Scripture · Matthew 4:1-11
Matthew 4:1-11
The Temptation of Christ
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took Him to the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple. “If You are the Son of God,” he said, “throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” Jesus replied, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “All this I will give You,” he said, “if You will fall down and worship me.” “Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus told him. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him.
A youthful Christ in red stands on a rock while a dark-clothed tempter points across a bright yellow-orange landscape.
About the artwork
Rohlfs places both figures in profile, facing the same direction. That shared orientation makes the view before them part of the temptation. The red garment distinguishes Christ from the darker companion behind him, while the bright landscape turns the offered world into a field of forceful color.
Dark contours enclose the brilliant colors, an effect the Germanisches Nationalmuseum compares to the lead strips of stained glass. The boundaries hold the red figure apart from the glowing land being offered to Him. Painted in 1914, the work is read by the museum against the outbreak of World War I: the pursuit of world power becomes a dangerous delusion in the guise of a promise.
Featured in: Luke 4 in Art: The Temptation, the Hometown Sermon, and the Verses Worth Remembering
What does Matthew 4:1-11 mean?
Matthew 4:8–10 describes Jesus being shown the kingdoms of the world from a very high mountain. The promised possession has a condition: he must worship the tempter. Jesus refuses, answering that worship and service belong to God alone.
Rohlfs concentrates on this offer rather than including every temptation. The landscape’s brightness helps make the proposition visually compelling, while the figures remain separate in color and bearing. Reading the passage identifies the issue behind the pointing gesture: the temptation is to receive dominion by transferring allegiance.
Rohlfs uses the brilliant landscape and the tempter’s pointing hand to focus Matthew’s final temptation on the offer of worldly power.
Sources
Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg; loan from Museen der Stadt Nürnberg. Exact 1914 work; museum label connects its dark contours to stained glass and interprets the subject in the context of World War I.
Luke 4 in Art: The Temptation, the Hometown Sermon, and the Verses Worth Remembering. Artwork reading adapted from this guide.
Matthew 4 — Berean Standard Bible. Context for Matthew 4:1-11.
Also from Matthew:Marriage of the VirginThe Dream of Saint Joseph