The Gospel Of John In The Elevation Of The Cross

 The Bible, one of the most influential books in world history, is known as “the greatest story ever told on Earth,” and the passion of Jesus Christ is a part of that narrative. The Passion, from the Latin verbs patior and passus sum meaning “to suffer,” alludes to the agony that Jesus Christ experienced for our salvation. Details of Jesus’ Passion are featured in the four Gospels of Mark, Luke, Matthew, and John. The Gospels of Mark, Luke, and Matthew are similar in content, but the Gospel of John is entirely different from the three previously mentioned. John’s Gospel asserts that Jesus Christ, the son of God, came to Earth to teach humanity the way of improving themselves, but also to transform all of creation. The Gospel of John has been viewed as controversial, however, because it was written and rewritten and only published after his death which was about the year of 95. A lot of controversies and questions have plagued the Roman Catholic Church for years. 

One of the most prevalent debate topics facing the church, as of now, is the question of suffering and why we suffer. John’s Gospel and art pieces such as The Elevation of the Cross by Peter Paul Rubens and The Crucifixion by Pietro Lorenzetti not only depicts the Passion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but also helps explain why suffering is necessary in our lives. After all, our sufferings are only temporary and don’t last forever. Through them, we participate in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and grow in our faith spiritually. By experiencing suffering, we increase our chances of earning the promise of eternal life.

The Elevation of the Cross by Peter Paul Rubens was created in 1610 and The Crucifixion by Pietro Lorenzetti was made in the 1340s. Both pieces of artwork illustrate the Passion of Christ, but differ in historical time periods. One was made in the 17th century and the other was made in the 14th century. A defining characteristic of the 14th century was the number of deaths that occurred during this time. It has been estimated that the century experienced the deaths of more than 45 million people. Due to this statistic, we can understand why Pietro Lorenzetti decided to make his painting and name it The Crucifixion. Although there were numerous deaths happening throughout the century due to the bubonic plague and famine, none of those deaths can compare to Jesus Christ willingly sacrificing himself to save us from our sins. In Pietro Lorenzetti’s The Crucifixion, Jesus Christ can clearly be seen being crucified and with blood coming out of his side. This demonstrates that Jesus was both a savior and person. Two soldiers in the background behind the crucified Jesus Christ pierced his side with a spear and other details such as two people being crucified on a cross to the left and right of Jesus and the Virgin Mary mourning and being consoled by other religious women can also be noticed. Additional details can be observed such as the person being crucified on a cross to the left of Jesus. He’s looking downwards like Jesus, and this represents that his sins were forgiven. The person being crucified on a cross to the right of Jesus, however, has his head raised towards the sky and is looking directly to God which represents sin and how it’s his destiny to be punished. Since he didn’t accept God into his heart fully and genuinely, he is painted darker than Jesus and the person being crucified on a cross to the left of Jesus. To the viewer of this art piece, it prompts an emotional reaction because Pietro Lorenzetti made sure to emphasize pathos. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is arguably not only one of the most important events in human and world history, but it was also one of the most excruciating and agonizing deaths possibly imaginable. Pietro Lorenzetti wanted to reiterate this to those living during the 14th century because yes, there were many people dying and thinking that the world was going to end, but their deaths and suffering were nothing compared to the sacrifice that Jesus Christ willingly did for all of humanity. This is the reason why Pietro Lorenzetti made The Crucifixion during the 14th century because people needed this reminder in order to realize that their sufferings were temporary and through them, they were actually participating in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Many people during this tragic time were practicing Christianity, but the bubonic plague and famine actually led to the number of followers in the faith to decrease, however, before and after the painting was created.

In addition, as previously stated, The Elevation of the Cross by Peter Paul Rubens also illustrates the Passion of Christ. It was created in 1610 and during the time the painting was produced, the Catholic Church was working on a project of re-energizing its goal to convert people to the saving work of Jesus Christ. A century before, the Jesuit order was founded and ended up having a big influence on Rubens. He was a dedicated Catholic himself and his religious paintings, like The Elevation of the Cross, clearly shows his own personal belief in Christ. In the center of the painting, for example, we can clearly see nine muscular men that are having difficulty in lifting Jesus Christ’s pale body onto the wooden cross where he would eventually be crucified. The men are having so much trouble because Rubens is implying that Jesus Christ carries the weight of the sins of the entire world. Light shining down on Jesus Christ who is in agony and looking up to heaven with his arms raised can also be observed. Rubens includes these vivid details to emphasize the willing sacrifice of Christ despite the horrors he knew he would endure during his crucifixion. It’s visibly clear that Christ is suffering in the painting because his body is strained and stretched over the wooden cross. His hands are tightly clenching the nails and his head is distorted when going through the last moments of excruciating pain. In the left side of the painting, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, has her eyes on her son and some of Christ’s followers are mourning. Two of Christ’s followers are gazing towards him and through this, Peter Paul Rubens demonstrates that we all participate in the Crucifixion every time we sin or suffer, but Christ will still be victorious regardless of what happens. Our sins and sufferings don’t define us and they aren’t our end result because when we die, it’s not the end for us. Jesus Christ proved it himself when he was crucified, but resurrected in three days. Also, more evidence of this can be read in Jn 3:14-15 when Jesus Christ says, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” This scene could not be any closer to us because it shows that Jesus Christ needed to die on the cross and rise from the dead. The Jews, at the time, didn’t understand the meaning of this message and overlooked the sufferings that their savior endured on the cross so that the whole world could have the chance to be saved. Rubens’ T