Why is Jesus looking on an oddly standing stone?
Upvote:1
On the present level, it is the temptation to turn stone into bread.
And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. Luke 4:3
But on the future level, there's a valley of sorts between Christ and the stone. There's also an obvious round rock between the valley and upright stone. Jesus is looking past the valley of the shadow of death to and past the stone rolled away from the tomb to the time when men's hearts of stone are turned by Christ the living bread to lively stones.
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. John 6:51
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5
Upvote:7
All so called Christian art is Biblically based; and is intended to induce some reflection of some event in Biblical History otherwise it would not be Christian art. Even going back to the old Masters, much or even most of their artworks were based on their concept of some event from the Bible.
The picture you asked about along with many other paintings are symbolic and are intended to elicit contemplation on the part of the viewer. As to what that painting refers to in the Bible is mostly an association within the mind of the viewer.
One person might be reminded of the temptation of Christ when Satan said turn these rocks into bread while another person might be reminded of the aloneness of Jesus and that he was like no other man who ever walked the earth. The more connotations that a painting can induce in it's viewers the better.
The painting itself readily identifies itself with Jesus in it's title and for my part it represents many facets of Jesus life on earth. His loneliness, his deep concentration, among many others.
And although it most likely will be deemed off topic I felt it necessary to give you this explanation even though I will be called down for answering an off topic question.
Upvote:12
From the title of the picture, I feel it is safe to assume the author had this in mind:
Matthew 4:1-4
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
The stone is so oddly standing in order to stick out. Otherwise it wouldn't be Jesus staring at a stone, it would be Jesus staring.
More post
- 📝 Did Jesus have suicidal thoughts?
- 📝 What purpose do angels serve (Protestant)?
- 📝 Should a Protestant accept the Nicene Creed?
- 📝 Does God intend to replace the fallen angels with humans?
- 📝 How to find out more about the the 12 disciples?
- 📝 In Catholicism, what is the proper order of the sacraments of initiation and what are the summary arguments in support of this order?
- 📝 How were the old saints justified under the law? (Catholic and Protestant views)
- 📝 Where does the Bible mention a "gold earring on the Ethiopian's cheek"
- 📝 Why don't young-earth creationists just explain things (usually considered as miracles) as miracles?
- 📝 Introduction to Greek Texts; Byzantine vs. Alexandrian
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for idolatry being "things" we put higher than God?
- 📝 Are there published testimonies from Christians who had the truth of the Trinity revealed to them through the Holy Spirit?
- 📝 Why do Protestants hold "prayer services"?
- 📝 Where does Calmet write when idolatry began?
- 📝 Why is the Bible so short?
- 📝 In the Bible, have "good men" often set their hand against each other?
- 📝 How can Paul having been alive apart from the Law reconcile with the doctrine of original sin?
- 📝 How do Biblical Unitarians deal with the fact that the early church accepted the divinity of Christ?
- 📝 Are Filipino Roman Catholics required to not have meat on all Fridays of Lent?
- 📝 Which are the OT prophesies referred to in the Nicene Creed in relation to Jesus' Resurrection?
- 📝 What are the core beliefs of Presbyterianism? How does it differ and compare to other denominations of reformed Protestantism?
- 📝 Why didn't Protestants argue for traditional marriage by natural reason?
- 📝 Can Christians manufacture cigarettes?
- 📝 What are the key differences between the Western and Eastern Christianity?
- 📝 Is the highway mentioned in Isaiah a literal highway?
- 📝 Why are there differences in events within the Gospels?
- 📝 Is praying for the wealth of the Stocks Exchange blasphemy?
- 📝 How does 1 John 2:19 fit with the teaching that Christians can lose their salvation
- 📝 Why is God said to have married a couple?
- 📝 Why did Ananias die?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Why is Jesus looking on an oddly standing stone?
- 📝 Why did Jesus not stone the adulteress?
- 📝 Why did Jesus not want to be known as the Messiah?
- 📝 Has any prominent theologian ever explained why Jesus let a thief be in charge of the money?
- 📝 Why did Jesus protest before performing his first miracle?
- 📝 Why is Jesus named the Prince of Peace instead of the King of Peace?
- 📝 Why did Jesus wear the crown of thorns?
- 📝 Why does Jesus refer to himself as the "Son of Man"?
- 📝 Why did Jesus tell His disciples to buy a sword?
- 📝 Why did Jesus refer to Gentiles as dogs?
- 📝 Why did the apostle John call himself, "the disciple whom Jesus loved"?
- 📝 According to those holding that Jesus was literally born of a virgin, why did Paul not mention it?
- 📝 Why does Jesus not want people to repent and be forgiven in Mark 4?
- 📝 Why did Jesus have to leave for the Holy Spirit to come?
- 📝 If Protestants won't ask dead saints to intercede because there is no mediator but Jesus then why do they ask living Christians to pray for them?
- 📝 Why does Jesus value leap of faith more than those who rely on direct evidence?
- 📝 Why did Jesus use the expression, "very truly I tell you"?
- 📝 Why were both criminals that were crucified with Jesus abusing him in Mark, and not in Luke?
- 📝 Why did Jesus say, "Do not touch me"?
- 📝 If Jesus was Emmanuel why was he named Yeshua?
- 📝 If we are saved by grace, then why does Jesus say we must be baptized in both spirit and water?
- 📝 Why did Jesus question God on the cross?
- 📝 Why did Jesus physically throw out the money changers instead of winning the argument with reason?
- 📝 Why did Jesus curse the fig tree?
- 📝 Why is Jesus the Son called the Father in Isaiah 9:6?
- 📝 Why did Jesus change Peter's name, according to non-Catholic theology?
- 📝 Why does Jesus speak of himself in the third person?
- 📝 Why did Jesus not want people to talk about his healing?
- 📝 Why is Jesus occasionally referred to as "The Christ"? Is there a different definition between the two?
- 📝 Why did Jesus use bread to turn into His body?