Good Friday Art (7 - 4' x 8'; Spring 2016)
Location: Lincoln Berean Church, Lincoln, NE
Created for: Good Friday experience at Lincoln Berean Church
In order to create the artwork for the event, I worked with Mark Matthewson, Lincoln Berean Church's Theologian in Residence. His writing for the event booklet is below. Sketches of the finished artwork accompanied the writing so guests could match the images with the final works.
For this year’s Good Friday event, we will explore the parallels between the Exodus and the Cross. The overall theme is redemption. The Exodus is to the Jewish people what the Cross is to Christians. It was the event by which God redeemed (saved) them. We will include seven themes in the larger theme of redemption. They are: chosen deliverer, sacrifice, victory over the enemy, rescue, freedom, kinship (family), and promise of land and inheritance.
To help you think through these themes, here is a short description of each.
Redemption refers to the restoring of a person back into the protection and provisions of a family clan. Ancient peoples thought it a tragedy for a person to live outside a family group (think widow, orphan, foreigner, slave, or one captured by an enemy). To restore such a person to a place of provision and protection in a family clan required someone to use his resources—often at great expense and sacrifice—to rescue the outcast, free him from his condition, and supply him with whatever he needed. In the Exodus, God, through Moses, rescued the Israelites, freed them from slavery, made them his family, and brought them into a place of blessing (the Land of Promise). Likewise, at the Cross, God, through Jesus, rescued us from slavery to sin, made us his family, and brought us into his kingdom with the hope of living one day in a place of ultimate blessing (the new earth).
Chosen Deliverer. To redeem the children of Israel, God selected a deliverer, Moses, to accomplish the task. Even today Jews see Moses as their greatest prophet. To redeem all people, God selected a deliverer, Jesus, to accomplish the task. The Gospels portray Jesus as the “new Moses.” As great as Moses was, the New Testament presents Jesus as the superior prophet.
Sacrifice. Redemption typically comes at a high cost and requires sacrifice of one’s resources. God sacrificed his reputation in choosing to make a rabble of slaves his very own people. Moses sacrificed status, privilege, and riches to lead God’s people out of Egypt and through the wilderness. So too God the Father gave up his beloved son to die for our redemption. Jesus gave up his status and glory in heaven and then his very life to lead us out of slavery to sin and into his kingdom.
Victory Over the Enemy at the Exodus and at the Cross brought redemption. Through the plagues in Egypt and the defeat of Pharaoh’s army at the Red Sea salvation came to Israel. Through Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, God defeated our enemies of sin, death, and the powers of evil accomplishing our salvation.
Rescue resulted from God’s victory over the enemy at both the Exodus and the Cross. Pharaoh’s defeat delivered the Israelites from their captivity. Satan’s defeat broke the bonds of our captivity.
Freedom. The Exodus and the Cross set slaves free. The Exodus provided the Israelites freedom from their oppression, but also freedom to live as God’s children. Likewise, the Cross gave us freedom from our oppression from the forces of evil. Additionally, the Cross set us free to live as God’s beloved children.
Kinship (family). The Exodus did not free the Israelites simply so they would no longer be slaves. It freed them so they could be brought into God’s family – a place of protection and provision. Through a covenant, God made the Israelites his people, his family, whom he would love, protect, and provide for. The Cross did not free sinners merely so they would no longer be in bondage to sin. It freed them so they could be brought into God’s family – a place of protection and provision. Through a new covenant, God made us his people, his family, whom he would cherish, protect, and lavish with goodness.
Promise of Land and Inheritance. The goal of the Exodus and the Cross was to restore people back to living with God, as his favored people, in the place that he chose. For the children of Israel, God promised an inheritance of land and all the blessings that came from living in that land with God. For followers of Jesus, God promises an inheritance of a new land (the new heaven’s and earth) and all the blessings that come from living there with God. Moreover, when we are brought into God’s new family we are made co-heirs with the eldest Son—Jesus. Everything that is his is ours as well.
NOTE: The paintings were painted by myself with help from Frosty Chapman. Jim Hines built the panels and Tim Watson lit the panels for the event. Another project of team work.
