Behold the Lamb (Christmas)

Behold the Lamb (Christmas)

Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. Genesis 22:7-8 (New American Standard Bible)

 The next day [John] saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 
I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.” John 1:29, 34 (New American Standard Bible)

In November I started through the Bible, and this section from Genesis has been on my mind this Christmas season. I have been especially struck that GOD provided for Himself a Lamb. It moves me that GOD loves us so very much, that HE provides everything required to satisfy the need for holiness - for acceptance. 

HE wasn't just making life easier for Abraham and Isaac, and HE is not just being nice to us by tossing us the sacrifice so that we won't feel so bad. So far from that! HE loves me so much that HE provides the ultimate and extreme price to buy me back - even when I have 'sold myself' to rebelling against HIM. 

SOLD
 22 x 30 acrylic on watercolor paper

So I began to paint. I started out working on kind of a typical nativity scene idea. I wanted to express this concept of GOD providing the Lamb, but the longer I worked, the more I saw the incredible depth and complexity of what GOD accomplished this way. 

So this work suggests eternity and the night sky; earth and structures; color and iridescence and THE CROSS. 

I sincerely hope the painting says more of what I am thinking about than I can put into words. GOD has me speechless this season...