Preparing for Easter: Week 6

Stained Glass Reflections on the Life of Christ

RRecommended Reading: Matthew 27:24-60, Mark 15:21-47, Luke 23:18-56, John 19

How could this have happened? How did that baby we saw in the first window panel end up here? How did His glorious baptism end with a grisly death? How could the one who showed such kindness and gentleness to children be treated so harshly by soldiers as He was nailed against the rough wood? As the bread was broken at the Last Super, so now we see His body broken, and His blood flows down the color of the wine at supper. The One who prayed, “Your will be done” in the Garden now cries out a desperate prayer, “My God, My God, WHY have you forsaken Me?”

Words fail us in moments like these. So we must turn to the words of the Gospel writers and stand in awe. A stained-glass depiction such as this one below can help us grasp this beautifully terrible moment. Take a moment to behold this scene.

Week 6: Jesus on the Cross

1. AN IRONIC INSCRIPTION: Notice the letters above Jesus’ head: “INRI.” Perhaps you’ve encountered this in other pieces of art and wondered what those four letters stand for. It’s the first letters of a Latin inscription: “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum,” which means, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” According to John 19, Pilate had this inscription made in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek so that all around would know that Jesus claimed to be King. Whether Pilate actually believed that or (more likely) he was just trying to annoy the Jewish leaders, the fact remains that Jesus was described as a king even as He suffered a tortuous death. What a contrast! You expect a depiction of a king to include a lot of gold, bright colors, and fine clothing. In contrast, this depiction of a King includes not a crown of gold, but a crown of thorns. Instead of fine robes, He’s clothed in a meager rag. Instead of brightly colored jewels, the only bright color on the cross is His own blood. He was indeed the King, but He was a suffering sovereign.
2. THE DARKEST DAY IN THE BRIGHTEST SEASON: Most of the stained-glass pieces in our series appear dark, due to the style of artwork. But here the darkness seems deeper, highlighted by the shadowy rocks and hills behind, minimal green plants, and a foreboding cloud stretching behind the dark wooden cross. And we know this was indeed a dark day; from noon to 3:00 pm, darkness was “over all the land” (Matt. 27:45). How ironic! At high noon, the brightest part of the day, deep darkness fell. And while we don’t know the season of Jesus’ birth, we know the season during which Jesus was crucified: the dawn of spring. So it is further ironic that when all of creation would be reawakening with buds and flowers, the Creator was dying. While days were getting longer and warmer with more and more sunlight, suddenly all that warmth, all that sunshine would be sucked away in a moment as the clock struck noon. In the midst of spring, winter returned, like a late frost which surprises those who are early in their planting. In the very season of brightness and blooming came darkness and death.
3. A MOTLEY CREW OF WORSHIPERS: Notice the three figures surrounding the cross. This is not who you would expect to find surrounding royalty. Note the figure on the left. From his armor, we can assume this is one of the soldiers who crucified Jesus, and from his upraised hand, we can assume he is the one who declared upon seeing Jesus’ death, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39). The Bible Project points out that in Mark’s Gospel narrative, it’s this centurion who seems to be the first to truly understand Jesus’ identity. Imagine that! It wasn’t His disciples – they were hiding. It wasn’t the bold Peter who declared that Jesus was the Christ (Mark 8:29). He had already denied even knowing Jesus and was no doubt trying to hide from his own shame. Instead, it was a Gentile, one of the oppressors of Israel, one of the ones who had driven those sharp nails through Jesus’ hands and feet – he was the one who saw in this bloody, gory scene that God Himself was present. Can you imagine his awe and likely horror at the fact that he had just participated in killing the Son of God?

But notice the other two figures, one kneeling at Jesus’ feet and one on the right. I assume both of these could be the women who visited Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:55-56), or the one on the right could perhaps be John, the only disciple to visit the cross. Perhaps the figure at Jesus’ feet is supposed to be His mother Mary, who now feels that sword-pang that she was warned about back in Luke 2:35 as she watches her dear Son be violently murdered by the worst form of torture.

Whoever they are, what stands out to me about these two figures is that they seem to be worshiping Jesus, adoring Him, paying homage to Him as you would to any king. But what a strange sight it would have been for onlookers to see people worshiping someone dying on a cross! Only terrible criminals and failed insurrectionists were killed in such a grisly fashion. Surely not anyone worthy of worship! But this figure was no criminal. Instead, he took on all the criminal acts humanity had committed. He was no insurrectionist. Why would the King of the Universe need to stage a rebellion on the world He made and sustained? No, this was the Righteous One, the Son of God, the only One to live a completely perfect life. He never had an unkind moment of irritation or grumpiness. He never gave in to any lust. He treated every person with kindness. He healed the worst diseases and gave hope to the most hopeless cases. No wonder He received worship! But why, if He was so righteous and kind, was He being brutally killed? To put it simply: FOR US. As Isaac Watts memorably puts it,

Was it for crimes that I have done,

He groaned upon the tree?

Amazing pity! Grace unknown!

And love beyond degree!

Or in the words of another song,

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.

So would you join with these figures on Good Friday? Will you choose to gaze at the cross and worship the Crucified King? Make this your prayer this Easter week, in the words of one last song:

May I never lose the wonder

The wonder of the cross

May I see it like the first time

Standing as a sinner lost

Undone by mercy and left speechless

Watching wide-eyed at the cost

May I never lose the wonder

The wonder of the cross