What Kind of God Goes This Far For You?

 

Many people think they know about Christianity. The truth is that about the essentials of this faith little is known. Why a man claiming to be divine and the Creator of all things should go to such extremes of suffering, for you and me, knowing full well that we may ignore it, even despise it as an unnecessary act of self immolation. This is difficult to process, but to throw it out with the garbage, which is what most have done is an act of unspeakable folly. Please, think again! This is not mysticism it is one of the most verified facts of history with a tonnage of supporting evidence.

“It is finished” were the last three words spoken before Jesus died. This is the greatest event in history. The only door to eternal life, long since shut is now opened up to every one of us. Its full purpose awaited the moment of resurrection. Only then could we know for sure that death had finally been defeated. We who are made in the image of God could at last come to realise the full potential of our human spirit: one created by God for a life to come. An impossibility until it was emptied of our innate tendency towards sin and rebellion against our Maker. All this was accomplished by the universal effects of the only sacrifice that really mattered. We remain sinners but in Christ are a new creation, capable of living a life pleasing to God.

About the image above, you may well ask why paint the figure of Christ fully naked when this goes against all artistic convention? The answer: historians state this is how crucifixions were carried out in the Roman Empire. Its purpose? Unimaginable prolonged pain and to expose the victim to public shame and humiliation. This is something we should never forget. He bore not just our sin but also our shame and humiliation so that we could be free of it, both in this world and the next. Jesus was stripped naked. The soldiers who crucified him then cast lots for his clothing. This detail along with many others were prophesied hundreds of years before it happened. No reputable biblical scholar or historian, whether believer or unbeliever, doubts that Jesus was executed by the Romans. If Jesus bore all this for us then in my view it is more shameful to cover up than to expose the reality. If he could bear it then who are we to shield ourselves from what he did for our sake. I believe we place what was not there, a modesty covering loin cloth in order to protect ourselves from embarrassment. So we can lessen the full extent of the horrors and humiliations he endured on that awful cross.

My full understanding of this painting and why it looks so bleak came to me a few hours after it was finished. I had painted it very fast, it took only two hours from getting the impulse to do it, find and unwrap a canvass, formulate the idea, make a mistake and change it from portrait shape to landscape and then on to completion. The original thought was to make it dark and empty of everything but this terrible drama. I was left with nothing to paint other than the crucified figure and leaving nothing for the viewer other than to fix their gaze on the tortured figure. We must deal with him and him only, everything else is secondary. Jesus came to save us and if any other way had been possible I am convinced God would have chosen it. Only with Jesus do we have a choice. Stark choices certainly, belief or unbelief, life or death. With God there is no coercion. He values faith freely given. He will not strap us to a bed, shove a tube down our throat and force feed us his gospel. He gives many reasons to accept him, but they are not so overwhelming we are compelled to believe.

Having finished and while looking at the painting I realised that the cross, a stake driven into the black, lifeless, featureless ground represents Satan’s kingdom of death. As I looked at what I had done its impact hit me. The cross was a weapon formed by God. Satan was the chosen target and this rough wooden stake was now sunk deep into his flesh and spirit. I also realised that Jesus was no helpless victim but was measuring his last few words which are a victory cry.

“It is finished”

And it was finished. Death had lost its sting and been defeated. Satan’s kingdom suffered a mortal blow. His greatest weapon which had been death now forever lost and turned against him. Within three days Jesus had made a way for us: a way to become like him, resurrected and granted the gift of eternal life. His work was to make a way home for us. We call it Heaven. In Christ you are made clean and worthy of heaven, not though your worthiness but through his. He died so that you and I may live. God your Father wants you to find your way back to him though His Son. There is no other way. No likeness to him. No Allah, no Buddha, no Shiva or Isis, no salvation though works and ceremonial, or ritual cleansing or hours of repetitive prayer and meditation. Jesus is not only The Way, he is your way. How can you be sure? Because Jesus, uniquely was resurrected from the dead. Large numbers saw him afterwards, spoke with him, spent time with him, touched him, ate with him, watched his ascension into the clouds. The video speaks of this reality, one which changes everything. If Jesus is still alive then all his claims and those made on his behalf by his followers are very difficult to deny. To miss hearing the evidence laid out for you by a world respected biblical scholar means you do not want to hear evidence, not because there is no evidence. An hour or so of your time is not wasted if as a result you find your God and Saviour.

 

 

 

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