MEDITATIONS ON THE PASSION STORY:
A LENT COURSE EXPLORING THE PASSION THROUGH 6 PAINITNGS
I was asked by a group of churches in Suffolk to contribute to a Lent Course that they intended to running to consider the meaning and implications of of Christ's Passion through works of art.
The first group of studies, as requested, consider thought arising from my own art and the thoughts that arose through meditating on the themes. Subsequent studies consider the Passion in the light of Rembrandt's etchings, to be followed by further artists' works.
This is an ongoing project to which I will add images for contemplation over time.:
I suggest that you read the passage first and meditate on its meaning before exploring how the images might modify or add to your understanding of the scene.
Iain McKillop - February 2022
SESSION 1 “THIS IS MY LIFE, GIVEN FOR YOU” 2005 Iain McKillop
READ [Lk.22:14-23]
When the time came, he took his place at table, and the disciples with him. He said to them “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer... I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. Then he took a cup and after giving thanks he said “Take this and divide it among yourselves; I tell you, from now on I will not drink the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
”Then he took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” After supper he also lifted the cup, saying: “This cup poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. The hand of the one who betrays me is at this table. The Son of Man is going as determined...” They asked one another who this betrayer could be.’
ARTIST’S CONTEXT
This is the introductory panel of my series of 7 Gethsemane paintings, showing the Last Supper as a key point in the progress of Christ’s Passion. Its perspective is reversed. Jesus, with Peter and John are the largest figures. His cup is deliberately large, emphasising the importance of the sacrificial self-giving with which he would wrestle in the garden.
LOOK
We are watching the group disciples tightly circled around Jesus, at the height of the Passover meal. Most are focused on Jesus as he raises an over-large cup of wine. All the other men are also holding cups except one who, it seems has lifted a lamp, turned & appears about to move away from the central event. Presumably this represents Judas Iscariot. Two figures on the left are discussing. The disciple in front of them seems lost in thought. Most of the others seem to be caught up in the festivities. The figure looking over Jesus’ shoulder (perhaps Peter) seems intent on the lifted cup, but his expression suggests that he might be slightly drunk. Jesus’ face, looking up to heaven, blessing the cup, could be expressing awe, supplication, fear & internal concern. Behind him are two dark alcoves containing lamps like those which dapple light about the room. The hands of the foreground disciples reach backwards drawing us into the scene.
REFLECT
The Jewish Passover meal was a celebratory memorial meal. It involved sharing various plates of symbolic food & many cups of wine, raised & drunk in memory of significant events in Jewish history, particularly the history of God’s gift of salvation. It is therefore intimately linked to Jesus’ self-offering. This is rather different from conventional images of the Last Supper that are usually sedate, reflecting the solemnity of the Eucharist, which it prefigured. Jesus’ disciples were enthusiastic & vigorous; here they appear to be celebrating the Passover loudly, perhaps drunkenly. Their bare-footed, reminding us that earlier Jesus had washed their feet. Though they must have recognised that Jesus was under pressure, it is unlikely that they could have realised the intensity of what he recognised that he was facing.
Jesus’ reaction to the meaning of the meal is shown to be very different from that of his disciples. He must have been struggling emotionally with pain, awe & fear. God’s covenant promises were secured by sacrifices. In speaking of the bread as his body & the cup as his blood, he implied that his self-giving on their behalf would sacrificial. It is unlikely that any of them could have realised what he meant until after his crucifixion & resurrection, when they considered the implications of his words in the light of all that happened next. As Jews they would probably have been revolted by the idea of even symbolically consuming blood & human flesh. It made sense in the context of the Passover meal but they may have been too caught up in celebration to consider how he was identifying with the sacrificed lamb that they had just consumed. Later they would remember his words & incorporate them into their memorial Eucharistic meal.
The Passover meal & Last Supper are important to our understanding of the meaning of the Eucharist, but Christian Communion is not a replica of either meal. The central theme of each was the reminder that God is responsible for the gift of salvation that his people share. Jesus altered the traditional focus of the Paschal meal at the end of the Last Supper, by blessing further bread & wine & claiming that these commemorated his own part in the story of salvation. His self-giving was a new step in God’s plan to bring salvation to his world. Our Eucharist celebrates this, reminding us that Christ’s love has brought us together as a body to share salvation, & to work together to bring that salvation to others. The Covenant promises between God & Abraham originally intended God’s people to bring God’s blessing to the wider world [Gen.18:18; Gal.3:8]. However, Judaism became fairly exclusive, largely emphasising the relationship with God to the members of the Jewish tribes & proselytes. The Passover meal was similarly a celebration of Jewish exclusivity & specialness, more insular than the Christian Eucharist. In sharing Communion Christians should have a wider, more outreaching focus, recognising that God’s love extends to the whole world. We celebrate not just that we have been grafted into the original covenant promises of God, as St. Paul emphasises [Rom.11:17-24]; we also, in some intimate way, have been made part of the intimate relationship with God that Jesus shared. The intention of Communion is to show that God’s love can extend to embrace all: it should be outreaching, not exclusive.
St. Paul reminded believers that we should take the elements meaningfully, recognising their significance: “Whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourself and only then eat the bread and drink the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgement against themselves.” [1Cor.11:27-29]. It is unclear what level of ‘discernment’ he meant. Paul suggested [vs.30-34] that some were ill in the Corinthian church because they were sharing Communion unworthily & without discernment. If he meant that literally, it seems over-vindictive for the loving God who Jesus exemplified as gentle, understanding forgiving & not retributive. We make Communion available for children & also adults with mental disabilities & it is important to them. Very few churchgoers can really understand or explain the theology & meaning of the Eucharist. To even deep theologians it is a mystery. Yet Communion is a significant way to remember that Christ is present & achieved something special for us. When we share Communion, it is therefore right to try to focus our faith, trusting that we are taking part in a spiritual reality, praising God for achieving salvation.
