Today's Gospel in Art - You are my Son, the Beloved

Baptism of Christ, by Ivanka Demchuk 2015 © Christian Art

Gospel of 10th January 2021 - Mark 1:7-11

In the course of his preaching John the Baptist said:

'Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.'

It was at this time that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised in the Jordan by John. No sooner had he come up out of the water than he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on him. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.'

Reflection on the Painting

Ukrainian artist Ivanka Demchuk made this painting when she was 25 years old in 2015. She paints in the old Ukrainian and Russian icon tradition. The figures are flat, the landscape one-dimensional, but we recognise old icon symbolisms. The semi-circle at the top signifies the opening of the heavens and the voice of God reaching down. The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove also descends from the semi-circle. On the shores of the River Jordan we see two angels on the right, with their hands covered by their own cloaks as a sign of reverence. They await Christ, to drape garments over Him when He emerges from the water. Jesus is represented in a pose very similar to when He was laid in the tomb after His crucifixion… This painting is a modern icon, and one that works really well in my view.

Our Gospel reading today says that when Jesus was baptised, a voice from heaven said 'You are my Son, the Beloved'. What lovely words! We all want to be beloved, we all want to be-loved, and we all want to love too... This need to love and want to be loved are rooted deep inside each of us. Those are the words descending from heaven at Jesus' baptism: words of love. Whilst many of us may not remember our own baptism, today's reading prompts us to live out our own baptismal promises every day… and one of the main ways of doing this is simply… to love.

Happy Feast Day of the Baptism of Our Lord.

LINKS

Today's story: https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/670

Christian Art - www.christian.art/index.php