For God So Loved…
Canvas 40” x 40”
Time: Approx. 2 hours; Easter Sunday, 2019
Cost: $1,500
Artist Statement
Theme: Jesus sacrificed His life because He LOVES you!
“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.” John 3:16 (MSG)
“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:11 (NLT)
On Easter morning, Pastor Doug delivered a passionate plea to believe Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection as evidence of God’s eternal love for each and every one of us. It was even difficult for Jesus’ closest friends to believe He actually came back to life on the third day! And even though He was betrayed by all but a few, He did not seek revenge. What would we do get someone to love us? Would we give up our own life, without any guarantee they would return that love? God was willing to take that chance since knew we could not find our own way back home until we experienced His love. God’s motive was not power and manipulation, but PURE LOVE!
The image for this painting came to my mind just minutes before the service began that morning while holding hands and praying with brothers and sisters in the faith. Like Jesus’ disciples at the tomb, I doubted…”How does a father giving a piggyback ride to his son convey the resurrection of Christ?” But, I realized as Doug spoke about the Father’s love for the Son, that the image fit perfectly. Love emanates from the union of the Father and Son: they sacrifice all for each other in order to bring every single one of us back to the family. The Father allows His heart to be broken wide open, even as Jesus asks to have the cup of suffering to be taken away. Jesus trusts the Father, and allows the Father to be his life (“...it is the Father living in me who does His work...” John 14:10). Then, Father lifts Jesus to the greatest victory of all time...winning our hearts!! This helps me see the cross and resurrection in a new way: Jesus now beckons me to give up my life in exchange for HIS, so His victory can be mine too!! Praise be to God, LOVE has conquered all, and now LOVE lives in me!!