The lamps behind Christ are intended to suggest that the whole Trinity is involved in this promised salvation, which will be secured by what is soon to come. Jesus is physically in the room with the disciples; the Father & Spirit are more mysterious presences, suggested by two dark niches behind him. The Apostle John looks directly towards Jesus & the lights around him, suggesting that John may already have some insight into the divine nature of his master. This became the focus of the Gospel ascribed to John. As Jesus looks up to heaven, dedicating both himself & his large cup to God, John’s face is brightly lit. He presses down on the table as though something significant is beginning to dawn on him. This may have become clearer when he witnessed the empty tomb & “saw and believed” [Jn.20:8].
Jesus initiated taking bread & wine as a physical act by which his people could remember him, his presence with them & his promised salvation. An ancient tradition, as in the Catacombs in Rome, was to celebrate a memorial meal by a grave on the anniversary of a death. The Eucharist united this tradition with the Passover meal to celebrate God’s gift of salvation. Our relationship with God is strengthened by recollecting essential aspects of faith & God’s promises in ways that help us best. That is why the Eucharist became so important throughout Church history.
PONDER
1 How important is taking Holy Communion to your faith?
2 The liturgy reminds us of the history & meaning behind the Eucharistic meal. How much do you follow this & feel part of the history of salvation in a church service?
3 When taking Holy Communion do you imagine yourself connected to Christ’s celebration of the Last Supper? If so, what does that mean to you?
4 In what ways does the Eucharist reach out to assure you of Jesus’ promise of salvation?
5 Does the Communion in your church feel like an exclusive celebration, or do you feel that it is outreaching in showing that God’s gift of salvation is offered to all? If it seems exclusive, how can we make it more inclusive, while recognising that it is important to take Communion & discerning its meaning? [Read 1Cor.11:29]
PRAYER (In a time of silence, consider all that you believe Jesus has done for you through his self-offering.)
Lord, help us recollect the significance of all you achieved for us. When we share Communion may we be one body.
We adore you O Christ &we bless you, because by the offering of your life you have redeemed your world. AMEN
SESSION 2
“FATHER, IF YOU WILL, TAKE THIS CUP FROM ME:
YET NOT MY WILL BUT YOURS” 2005 Iain McKillop
READ Matt.26:36-46
Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane and said to his disciples: “Sit here while I go and pray.” He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be grieved and agitated. He said to them: “I am deeply grieved, even to death, remain here and stay awake with me.” Going a little further he threw himself on the ground and prayed: “Father, if it is possible take this cup away from me, yet not my will but yours.” He returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter “Could you not stay away with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come to the time of trial; the spirit is willing yet the flesh is weak.”... A third time he came to them and said: “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See the hour is here; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners... my betrayer is at hand.”
ARTIST’S CONTEXT
This is the central panel of a series of 7 Gethsemane paintings, following Jesus from the Last Supper, through hours wrestling in prayer Gethsemane & his ‘High Priestly Prayer’ in John 17, where he dedicated himself to God then prayed for his disciples & all those who would find belief through them, who would continue his mission. I chose these subject because John 17 is one of the scripture passages that I find most meaningful & to me Christ’s time of prayer in Gethsemane appears to have been crucial to what Jesus would achieve through his Passion. As I re-read the accounts & worked on the paintings, more & more symbols & meanings suggested themselves, to which I allude here.
LOOK
We are looking down through the leaves of an olive tree & briars at Jesus kneeling in supplication. The shadows of the leaves dapple his body. His eyes are red & swollen from crying, after wrestling with sorrow & mental trial. His arms stretch forwards & his hands form an open cup, helping to indicate that he has resolved to accept what he believes is his Father’s will. Yet he still appears to be pleading for release from what is to come. In the middle distance a small group of disciples rest in sleep against the gnarled trunk of an olive tree. Beyond them, under the light of the full moon, a crowd with soldiers approach, bearing torches, swords & spears. The scene is primarily blue, with green & maroon leaves & gold torches. The atmosphere seems chilled: Jesus’ body could be shivering with fear. By contrast his head is red & seems to have been under pressure. Unusually Jesus’ face, though gentle, is not depicted as handsome: When we have been weeping & under extreme tension our features contort. He can identify with our grief.
REFLECT
I imagine that the night of prayer in Gethsemane was where Christ must have overcome much of the struggle to redeem humanity. After his arrest he would surely have had little ability or energy to concentrate his prayers on those for whom he was offering his life. The mental pressures during his trials & sentence, physical pain from his horrific scourging, the journey to Calvary & the agony of his crucifixion would probably have overpowered his brain. To me, the time in Gethsemane must have been when he most thoroughly thought-through & resolved what his death would entail & why it was necessary. In Gethsemane & in his prayer [Jn.17], I sense that Jesus cemented us to him by love & dedication, so that he could carry the world he loved in his heart & mind, throughout the intense suffering to come.
The name Gethsemane means “olive press”; there was obviously at some time a place in the garden for compressing olives & obtaining oil. It is a meaningful metaphor for the pressure under which Jesus overcame his fears & doubts & accepted his coming death. Olive oil was used for anointing: Jesus had been initially anointed by God, then baptised by John before his mission, then by Mary at Bethany six days before this time in Gethsemane [Jn.12:1-8]. He would now anoint his people by his death.
We watch Jesus in prayer through branches of the trees. Olive branches were conventionally recognised as symbols of God’s peace. They were also used to crown victors & leaders. Each of these symbolic meanings could point to Christ, bringer of peace, victor in winning salvation for creation, & divine royal leader. Here the olive leaves cast shadows on Jesus, foreshadowing the difficulties by which his victory would be achieved. Brambles in the foreground intertwine with the olives, presaging the crown of thorns. Their colours resemble those of the shadows, bruises & signs of blood-pressure on Jesus’ skin. These shadows seem to foretell the coming scourging.
The full moon is a reminder that this is Passover time when the sacrificial lambs were prepared. The New Testament links Jesus’ death with this sacrifice. This must have been on his mind throughout the Last Supper, on the journey to Gethsemane & in his prayer in the garden. What was coming must have been a heavy burden on his mind. Thousands of lambs were sacrificed during each Jewish Passover. They must have been confused & afraid during the blood-bath in the Temple. Jesus would have known what might lie ahead even more. It must have taken huge determination to overcome terrors & questions & to accept the way he felt his Father, whose wisdom he trusted, was leading him. Most of our own decisions may seem shallow by comparison, yet God’s love understands us just as much & can support us.
