I haven’t posted in some time, so you’ll have to forgive me; I have been quite busy. I thought I would make a post I have been meaning to make, and it happens to relate to drawing/collage that I had posted a month or so ago, call Joseph and Nicodemus. In making this piece, I had been thinking about Christ’s wounds, His death, and His burial. In the book of John, chapter 19, verses 38-42, the claiming of Jesus’ body is described:
38Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. 39He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.[a] 40Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
In working on this piece, it aloud me to reflect on my own faith in Jesus, and the way in which I prescribe it to myself. In this passage, Joseph goes to claim Christ’s body, but he does it in secret. He is afraid of the Jews. He is afraid of being associated with Jesus. He is afraid of being persecuted because of his association. He is afraid of death. But not just Joseph, but Nicodemus as well, had gone in secrecy. Nicodemus had already visited Jesus in secret when he was alive out of fear also. These two men, disciples of Jesus, go to claim his body for burial. So here they are doing one thing; claiming Jesus (but in secret for fear of persecution), and disassociating themselves with him. Then after they claim him, the do something that seems somewhat contrary to their previous action. In private, the prepare and dress Jesus for burial. Rapping him in strips of linen, and applying spices to his body, and overall, taking such care, devotion, and lending intimate and loving care to the Lord’s body. What they did in private for the Lord, is quite different in comparison to what they did in public. This made me think of how it is related to our every day lives (if you are a Christian). Do you claim Christ in secret, but deny him in public? Do you fear being persecuted for your belief when in the world? Do you claim him in private? In your room? In your car? In your bathroom? And do you leave him there? I asked myself these things, and realized that I was claiming Christ in private; praying, worshiping, praising, reading God’s word, and devoting to Him in the comfort of my own room. I was afraid of what people would think, say, or do because of my belief in Jesus. Secretly a disciple, afraid of persecution. All my art work is centered on my faith in Jesus, yet when it came time to talk about it, I kept it secret. Then what was the point of making this work? What was the point in being a follower of Christ? What was the point of the work Christ did for me if I were to just deny him and do nothing? When I realized this, I came to the conclusion that this needed changing. John 16:33 says this:
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Christ has overcome the world. On the cross, Christ said “it is finished” (John 19:30). All that could be done was done. We will be persecuted, but Christ is with us.
Matthew 28:20 say this:
“…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Christ did not die to makes us safe, but so that we might follow after him and be bold for a cause. To speak God’s truth, and have his guidance. I have decided to claim Christ in public as one of his followers, and to believe in Him as He believes in me. I decided to not be afraid. For if God is for me, who could be against me? (Romans 8:31)
38Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. 39He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.[a] 40Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
In working on this piece, it aloud me to reflect on my own faith in Jesus, and the way in which I prescribe it to myself. In this passage, Joseph goes to claim Christ’s body, but he does it in secret. He is afraid of the Jews. He is afraid of being associated with Jesus. He is afraid of being persecuted because of his association. He is afraid of death. But not just Joseph, but Nicodemus as well, had gone in secrecy. Nicodemus had already visited Jesus in secret when he was alive out of fear also. These two men, disciples of Jesus, go to claim his body for burial. So here they are doing one thing; claiming Jesus (but in secret for fear of persecution), and disassociating themselves with him. Then after they claim him, the do something that seems somewhat contrary to their previous action. In private, the prepare and dress Jesus for burial. Rapping him in strips of linen, and applying spices to his body, and overall, taking such care, devotion, and lending intimate and loving care to the Lord’s body. What they did in private for the Lord, is quite different in comparison to what they did in public. This made me think of how it is related to our every day lives (if you are a Christian). Do you claim Christ in secret, but deny him in public? Do you fear being persecuted for your belief when in the world? Do you claim him in private? In your room? In your car? In your bathroom? And do you leave him there? I asked myself these things, and realized that I was claiming Christ in private; praying, worshiping, praising, reading God’s word, and devoting to Him in the comfort of my own room. I was afraid of what people would think, say, or do because of my belief in Jesus. Secretly a disciple, afraid of persecution. All my art work is centered on my faith in Jesus, yet when it came time to talk about it, I kept it secret. Then what was the point of making this work? What was the point in being a follower of Christ? What was the point of the work Christ did for me if I were to just deny him and do nothing? When I realized this, I came to the conclusion that this needed changing. John 16:33 says this:
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Christ has overcome the world. On the cross, Christ said “it is finished” (John 19:30). All that could be done was done. We will be persecuted, but Christ is with us.
Matthew 28:20 say this:
“…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Christ did not die to makes us safe, but so that we might follow after him and be bold for a cause. To speak God’s truth, and have his guidance. I have decided to claim Christ in public as one of his followers, and to believe in Him as He believes in me. I decided to not be afraid. For if God is for me, who could be against me? (Romans 8:31)
you amaze me.
ReplyDeleteWow man, I'm really glad I checked out your blog here. Your artwork is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this blog post, I did have one question. In the beginning of this post it seemed like you were really trying to see what that must have been like for Joseph and Nicodemus. It really makes the story more powerful when you actually think about the people in the Bible as real people who would have been emotionally affected by what they saw.
So my question was, how do you think this story portrays Joesph and Nicodemus? Do you think there was something really redemptive about what they did for Jesus? Or maybe since they weren't ever open about following Jesus, was what they did for Jesus made meaningless?
hey Brian, good question. well, if we really look at the people in the Bible, in this case, and more specifically, Christ's disciples, we see that they are always making mistakes: whether it's doubting, rebuking, betraying, they are always falling short. this, however, is understandable. as humans we will always fall short of God's commandments, and that is why Christ came in the first place. so i think to realize Christ's purpose to begin with, should be a prime indicator that, no, even if you have rebuked Jesus and denied Him, there is complete and utter redemption. i believe that that is why these stories are in this book. it stands to show that, even the people that had walked beside Jesus, could fall short. Paul was one that understood this very much, writing all about how no matter what he did, he always seemed to mess up (Romans 7:14-20). does this mean that these people (or even us today) didn't love Jesus because of their faults? absolutely not. there is redemption in all we have done, and that is why in fact that we do come to Jesus in private. because we are able to, and because Jesus knows our hearts, a He knows our motives. again, He came and died, so that when we did fall, he would lift us up again. so to make one thing clear, this is also not to say that you should not make private devotion to Christ, because Jesus had even instructed that some things be done in private, such as praying, or doing good deeds for the Lord (Matthew 6:5-8 Matthew 6:1-4). so in answer to your question Brian, yes, i do believe that even though they did not openly claim Him in public, it did not mean that they did not love him, as displayed by their actions in private, and that, no, their action could have never been meaningless due to any of the wrongs they have done. Paul illustrates this the best i think in saying, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39) so there is not one thing that could make any of our affection towards Jesus meaningless, especially when there is redemption from all we might do wrong against him, because He loves us unconditionally, is the idea. so even though i may have honed in on the fault of these men, it was ultimately to make the realization how we are all not so different from even those so long ago, that in the end, we ultimately need Jesus, both privately and publicly, and that He is with us where ever we are, and regardless of the circumstances.
ReplyDeleteDude, I love your answer. Absolutely, I totally agree. I love that verse from Romans at the end, that's powerful.
ReplyDelete