Location: Lincoln Berean Church, Lincoln, NE
Created for: Good Friday experience at Lincoln Berean Church
In order to create the artwork for the event, I worked with Mark Matthewson, Lincoln Berean Church's Theologian in Residence. His writing for the event booklet is below. Sketches of the finished artwork accompanied the writing so guests could match the images with the final works.
For this year’s Good Friday event, we will explore the parallels between the Exodus and the Cross. The overall theme is redemption. The Exodus is to the Jewish people what the Cross is to Christians. It was the event by which God redeemed (saved) them. We will include seven themes in the larger theme of redemption. They are: chosen deliverer, sacrifice, victory over the enemy, rescue, freedom, kinship (family), and promise of land and inheritance.
To help you think through these themes, here is a short description of each.
Redemption refers to the restoring of a person back into the protection and provisions of a family clan. Ancient peoples thought it a tragedy for a person to live outside a family group (think widow, orphan, foreigner, slave, or one captured by an enemy). To restore such a person to a place of provision and protection in a family clan required someone to use his resources—often at great expense and sacrifice—to rescue the outcast, free him from his condition, and supply him with whatever he needed. In the Exodus, God, through Moses, rescued the Israelites, freed them from slavery, made them his family, and brought them into a place of blessing (the Land of Promise). Likewise, at the Cross, God, through Jesus, rescued us from slavery to sin, made us his family, and brought us into his kingdom with the hope of living one day in a place of ultimate blessing (the new earth).
Chosen Deliverer. To redeem the children of Israel, God selected a deliverer, Moses, to accomplish the task. Even today Jews see Moses as their greatest prophet. To redeem all people, God selected a deliverer, Jesus, to accomplish the task. The Gospels portray Jesus as the “new Moses.” As great as Moses was, the New Testament presents Jesus as the superior prophet.
Sacrifice. Redemption typically comes at a high cost and requires sacrifice of one’s resources. God sacrificed his reputation in choosing to make a rabble of slaves his very own people. Moses sacrificed status, privilege, and riches to lead God’s people out of Egypt and through the wilderness. So too God the Father gave up his beloved son to die for our redemption. Jesus gave up his status and glory in heaven and then his very life to lead us out of slavery to sin and into his kingdom.
Victory Over the Enemy at the Exodus and at the Cross brought redemption. Through the plagues in Egypt and the defeat of Pharaoh’s army at the Red Sea salvation came to Israel. Through Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, God defeated our enemies of sin, death, and the powers of evil accomplishing our salvation.
Rescue resulted from God’s victory over the enemy at both the Exodus and the Cross. Pharaoh’s defeat delivered the Israelites from their captivity. Satan’s defeat broke the bonds of our captivity.
Freedom. The Exodus and the Cross set slaves free. The Exodus provided the Israelites freedom from their oppression, but also freedom to live as God’s children. Likewise, the Cross gave us freedom from our oppression from the forces of evil. Additionally, the Cross set us free to live as God’s beloved children.
Kinship (family). The Exodus did not free the Israelites simply so they would no longer be slaves. It freed them so they could be brought into God’s family – a place of protection and provision. Through a covenant, God made the Israelites his people, his family, whom he would love, protect, and provide for. The Cross did not free sinners merely so they would no longer be in bondage to sin. It freed them so they could be brought into God’s family – a place of protection and provision. Through a new covenant, God made us his people, his family, whom he would cherish, protect, and lavish with goodness.
Promise of Land and Inheritance. The goal of the Exodus and the Cross was to restore people back to living with God, as his favored people, in the place that he chose. For the children of Israel, God promised an inheritance of land and all the blessings that came from living in that land with God. For followers of Jesus, God promises an inheritance of a new land (the new heaven’s and earth) and all the blessings that come from living there with God. Moreover, when we are brought into God’s new family we are made co-heirs with the eldest Son—Jesus. Everything that is his is ours as well.
NOTE: The paintings were painted by myself with help from Frosty Chapman. Jim Hines built the panels and Tim Watson lit the panels for the event. Another project of team work.