Windows into heaven
The Jesus Window- The light of Christ love.
February 8 and 9, 2020
Look at this beautiful window. I suspect it speaks to people in many different ways. Choose one word that captures at least a slice of the meaning of this window for you. In one word, what do you see? <<<>>>
All of those are great words. Today I want to focus on three words salvation, sacrifice, and safety.
The original painting on which this window is based was done a painting by British artist Sybil C. Parker. Born in 1860 she was 35 years old when she painted “The Door of the Fold”.
I only found 3 other works of art that are consistently attributed to her: “Maternal Instinct,” “The Peasant Girl,” and “The Storm.” It seems quite likely that there are more, but I was not able to find wide agreement.
“The Door of The Fold” is certainly her most famous piece. There are several churches who have windows modeled after this same painting. It was only 6 years after the painting was completed that it was rendered in stained glass and given to our church by the young people.
Over here you see the logo with “E-L” for Epworth League and over there “J-E-L” for Junior Epworth League. I always thought the Epworth league was High school and the Junior Epworth junior high, but I learned that the Epworth league was founded in 1889 for young adults 18-35 years old. Junior Epworth league was the high school version of the group.
The motto of the Epworth league is on the shields below the logos: "I desire to have a league offensive and defensive with every soldier of Christ." It is a John Wesley quote meaning that he wants to work with every other Christian for the work of the gospel.
The window was on the north side of the previous building on the land where the great western bank now sits.
We have Duke’s dad to thank for having it here. The story goes, that Dr. Anneberg was on the building committee for this building. When the architect came in with a contemporary design that did not include stained glass windows, Dr. Anneberg told him “go back to the drawing board and include the stained-glass windows or he would find a new architect.” Thank goodness he spoke up, right?
Just out of curiosity I superimposed the window on the painting to see how well they matched,
and it is a very close match. There are a few differences.
Most obviously, the stained-glass artist chose to render the robe in red. I don’t know for certain why they did that, but the change from white for purity, to red for sacrifice may be significant. I found one other window that shows Jesus in a white tunic and red robe. I wonder if it was as simple as it showed off the lamb better.
Additionally, the glass artist did not include the 2 doves over Jesus left shoulder and one sheep at his left foot. I don’t know if that was an artistic choice, but I wonder if the medium of stained glass just did not lend itself to the kind of detail necessary to include the doves. The doves would be either a symbol of peace or a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
To Jesu’s Left- (your right)- you see a rock. The rock would be part of the landscape except on this Rock, Mrs. Parker has placed a shepherd’s crook, a red robe, and the sign saying “King of the Jews” that hung above Jesus on the cross. Those three symbols together might represent the good shepherd that lays down his life for his sheep. With those symbols the stone becomes representative of Golgotha.
Cindy and I have debated about whether the stained-glass artist might have had something else in mind. The robe is much darker than the painting and the sign takes on a goldish color almost looking like a crown. You can decide for yourself whether you think there is another meaning there. I am going to stick with the shepherd that lays down his life for the sheep.
Let me point out a couple of things that you might not notice:
Have you noticed the abundant clusters of grapes and sheaves of wheat above Jesus head? These communion symbols remind us that Jesus does not stay in the window but steps off the cross to celebrate with us whenever we partake of the sacrament.
Have you noticed that the door has a key that has to be unlocked by Jesus in order for the sheep to enter? Just as Jesus unlocked salvation for us through the lo ve exhibited in the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection.
Finally, it is hard to render in glass, but in the painting, it is clear that Jesus feet still bear the marks of the nails of crucifixion.
Keeping those details in mind, let’s step back and look at the window as a whole what do we see.
When I first look at the window, I am immediately drawn to Jesus: The perfectly proportioned, gracefully dressed savior with the glow around his head stands in the door. Parker’s title points to John 10: 9 that says, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”
Just reading that, doesn’t give our 21st century minds the right picture. You see shepherds would have a pen or coral in which they kept the sheep at night. The pen would consist of rocks piled up high enough to discourage the sheep from jumping out. But just for good measure the shepherd would put brambles or thorny branches on top of the wall. But how do you suppose they built a door out of stone and brambles? They didn’t. The shepherd was the door. They would sit down or lay down in the one and only way to get in or go out.
John 10:7-10 says “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Life is filled with thieves and robbers who want to destroy us. Some come from outside us like bullies, abusers, terrorists, unemployment, and crime. Most come from inside: greed, lust, pride, hopelessness, hatred. You know the list. Jesus is the door, at the end of the day, the shepherd calls to us and makes himself the door that keeps us safe from all the wolves and bandits. Jesus says, “Whoever enters by me will be saved.” Jesus is the shepherd of salvation.
The second thing I notice is all the symbols of sacrifice: the cross, the crown of thorns, the blood red robe, the hole in his foot, the rock representing Golgotha, the sign that says king of the Jews. This reminds me of verse 11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” The good shepherd was indeed ready and willing to die saving his sheep and it was not unusual that he might do just that.
Our good shepherd, Jesus, came to earth knowing full well that in order to save these sheep-like human beings, these selfish, sinning, straying sheep beset by the wolves of sin, he would have to die. One does not do battle with sin and Satan and expect to get out alive. I look at all the symbols of sacrifice in the Jesus window and it reminds me that Jesus willingly and knowingly sacrificed all he had and all he was even sacrificing his life, so that we could be raised up with him by the power of sacrificial love, into eternal life and eternal communion with God. Jesus is the shepherd of sacrifice.
Finally, and maybe you notice these in a different order, that’s OK. Make note of the care and love with which Jesus cares for the sheep. I don’t think it is just my imagination that Jesus is cradling that little lamb with special tenderness. Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” Maybe this is the lamb that was lost, and he left the 99 to go back to find me… or is it you? Jesus tells the parable “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4) It could be any of us.
Or maybe we are the white lamb at Jesus’ feet that he is so carefully ushering back into the safety of the pen where he is protected from all danger, harm, sin or fear.
Or maybe you are one of the dirty sheep behind the white one, who have not been cleansed by the saving love of the shepherd. Look, he has unlocked the door and holds it open to invite you. All you have to do is take the step of faith through the door. The door of cleansing grace, the door of salvation the door of eternal life. It is right there for you. One step of faith and the great shepherd will do the rest. Jesus is the shepherd of safety.
This beautiful stained-glass window is not intended to be a decoration. It is a sacrament. Not like communion or baptism. A sacrament is when God’s grace is conveyed through some material object.
Open yourself to the messages of this window. Let Jesus step out of that window into your life.
I like to imagine myself as the lamb Jesus gently carries.
Sometimes I feel lost, and Jesus steps out of the window into my life to reminds me that he snatched me from sin and saved me by his grace and love. And he now carries me home in his strong arms of salvation.
When I am tempted or questioning, Jesus steps out of the window into my life and I become aware that the hands that hold me so gently and the feet that carry me bear the marks of the extreme sacrifice that Jesus made for me. And he is the one who suffered, bled, died, and rose again for me is carrying me on the merits of his sacrificial love.
When I am afraid, Jesus steps out of the window into my life to reminds me that he holds me tight saying, “I have you now. You’re safe with me… no wolves, no brambles, no danger, no fear.” I remember that of al the sheep in the world, Jesus came looking for me, me personally to ride in his strong arms as he carries me to safety.
Watch and listen. When Jesus steps out of the window to speak to you, what does he say? What message does the great shepherd have for you?
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