The tension is obvious in Jesus’ face & muscles. He may have made the resolution to follow his Father’s will yet there would still be pressures & confusion in his mind, as we believe he was fully human as well as divine. The pressure was so great that Luke recorded: “In his anguish he prayed more earnestly & his sweat became like great drops of blood falling on the ground”. [Lk.22:44]. This was probably the rare medical condition of haematidrosis or haematohidrosis which can occur under extreme stress & emotional or physical pressure. This phenomenon may have fascinated Luke with his medical background. How do we best support people we know who are under stress, & help them find peace?
By comparison with the tension in Jesus’ face & body, the sleeping disciples seem at rest, quietly in harmony with the landscape around them. Christ had asked them to stay awake with him but fatigue after the drinks & festivities of the Passover meal probably easily overcame them. We understandably criticise the disciples for failing Jesus; he had told them of his worries & they must have sensed the tension in their master. But they were probably unaware of the extreme intensity of what he was facing. How often do we have good intensions to follow God’s will, yet ultimately fail God because our priorities are different & we prefer our rest?
Luke tells os of an angel supporting Jesus in his anguish. Most often God asks us to now fulfil that role of supporting others for him. As Teresa of Ávila wrote: “Christ has no body now but ours; no hands ofr feet but ours. Ours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on the world; ours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Ours are the hands through which he blesses the world. Ours are his hands, his feet, his eyes; we are his body.”
PONDER
1 Recollect tensions & questions that you have faced. What helped you to resolve them? Can you learn from these?
2 Do you automatically turn to God at problem times, or do you usually initially try to resolve them personally? It is important to use our own resources & focus our minds & the wisdom of others to work at solutions, but at what stage do we consider involving God & try to draw on God’s Spirit’s aid?
3 How sensitive are you to recognising when another person has troubles? Have you been sensitive enough in your response. Perhaps pray for sensitivity & awareness when others are in trouble, & wisdom to know how best to help.
4 How can we best help others in the difficulties? Pray for situations into which you long to reach & support.
PRAYER
Lord, when I am confused, worried about taking decisions or need your help in any way, help me to trust and listen to your guidance. May your Spirit speak to me in ways that I can hear, understand and act upon.
By your Spirit’s prompting, make me aware when others are in need or suffering in any way. Help me be sensitive and active in my support. Give me the wisdom to know how best to help. Lord, spread your love & care through us.
Lord, when fears, threats or sinful situations overshadow our world, give your Church the courage to stand out and act in your wisdom and strength to oppose them. By your Spirit’s life in the world and through the influence of your active people, we pray that your power will overcome wrongs and build your Kingdom in this troubled world.
We adore you O Christ and we bless you, because by your determination to follow your Father’s will you have redeemed your world. AMEN
SESSION 3
“FATHER, IF YOU WILL, TAKE THIS CUP FROM ME: NOT MY WILL BUT YOURS” 2005 Iain McKillop
READ Matt.26:36-46
Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane and said to his disciples: “Sit here while I go and pray.” He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be grieved and agitated. He said to them: “I am deeply grieved, even to death, remain here and stay awake with me.” Going a little further he threw himself on the ground and prayed: “Father, if it is possible take this cup away from me, yet not my will but yours.” He returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter “Could you not stay away with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come to the time of trial; the spirit is willing yet the flesh is weak.”... A third time he came to them and said: “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See the hour is here; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners... my betrayer is at hand.”
ARTIST’S CONTEXT
This is the central panel of a series of 7 Gethsemane paintings, following Jesus from the Last Supper, through hours wrestling in prayer Gethsemane & his ‘High Priestly Prayer’ in John 17, where he dedicated himself to God then prayed for his disciples & all those who would find belief through them, who would continue his mission. I chose these subject because John 17 is one of the scripture passages that I find most meaningful & to me Christ’s time of prayer in Gethsemane appears to have been crucial to what Jesus would achieve through his Passion. As I re-read the accounts & worked on the paintings, more & more symbols & meanings suggested themselves, to which I allude here.
LOOK
We are looking down through the leaves of an olive tree & briars at Jesus kneeling in supplication. The shadows of the leaves dapple his body. His eyes are red & swollen from crying, after wrestling with sorrow & mental trial. His arms stretch forwards & his hands form an open cup, helping to indicate that he has resolved to accept what he believes is his Father’s will. Yet he still appears to be pleading for release from what is to come. In the middle distance a small group of disciples rest in sleep against the gnarled trunk of an olive tree. Beyond them, under the light of the full moon, a crowd with soldiers approach, bearing torches, swords & spears. The scene is primarily blue, with green & maroon leaves & gold torches. The atmosphere seems chilled: Jesus’ body could be shivering with fear. By contrast his head is red & seems to have been under pressure. Unusually Jesus’ face, though gentle, is not depicted as handsome: When we have been weeping & under extreme tension our features contort. He can identify with our grief.
REFLECT
I imagine that the night of prayer in Gethsemane was where Christ must have overcome much of the struggle to redeem humanity. After his arrest he would surely have had little ability or energy to concentrate his prayers on those for whom he was offering his life. The mental pressures during his trials & sentence, physical pain from his horrific scourging, the journey to Calvary & the agony of his crucifixion would probably have overpowered his brain. To me, the time in Gethsemane must have been when he most thoroughly thought-through & resolved what his death would entail & why it was necessary. In Gethsemane & in his prayer [Jn.17], I sense that Jesus cemented us to him by love & dedication, so that he could carry the world he loved in his heart & mind, throughout the intense suffering to come.
The name Gethsemane means “olive press”; there was obviously at some time a place in the garden for compressing olives & obtaining oil. It is a meaningful metaphor for the pressure under which Jesus overcame his fears & doubts & accepted his coming death. Olive oil was used for anointing: Jesus had been initially anointed by God, then baptised by John before his mission, then by Mary at Bethany six days before this time in Gethsemane [Jn.12:1-8]. He would now anoint his people by his death.
