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John Baptizes Jesus
A voice came from heaven, saying,
“This is my beloved Son
with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3.17
O Come.
Let Us Worship.
Digital Worship @ Christ Church Cathedral Victoria
10:50 a.m. HERE.
Scriptures:
Isaiah 42. 1-9
Psalm 29
Acts 10. 4-43
Matthew 3.13-17
Artwork:
John Baptizes Jesus
JESUS MAFA, 1973
Cameroon
JESUS MAFA is a response to the New Testament readings from the Lectionary by a Christian community in Cameroon, Africa. Each of the readings was selected and adapted to dramatic interpretation by the community members. Photographs of their interpretations were made, and these were then transcribed to paintings.
In this dramatic painting of Jesus’ baptism, people stand in the background to watch the event. John stands on a rock to perform the ritual despite earlier protestations (as told in the gospel passage). The water flows from John’s hands and cascades down Jesus’ head and body. Jesus stands in a prayerful, peaceful pose as he fulfills this righteous act. In this picturesque rendering, we see a very faithful human Jesus moments before the conclusion of the story, which states that a dove descends and a voice from heaven says, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.”
fr: Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
