Along with words, pictures powerfully communicate the story of God’s salvation.
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“For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness.”
Psalm 26:3 English Standard Version
The Luther House Museum in Wittenberg has an amazing amount of art work from the time of the Reformation. The Cranach workshop headed by Lucas Cranach the Elder along with his son Lucas Cranach the Younger produced many works that promoted the Reformation. What Luther did with words, the Cranach workshop did with pictures.
This picture of Christ on the Cross by Lucas Cranach the Younger looms large in the Luther House museum.
The message of God’s love is powerfully communicated through pictures. When the gospel could not be openly proclaimed in the Soviet Union, stained glass windows continued to preach to the eyes the power of Christ’s crucifixion.
It is true that there are times that words must proclaim the gospel. People need to hear that God has entered human history, that God gave his Son for all humanity, and that there is forgiveness in no one but Jesus.
Yet, there are times that a picture helps us on our journey through life. Our eyes need the message of Christ as well as our ears. If the eyes are the window to the soul then pictures of the faith are essential in communicating the faith.
Though we all see Jesus in this painting, it will speak something different about Christ’s crucifixion for us. No matter how this picture, or others pictures, speak to our soul, may our eyes see the steadfast love of the Lord in Jesus.
Copyright Douglas P Brauner