We watch Jesus in prayer through branches of the trees. Olive branches were conventionally recognised as symbols of God’s peace. They were also used to crown victors & leaders. Each of these symbolic meanings could point to Christ, bringer of peace, victor in winning salvation for creation, & divine royal leader. Here the olive leaves cast shadows on Jesus, foreshadowing the difficulties by which his victory would be achieved. Brambles in the foreground intertwine with the olives, presaging the crown of thorns. Their colours resemble those of the shadows, bruises & signs of blood-pressure on Jesus’ skin. These shadows seem to foretell the coming scourging.
The full moon is a reminder that this is Passover time when the sacrificial lambs were prepared. The New Testament links Jesus’ death with this sacrifice. This must have been on his mind throughout the Last Supper, on the journey to Gethsemane & in his prayer in the garden. What was coming must have been a heavy burden on his mind. Thousands of lambs were sacrificed during each Jewish Passover. They must have been confused & afraid during the blood-bath in the Temple. Jesus would have known what might lie ahead even more. It must have taken huge determination to overcome terrors & questions & to accept the way he felt his Father, whose wisdom he trusted, was leading him. Most of our own decisions may seem shallow by comparison, yet God’s love understands us just as much & can support us.
The tension is obvious in Jesus’ face & muscles. He may have made the resolution to follow his Father’s will yet there would still be pressures & confusion in his mind, as we believe he was fully human as well as divine. The pressure was so great that Luke recorded: “In his anguish he prayed more earnestly & his sweat became like great drops of blood falling on the ground”. [Lk.22:44]. This was probably the rare medical condition of haematidrosis or haematohidrosis which can occur under extreme stress & emotional or physical pressure. This phenomenon may have fascinated Luke with his medical background. How do we best support people we know who are under stress, & help them find peace?
By comparison with the tension in Jesus’ face & body, the sleeping disciples seem at rest, quietly in harmony with the landscape around them. Christ had asked them to stay awake with him but fatigue after the drinks & festivities of the Passover meal probably easily overcame them. We understandably criticise the disciples for failing Jesus; he had told them of his worries & they must have sensed the tension in their master. But they were probably unaware of the extreme intensity of what he was facing. How often do we have good intensions to follow God’s will, yet ultimately fail God because our priorities are different & we prefer our rest?
Luke tells os of an angel supporting Jesus in his anguish. Most often God asks us to now fulfil that role of supporting others for him. As Teresa of Ávila wrote: “Christ has no body now but ours; no hands ofr feet but ours. Ours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on the world; ours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Ours are the hands through which he blesses the world. Ours are his hands, his feet, his eyes; we are his body.”
PONDER
1 Recollect tensions & questions that you have faced. What helped you to resolve them? Can you learn from these?
2 Do you automatically turn to God at problem times, or do you usually initially try to resolve them personally? It is important to use our own resources & focus our minds & the wisdom of others to work at solutions, but at what stage do we consider involving God & try to draw on God’s Spirit’s aid?
3 How sensitive are you to recognising when another person has troubles? Have you been sensitive enough in your response. Perhaps pray for sensitivity & awareness when others are in trouble, & wisdom to know how best to help.
4 How can we best help others in the difficulties? Pray for situations into which you long to reach & support.
PRAYER
Lord, when I am confused, worried about taking decisions or need your help in any way, help me to trust and listen to your guidance. May your Spirit speak to me in ways that I can hear, understand and act upon.
By your Spirit’s prompting, make me aware when others are in need or suffering in any way. Help me be sensitive and active in my support. Give me the wisdom to know how best to help. Lord, spread your love & care through us.
Lord, when fears, threats or sinful situations overshadow our world, give your Church the courage to stand out and act in your wisdom and strength to oppose them. By your Spirit’s life in the world and through the influence of your active people, we pray that your power will overcome wrongs and build your Kingdom in this troubled world.
We adore you O Christ and we bless you, because by your determination to follow your Father’s will you have redeemed your world. AMEN
SESSION 3
“FATHER, IF YOU WILL, TAKE THIS CUP FROM ME: NOT MY WILL BUT YOURS” 2005 Iain McKillop
READ
When they came to the place that is called the Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right, one on his left. Then Jesus said: “Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing”. And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood watching, but the leaders scoffed at him, saying: “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his Chosen One.” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering sour wine and saying: “ If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” [Lk. 23:33-38]
ARTIST’S CONTEXT -
In 25 years as a professional artist I have painted & drawn Christ’s Passion & Resurrection over 150 times as personal meditations on my faith & for church commissions, (e.g. Stations of the Cross for St. John’s, Bury St. Edmunds & Ewell & Lady Chapel Altarpiece, Gloucester Cathedral.) My appreciation & ideas on the themes have deepened & modified as I’ve continue to contemplate & study. Each work develops through long meditation. This is a panel from a series of 25 personal paintings ‘Through Passion’ which can be found elsewhere on this website.
LOOK
A semi-naked figure kneels at the foot of the Cross, the naked Jesus leans towards him. Unlike many upright Crucifixion paintings Christ’s legs are bent upward. He is muscular, but not an idealised, handsome figure; his pinioned hands appear helpless. Traditionally Jesus is shown nailed through his hands & feet on a tall, pristine cross; here nails are through wrists & ankles. The cross is low, with a much-used cross-beam. He is close to the man bowed below, whose head may even be leaning against Jesus’ leg. Jesus’ arms rise like wings (resembling flight; outstretched & sheltering; or like the overshadowing wings of the Mercy Seat in the Temple. The kneeling figure’s arms are lowered in a gesture suggesting resignation, acceptance & supplication. The painting is dark, almost monochromatic, primarily Paynes Grey with yellow ochre hues & touches of scarlet. The sun seems to be setting behind the heavily clouded sky, while the figures appear to be highlighted from above. We are on hill overlooking a large town of offices, shopping centres, homes & a cathedral.
REFLECT
One of the values of Lent is to bring ourselves openly before our all-knowing God & recognise ourselves as God sees us.
