Mark 15-16 That Blessed Nazarene

Crucifixion

Crucifixion

Image – Rebecca Clist
Mark 15:24-37

While the cross is to be celebrated for its importance, and God worshiped for his extreme faithfulness to us, this scene is not meant to be palatable. In fact, I hoped to convey the repellent revulsion of this dark scenario.The word toxic came to mind as I read this text, hence the toxic coloured skull. What people were shouting out to our beloved saviour Jesus was verbal poison. The hatred was heavy; it felt dark and the situation noxious. • Golgotha - the place of the skull. The skull itself is the universal symbol of death and is easily read here. • While two cruciform shapes are suggested left and right, the space is purposely sparse, as this death setting, one of self-sacrifice covering all sin, was for Jesus only. The reddened vertical beam of Christ’s cross represents his blood that transcends time past, present and future, his blood covers all.The textured background, layered and ‘crud like’, is there to signal the human sin that Christ’s light form contrasts, the darkest death contrasts the purest form.I'm hoping viewers of this painting will understand at a gut-wrenching level the sin-blemished nature of humanity, and realise our own personal need for Jesus even more.
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