Today’s artist is Pieter Bruegel, a sixteenth century painter from the Netherlands. The above painting is entitled “Christ Carrying the Cross,” a favorite of a dear friend of mine who brought it to my attention.
Can you find Jesus? Go ahead; I’ll wait. Give up? The picture below is an enlargement of the center of the painting, just so you can tell I’m not lying about the content.
The painting depicts Christ as lost in a sea of people seemingly unmoved by His presence or suffering. Even today Christ’s presence remains largely unnoticed by culture at large, and before we jump to judgment, we must admit that His presence goes quite frequently unnoticed by people like you and me.
So this season, of all seasons, it is good to remember a Savior who stepped into the world of humanity only to be overlooked by the very ones He came to save. He is Immanuel – “God with us,” though rejected and ignored by us. Yet for those who are being saved, His cross is the power of God.
I trust that you have found this series enjoyable, and that through the visual arts Christ could be made more vividly real to you during this Christmas season.