Resurrection
Date: March 31st–Easter Sunday 2024
Canvas: 48” x 48”
Cost: $700
Scripture: [Jesus said,] “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” John 3:14-16 [NIV]
Leading up to Easter, I had been fascinated how Jordan Peterson links the cross and the story of the bronze serpent in the desert to the psychological phenomenon of fear: when we face our fears they flee. The Israelites, terrorized by snakes, only had to look at what they feared (a bronze snake God had instructed Moses to make) and they were healed of the snake’s poison…and lived. On the cross, Christ endures the worst human fears–being abandoned, rejected, tortured and killed–takes all poison into his body and transforms it into antivenom. According to Bishop Baron, Christ beckons us to Heaven, but first asks us to join him in Hell, saying, “Pick up your cross and follow me.” In my own life, when fear strikes me, I’ve recently made it a practice to look at the snake and let it inject steel into my spine.
For several days prior, I had images of a crucifixion–resurrection snake, but felt it was too extreme for Easter Sunday. But, on ‘Easter Eve,’ Elena, my daughter put on Dune, and we watched it for the first time. Massive sand worms resembling snakes terrorized the visitors to the planet Arrakis. (My daughter Elena had actually been fascinated with snakes for a while.) Paul Atreites, the messianic character, struggled with fear as he confronted his calling to surrender his life for his people. “Fear is the mind killer” he said, then learned to ride those monsters.
As I stood praying and waiting for more clarity on how to blend the crucifixion and the resurrection, Doug “coincidentally” delivered his message on overcoming fear; Joseph of Arimathea gained the courage to request Jesus’ body for proper burial in Joseph's own tomb. In the image, I painted the snake as the doorframe of the tomb. Now, as we peer out of that tomb we see Jesus and his followers celebrating his resurrection basked in the sunrise-glow of the First Easter!! After bearing our cross, we, too, are going to leave our tombs to enjoy, forever, the complete beauty, peace and love that await us in our resurrection!!