The artist hopes that we, like him, may identify in some ways with the naked figure kneeling before the cross. The man’s pose, gesture & nakedness may express our neediness, guilt & openness to Christ’s view, recognising our vulnerability & dependence. Our lives are fully exposed before the eyes of God, yet, equally, we are all open to God’s love & care.
Jesus’ prayer “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing” can include all - the kneeling figure, the dark world & the Church. He holds us up to God to forgive our failures, (deliberate & unintentional) & our neglect of his ministry & mission. Jesus called us to follow the perfect ways that he taught & exemplified when he called us to: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” [Matthew 5:48]. How do you need to change to be a more faithful disciple?
Christ shares our vulnerability: Roman execution stripped victims to shame them. Hanging on a tree & exposure of the body were regarded as ‘anathema’ to Jews - a curse on the victim. Jesus, the ‘New Adam’ redeeming humankind, showed that there is no shame in the human body; he dedicated his life to cleansing us from shame. Many Crucifixion images idealise Christ’ as elegant, gentle & elevated. Here bent-up legs & the nail position are closer to archaeological evidence of Roman execution methods. They would reuse crossbeams many times & not waste the sparse commodity of wood on tall crosses. The crossbeam has many holes, suggesting that Jesus is identifying with many who suffer like him in any way, past & future. How do you feel that Jesus identifies with your situation or the circumstances of any who you know?
In not idealising Jesus’ figure the artist tried to show that the Christian Faith is based in reality not fantasy. This picture deliberately sanitises the crucifixion, using monochromatic colours & quiet gestures to reduce focus on the torture & gore. It encourages us to look beyond agony & sacrificial aspects, to meditate on Christ’s greater purpose & contemplate his achievement & the meaning of the Cross for us & for our world. Jesus’ self-giving is an outreaching act of love. What do you feel was Jesus’ intention in allowing himself to be arrested & put to death for you personally?
The grey scene is a reminder of the ash placed on our foreheads at the beginning of Lent. The yellow-ochre hues (‘earth colour’) suggest that Christ’s humanity identifies with us. Scarlet in the sunset beyond the figure reflect the self-sacrificial aspects of Jesus’ approaching death. Jesus appears to be looking down at the supplicant. In many crucifixion paintings he looks up, praying blessing on the earth. If a crucified victim lowered their head it caused death by suffocation & choking. So here Jesus is near death or already dead. His could be kneeling in the air as he prays for the supplicant who leans towards him, lifting him to God. He also lifts the world beyond, which has not yet responded to his love. If you put yourself in the place of the supplicant, what do you feel the figure of Jesus might be saying to you & praying for you?
The dark landscape background is as important as the figures. It portrays a place the artist knows well, to which Christ’s words “Father Forgive...” also apply. Contemporary society often has very different priorities from Christ’s teachings, Even in today’s Church, would Jesus recognise many of our preoccupations as the priorities & faith that he intended us to follow? We’re called to be ‘Christ’s Body’, not worldly, dis-unified by church-politics & interpretations of theology, insular, excluding some, individuals & factions squabbling & jostling for position & influence, neglecting the needy, failing to deal adequately with abuse, preoccupied by finance. Jesus said of worldly ambition among his disciples “It should not be so with you!” [Matt.20:21-28; Mk.10:42-45; Lk.22:24-27]. Too often material preoccupations distract Christians from fulfilling Jesus’ commission to “Go out into the world & make disciples of all nations, teaching them all that I have commanded you.” [Matt. 28:19-20]. How might this apply to your role in your community & to your church?
There is an uncomfortable side to Christ’s forgiveness: Jesus’ prays for those who “do not know what they are doing”. But many of us do know what we are doing when we sin or neglect our responsibilities. Hardened soldiers may not have known that they were crucifying the Son of God, but they were intentionally shaming & causing agony. Many Romans relished having invented one of the cruellest, prolonged forms of execution. Religious authorities who plotted Jesus’ death knew that their process of trial was illegal. For political expediency Pilate pronounced sentence on one he believed innocent. Often we do know when we are doing wrong, but immunise ourselves from feeling guilt. It mystifies me that our just & true God can forgive us when our sins are intentional. Yet, thank God for divine qualities of grace & love, & the forgiveness that Jesus achieved, taught & exemplified. Do you find it a struggle to acquit & forgive others’ sin?
PONDER
1 The naked figure before Christ’s cross represents any of us. Imagine yourself in that position & open yourself to Christ to help you see yourself & your life as you are in God’s eyes.
2 In Confession do you truly regret your sins? Do you take God’s forgiveness too much for granted? Bring your sins & neglect of discipleship openly before Christ’s cross for forgiveness, determination & strength to fulfil God’s expectations.
3 Modern society often encourages people to be uncomfortable with who they are, & to wish to be different. Of course we should be ashamed of our sins & should work to strengthen our abilities. Yet God made & values us as we are [read Psalm 139]. In God’s presence recognise that you are valued by God. Ask God to help you fulfil your life in holy ways.
PRAYER
Lord, I open up my failings before your all-knowing presence... Forgive & cleanse my conscious & unconscious sins. As you forgive what I have been, help & strengthen me to become what I truly should be & all you would have me be.
In all aspects of the life & abilities that you have given me, may I find fulfilment in being who you have made me. Lord, give me the determination to be a true disciple, following your ways.
By your Spirit in my life, help me build the character, skills & courage that I need to share your truth & faith in my community. Help me to model God’s truth, as Christ modelled your love to us. May I shine for you in the world.
We adore you O Christ & we bless you, because by your example you showed us how to live, & by your death and life you have redeemed your world. AMEN
SESSION 4 Iain McKillop 2009
"MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"
READ [Matt.27:46-51]
At about 3.00 Jesus cried with a loud voice “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”, that is “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”... Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice & breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the Temple was torn from top to bottom, the earth shook & the rocks split.
[Psalm 22]
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, from hearing my groans & pleading?
O my God, I cry by day but you do not answer & by night but find no rest.
Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of your people:
In you our ancestors trusted and you delivered them.
