world and said that he would give them to Jesus if
only he agreed to do homage to the Devil. And Jesus said, ‘Out of my sight,
Satan!’
Then the Devil left him.
See: Alessandro Botticelli. The
Temptation of Christ.
Duccio di Buoninsegna. Maestà.The
Temptation of Christ on the Mountain, Maestà:
Temptation
on a Pinnacle of the Temple.
Fra Angelico. Temptation
of Christ.
Limbourg Brothers.
Les trčs riches heures du Duc de Berry. The Temptation of Christ.
Christ is being tempted on three occasions by the Devil, who is disguised
in a monk's habit. After 40 days of fasting, Christ is being challenged
by him to turn stones into bread, an in the center he is being told to
throw himself from the towers of the temple so that his angels can catch
him. Finally, the Devil shows Christ all the riches of the world, which
he will deliver up to him if he will worship him. Afterwards, Satan is
unmasked.
Ivan Kramskoy. Christ
in the Desert.