To you they cried & were saved; they trusted & were not put to shame.
But I am considered a worm, not a mam, scorned & despised by all.
All who see me mock me, make mouths at me & shake their heads, calling: “Commit your cause to the Lord, let him deliver you;
let him rescue you if he delights in you!”
Yet it was you who took me safely from the womb;
you kept me secure at my mother’s breast. I relied on you from my birth,
and since my mother bore me, you have been my God.
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near & there is no one else to help...
I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax, melted within my breast;
My mouth is dry as a potshard, by tongue clings to my gums;
you lay me in the dust of earth...
But you, Lord, don’t stay far away; my help come quickly to my aid...
From the horns of wild beasts you rescued me.
I will tell of your name to my kin; in their midst I will praise you.
All you who hold the Lord in awe, praise him,
for he does not neglect or abhor our affliction:
He did not hide his face from me but heard me when I cried to him.
From you comes my praise in the great congregation:
I will fulfil my vows. The poor and afflicted shall eat and be satisfied.
Those who seek him shall praise the Lord: may your hearts live for ever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord;
its families shall worship him: Dominion belongs to him; he rules over all.
To him all who sleep in the earth will bow and find their rest.
And I shall live for him! Future generations will hear about the Lord, & proclaim his deliverance to all yet unborn, telling that he has achieved this!
ARTIST’S CONTEXT
This life-size panel from a series of ‘7 Last Words from the Cross’ is like a beam of the cross. Muted colours deliberately reduce focus on the blood & sacrificial aspects of the crucifixion to focus on Jesus’ expressive emotion.
LOOK
We are looking up at the figure of Christ, in agony calling up to his Father. The panel is primarily monochrome with touches of yellow-ochre hues & streaks of maroon & scarlet in his wounds & crown of thorns. The non-naturalistic white background enhances the sharpness of the expressionistic paint marks. Jesus’ mouth & neck-muscles are taught like the muscles of the rest of his body; his imploring eyes contain a sense of hope & trust. (This is more apparent in the painting than in this reproduction). We see only Jesus’ head & torso but these are enough to recognise his mental struggle & the physical pain & tension in his naked, muscular body stretching upward, with his leg bent sideways.
REFLECT
This painful picture reflects the agonising torture of crucifixion. These words “Why have you forsaken me?” have often been interpreted as though Jesus was sensing despair & loneliness. In theology the words are sometimes called “The Cry of Dereliction”, implying that Jesus was feeling deserted & abandoned by God as he suffered. Some believe that God is so pure that he cannot look at, or be in the presence of sin []. They interpret literally the scriptural idea that “Christ became sin for us” [], ie, on the cross Jesus took all the sins of the earth, past, present & future, into his body & thus died “accursed” for us. But that former traditional interpretation is based on very literal understanding of the purity of God. It sees Jesus’ death as like that of the “scapegoat” on which all the curses of the nation were placed before it was sent out to die in the wilderness [Lev.16:7-10] or that Jesus was slaughtered as a sacrifice, condemned instead of us because he deliberately carried our sin & God hates sin:
Many contemporary theologians believe that imagining Jesus’ death literally as a sacrifice required by God makes God seem cruel. How could he demand his innocent Son’s murder? Surely the reason for Jesus’ willingness to offer-up his life must be more complex & subtle. If God cannot be in the presence of sin there is not much hope for any of us; even the best Christians “sin and fall short of the glory of God” [Rom.3:23]. God knows our sin yet develops a relationship with us & lives in us through his Spirit, despite our sin. Jesus’ self-giving surely grew from love, not God’s hate of sin or retribution. The caring God who Jesus described would not abandon him or us. Though we sin, God’s truth, wisdom & outreaching love surround us & deal with our sin. In a mysterious way Jesus’ death is crucial to God’s forgiveness & restores us to God’s love. The process of achieving salvation must surely be more complex than simplistic traditional ideas about Jesus being a sacrifice. It is enough to believe & trust that we are now in a loved relationship with God because of Jesus’ self-giving without needing to speculate much over how it was achieved or see it as a cruel sacrifice.
Many of us feel alone when we are suffering, so it is understandable that Jesus may have felt alone during his Passion. Yet the words “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me” probably also indicate that he was reciting Psalm 22 to himself on the cross. That psalm is a prayer of one in dreadful suffering who works though the doubts, pain & distrust to achieve faith & trust, since he is able to praise & sense that he will lead others in praise for God’s salvation. Jesus would have learned psalms like this by heart as part of his religious training & practice. It is the sort of prayer of trust & promise that one might automatically draw on at the height of suffering. In ministry I have often recited the words of Psalm 23 as someone is dying, in the hope that, even in unconsciousness the familiar phrases might help them trust.
This is not to say that Jesus’ agony was lessened by his trust: he underwent one of the most agonising forms of cruel torture to be invented. It shows the extent of his love for his world that he was willing to endure this suffering when possibly he might have been able to use divine power to prevent it. If any other way could have achieved salvation, I’m sure he would have taken it. He was determined to cleanse & bring life to the world & overturn the hold of sin. The Epistle to the Hebrews calls us to follow Jesus’ example & be determined to be faithful disciples & to resist sin: “Consider him who endured such hostility from sinners so that you may not grow weary & lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood” [Heb.12:3-4]. Experience shows that suffering can be an inevitable part of any human life. We are not intended to suffer but when we find that we are suffering in any way, Jesus’ example of trust & his determination to endure, may help us hold secure to faith in God & be positive.
PONDER
1 Have you felt alone during any time or form of suffering? What helped you then? What aspects of faith have helped you to trust God & overcome doubts?
2 Are there others to whom you might be able to convey trust & faith in their suffering? How can you help them?
3 Can you think of Bible verses that might give assurances at such times, as Ps.22 may have done for Jesus ? Try to recall & collect memories that might help you & others hold tightly to trust & faith when sufferings or worries come.
PRAYER
Loving Father, we recognise that suffering is an inevitable part of life; help us to find the faith and trust in you that can help us to endure through times of suffering and doubt.
Lord, we pray for all who are suffering, especially [by name...]. Help them to find trust in you that can help them through their pain or worries. Help us to carry faith for them and help them in their troubles.
We adore you O Christ & we bless you, because through your suffering & death you have redeemed your world. AMEN
SESSION 5 PIETA - “MOTHER, THIS IS YOU SON, SON, THIS IS YOUR MOTHER!” 2003 Iain McKillop
READ
They took down the body of Jesus, wrapped it is linen cloth and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no-one had ever been laid. It was the day of Preparation and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid.... [Lk.23:53-55]
ARTIST’S CONTEXT
This is the central panel of my Gloucester Cathedral Lady Chapel altar-piece [for the Crucifixion & Resurrection see overleaf]. The over-life-size figures fit in a broken stone arcade desecrated during the Reformation. The overall theme of salvation was intended to suggests healing of the past damage to the Church & reflect healing like the work of the doctor for whom it was commissioned. Though valued by congregations the triptych has recently, less sensitively, been relegated to a unused chapel & lost its allusions to healing, salvation & its Eucharistic significance.
LOOK
Mary & John cling to Jesus’ body which has been lowered from the cross. Mary who seems aged by grief & life’s hard experiences looks up to heaven, as if longing to know why all this has happened. John looks down towards his dead friend, tense with weeping. By contrast Jesus looks peaceful; there is a sense of fulfilment or satisfaction in his eyes & a restful smile. Emphasising the realism of the scene his once-strong body is marred by scars, bruises & prominent veins, the thorn crown has fallen to his feet & the fabrics are roughly textured. John’s hand strains to support Jesus’ head; Mary clings tightly to his ribcage. Jesus’ hand, pierced at the wrist, hangs vertically. Blue light radiates behind their heads, as though the sun is going down. The cloth at his feet swirls like a vortex, or the tomb into which Jesus would be laid.
REFLECT
The Pieta scene of Mary holding the body of her son is not found in the Bible, though it is inevitable that Jesus’ mother would have wanted to be with her son’s body as he was taken down from the cross. Like the Stabat Mater poem, pietas have been popular in Christian art especially since the 11th Century when Mary’s theological significance expanded. They show Mary, like Jesus, identifying with & caring about human need & pain. Pietas by Michelangelo are his masterpieces. The pose of Jesus here is a homage to a favourite work: his ‘Florentine Pieta’.
When priests presided at the altar below the panel, Christ’s hand hung at the level behind the raised Eucharistic elements, as though he was giving himself & Mary is holding him out to us as God’s self-offering. The way in which the Christ is truly present within the Eucharist is a mystery. Some believe in ‘transubstantiation’ which suggests that the elements spiritually ‘become’ Christ’s body, in which we partake. Others see the bread & wine as ‘symbols’ signifying Jesus’ presence is with us as we meet. To me scripture seems to imply that the true meaning & content of the Eucharist is somewhere between the two: that the elements are ‘sacraments’: physical embodiments of spiritual truths, in which grace enables us to partake. What do you believe is the true content & meaning to you of the Communion that you share?
The emotion in the painting is designed to remind us of the intensity of commitment, care & love that Jesus demonstrated through his Passion. The peace in Jesus’ face suggests that his Passion has achieved all the divine promises that the Messiah was intended to fulfil. There is a satisfaction in his expression. We will never know the full extent of all that Jesus achieved. His death is spoken of in the New Testament as a cosmic event that can mysteriously embrace the needs of the all. Somehow, St. Paul believed, Creation is caught up in our redemption & will be brought a new life & freedom through what Jesus achieved [Rom.8:19-23]. This is another unfathomable mystery: salvation is probably far more extensive than we could ever imagine. All we can begin to understand is a fragment of how God’s promises apply to us personally. What might Jesus’ expression of peace mean for what he has achieved for you?
The grief expressed in the faces of Mary & John remind us that death affects more than the person who is dying. In contemplating faith we often concentrate on the emotions, aims & physical suffering of Jesus during his Passion. Yet Jesus was also thinking of others needs: From the cross Jesus had given his mother into the care of his beloved friend John & John into her care: “Mother, behold your son... Son, behold your mother!” [Jn.19:26-27]. Grief is one of the points in life at which we most need to share support & know that we are still loves. People are not meant to be totally alone or just manage to survive. God knows our needs & we are intended to give support & care to one another in order to meet our deepest needs. Sometimes people are afraid of intruding on grief, so stay away. Some who are bereft turn in on themselves and become insular. God’s love intends us to find healing through one another. If we have deeply loved, grief may take decades to heal, if ever. Yet we can help carry others’ pain. Perhaps when pain causes someone to doubt faith, we can even carry faith for them, supporting them spiritually during their confusion.
Painting the work helped me think how emotional involvement can help or hinder faith development. Emotionalism can encourage sentimentality, which is rarely true faith. But true engagement of our feelings can make us sensitive & deepen our relationship with God. Have we the sensitivity & wisdom to be able to support others in developing faith?
PONDER
1 How do you feel that through his sufferings Jesus is able to identify with your own personal needs? Who are you intended to support as Mary & John were given to each other?
2 How can you best give meaningful support in specific situations? Is there a way that you can give sensitive spiritual support without being intrusive?
3 Consider situations where you have made mistakes in helping people. What can you learn from these?
4 From your experience or the experience of others you know, what are people’s greatest needs when grieving?
PRAYER
Loving Lord, thank you for all that you achieved on the cross. Help me to recognise specifically what you have fulfilled for me and live with that recognition within my heart.
Help me best support those for whom you have given me responsibility. Holy Spirit, I pray that you may give me the insight, wisdom and sensitivity to be able to support people in the best ways that can help.
We pray for those who grieve or who are facing death or suffering in any way.....
[Mention aloud or pray for them silently by name].
We pray for those who ware lonely. May they find support and companionship to live and feel fulfilled.
We adore you O Christ and we bless you, because through your suffering and death you have fulfilled our salvation and the redemption and care of your world. AMEN
SESSION 6 RESURRECTION -THE CRY OF VICTORY 1995 Iain McKillop
READ
'In truth, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. As death came through a human being, the resurrection from the dead has also come through a human being. As in Adam all die, so all will be made alive through Christ, the first-fruits... then at his coming, those who belong to Christ... The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For God has put all things in subjection under his feet...
What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable... It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body; it is raised a spiritual body. The first Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.... Where O death is your victory?... Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.' [1Cor. 15:20-27; 42-44; 54-57]
ARTIST’S CONTEXT
During the Covid pandemic I painted a series of 20 Resurrection Stations signs of hope in memory of all victims. This was painted 30 years ago in memory of a friend, Kathy, who died of breast cancer at just 35, after giving birth to her daughter. I paired it with another painting of the Cross, in which a picture of Kathy falls into Christ’s outstretched hands.
LOOK
Jesus is shown rising from death, reaching up, pushing away the heavy tombstone. Light floods into the tomb through the opening, dissolving Christ’s image, dispelling the shadows, some of which seem to reach up, attempting to hold him back. His body is strong & vigorous, overcoming all powers against him. His feet seem to be treading up steps from the realm of death & flying into the air. The primary emphasis is on the bright white light & shadow, but in the light subtle yellow, red, purple and blue hues suggest the colours of a rainbow, the Christian symbol of hope.
REFLECT
After all the suffering and pain of Jesus’ passion, this is a triumphant image. The pose is based on the resurrection figure in Grünewald’s famous Isenheim Altarpiece, though the perspective is changed to look upward at him. That work is best known for its horrific image of the crucifixion, which was designed to give hope to patients in a monastic infirmary, many suffering from the agonising nerve disease of Ergotism, which caused agony & distorted tense limbs. Jesus was shown suffering on the cross and triumphing in his resurrection, to encourage patients to recognise that he identifies with all that people suffer. He underwent great personal physical & mental pain but his new life gives hope.
The light flooding in, dispelling darkness from the grave, gives the impression that Jesus is rising to something more vibrant than ordinary daylight. He has died as a physical body; he is rising in what St. Paul called his ‘spiritual body’. But what Paul meant by that is unclear. The image is similarly mysterious. At first view it is not clear what is being represented, or whether Jesus’ body is still physical or immaterial. Still, after 2000 years of faith & theological ideas, Christ’s resurrection remains mysterious in many ways. Generally accepted theology claims that Jesus rose bodily from death, yet many find it hard to comprehend how one who was fully human could physically come alive after death. Believers interpret Jesus’ reappearance in various ways. Whatever the truth, the witnesses were convinced that he was still with them. Do we need to understand what Jesus’ resurrection body was like to believe in the salvation he achieved for us? I have reviewed various ideas about Jesus’ resurrection in a series of contemplative studies which you can read on my website: https://mckillop.weebly.com/easter-to-pantecost-daily-meditations.html
Perhaps it is intentional that scripture is not totally precise about the form in which the witnesses recognised Jesus. Even St. Paul struggled to explain Christ’s resurrection body & our own resurrection bodies. He called this a mystery. Our faith needs to find ways to be comfortable with aspects of belief that contain mysteries. There are many things in which we have faith, for which we do not have empirical evidence. What helps you to believe & resolve mysteries?
A midwife friend tells me that this picture reminds her of birth. Though not my initial intention, it is relevant to belief that Christ’s resurrection offers ‘new birth’ to those who trust in him [Jn.3:3-8, 1Pet.1:23; 1Jn.2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1-4,18]. We are promised ‘new life’, which can begin now, though will be fulfilled in the dimension beyond our own deaths [Lk.22:20; Rom.7:6; 1Cor.5:7; 2Cor.3:6, 5:17; Gal.6:15; Eph.2:15; 4:24; Col.3:10; Heb.10:20; 2Pet.3:13; Rev.21:5].
In this picture Christ’s hands, arms & thighs appear strong, taking the full weight as he pushes the stone it aside. My paintings often represent Jesus as more physically powerful than he probably would have been in reality. His youthful life as a carpenter, followed by his peripatetic life of ministry, would surely have made his limbs more lithe & sinewy than powerfully muscular. The physical strength represented in this painting is intended to suggest that Christ is strong enough to achieve redemption for all of us, despite any sins, failings, weaknesses or doubts. As St. Paul said: “If God is for us, who could be against us. He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for us all, will he not, with him, also give us everything else?... It is God who justifies; who is to condemn? It is Jesus Christ who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who truly intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ?... I am convinced that neither death nor life... nor things present, nor things to come... nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ” [Rom.8:31-39].
PONDER
1 What do you imagine Jesus’ resurrection might have been like? What evidence helps you to think this? Do you believe that all true Christians need to believe literally that Jesus’ body physically rose from death? Or are you content to rest your faith on the belief that Jesus is still alive, in ways that may always remain mysterious to you?
2 What do you believe Christ’s resurrection has achieved for you? Is his resurrection sufficient proof that Jesus has achieved existence for us beyond death? What do you believe Jesus’ promises of God’s Kingdom mean for you?
3 What do you think that existence, or ‘new life’, in a dimension beyond our present life may be like? Are you content that Jesus promised a future for believers of which the details are a mystery to us?
4 Do you feel confident that Christ is strong enough to overcome any problems or issues that are against you and is able to carry and redeem you, whatever the circumstances?
5 In what ways can the ‘new life’ that Christ has achieved for you be enjoyed in your life now?
PRAYER
Lord, I lift my life to you, trusting Jesus’ promises of new life, now and after death... Help me in this life to become all that you would have me be, and help me trust you for whatever is to come, now and in the dimension beyond.
As Christ modelled God’s love and promises to us, help me be an example of God’s truth. May I shine for you in this world. Holy Spirit, help me build the character, skills &courage I need to live your ‘New Life’ now, & share your life, message & truth in my community. Bring others your promised life through me & through our church.
We pray for all who are facing death or fear: Lord, help them find hope, trust and peace through your promises, and bring them to the life of your coming Kingdom.
We adore you O Christ and we bless you. By your resurrection you showed that renewed life can be real. We trust God’s promises for us. Praise you, for by your death and resurrection, you have redeemed your world. AMEN