IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE

WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH

GOD. AND THE WORD WAS GOD.

AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH

AND DWELLED AMONG US.

AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY,

THAT GLORY OF THE ONLY

BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER, FULL

OF GRACE AND TRUTH.

WORDS LIKE THESE HAVE BEEN

THE WORDS THAT INSPIRED THE

ARTISTS UP THROUGH THE

CENTURIES TO PORTRAY THE

FACE OF CHRIST.

LET'S GO BACK INTO SOME OF

THAT HISTORY AND SCRIPTURE

AS THE ARTIST SPEAKS ABOUT

OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS

CHRIST.

*

IT WAS LONG AND RATHER

UGLY, AND YET THE EARLY

ARTIST WAS INSPIRED BY THE

WORDS OF ISAIAH.

WHERE ISAIAH SPOKE ABOUT THE

SUFFERING SERVANT TO COME.

IN THE 52nd CHAPTER,

ISAIAH SAID THAT THIS

SUFFERING SERVANT, THIS

MESSIAH, WOULD SUFFER A

BEATING SO THAT HIS FOREARM

WOULD BE MARRED, MORE THAN

ALL OF THE SONS OF MEN.

IN THE 53rd CHAPTER.

AND EVEN NOW, IN THE FIRST

AND EARLY CENTURIES, WE SEE

THE SPLIT IN THE NAZARETH.

THE 53rd CHAPTER SPOKE

ABOUT THE DESPISED MEN, A

MAN OF SORROW, AS HE WOULD

BE, AS IF IT WERE A ROOT

THAT WOULD NOT BEAR FRUIT

THROUGH THE SEED THAT WAS

PLANTED UPON IT OR DROPPED

UPON A DRY GROUND.

THERE WOULD BE NOTHING ABOUT

HIS APPEARANCE THAT WOULD

MAKE US DESIROUS OF HIM.

IF YOU CAN IMAGINE THE WORDS

PROPHESIED BY ISAIAH, THIS

JESUS WOULD EVENTUALLY WHO

WOULD EVENTUALLY BE BEATEN

AND BATTERED SO WE COULDN'T

RECOGNIZE HIM ANY LONGER.

THESE ARE THE VERY BASIC

SCRIPTURE PIECES THAT

INSPIRED THE ARTIST.

LET'S MOVE FURTHER TO

CAPTURE THE EASTERN

APPEARANCE, WHERE IT REALLY

BEGAN.

Reporter: SO WE SEE

THESE LONG PIECES, HOLDING

THERE FOR A MINUTE, LET'S

JUMP THE GAP IN CENTURIES

AND MOVE FROM THE FIRST TO

THE 11 CENTURY, TO THE

RENAISSANCE.

SEEING THE APPEARANCE WE

GENERALLY ACCEPT AT THE FACE

OF CHRIST.

PRAIFLT

*

DAL FOR FOR DALLAS FORT

WORTH

SO WE SEE THE WARMER

APPEARANCE OF THE FACE OF

CHRIST.

THE BEARD REMAINING THE SAME

FROM THE VERY FIRST

CENTURY.

WHAT WERE THE WORDS THAT NOW

MOVED THIS ARTIST.

WE CAN EXPLAIN IT THROUGH

THE AGONY OF THE GARDEN, THE

TRIUMPHANT ENTRY INTO

JERUSALEM, AND THE

CONFRONTATION THROUGH THE

ROMAN SOLDIERS.

THE ROMAN SOLDIERS TOOK HIS

CLOTHING OFF AND PLACED THE

CLOTHES OF A KING.

THEY PLACED THIS PURPLE ROBE

AROUND JESUS, WHO CLAIMED TO

BE THE KING OF THE JEWS, AND

THEY WOULD MAKE FUN OF HIM.

AND THEY GAVE HIM A SEPTOR.

BEFORE WE GO INTO THAT

PAINTING, LET'S LOOK AT THE

OTHER TWO.

RECENTLY, MOST OF THE

CHRISTIAN WORLD CELEBRATED

PALM SUNDAY, WHERE JESUS

RODE INTO TOWN ON A DONKEY

THAT HADN'T BEEN RIDDEN

BEFORE.

ACCORDING TO PROPHECY.

JESUS WOULD RIDE INTO THESE

NARROW STREETS OF JERUSALEM,

A PLACE ANY TACKITION WOULD

SAY HE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN

AT THE TIME.

AS HE MADE HIS WAY THROUGH

THE NARROW STREETS, HE WOULD

HEAR HOSANNA, AND BLESSED IS

HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF

THE LORD.

HE WOULD SEE THE ROMAN

SOLDIER WHO'S WOULD GIVE HIM

MOCK SALUTES.

JESUS ANSWERED THAT FROM THE

TREE.

AS HE MADE IT THROUGH, HE

WOULD HEAR THAT BEAUTIFUL

PRAYER IN HIS OWN LANGUAGE.

AND THOSE PEOPLE WOULD SHOUT

RABINI!

HERE O ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR

GOD.

THE LORD IS ONE.

JESUS WOULD RISE IN AND

CLAIM THE TEMPLE.

IN THE OTHER PAINTING, JESUS

IN THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN,

WE READ ABOUT IT IN LUKE 22:

44.

AS JESUS WAS IN THAT GARDEN,

HE KNEW WHAT WAS ABOUT TO

HAPPEN.

JESUS, BORN OF ANY WOMAN.

EIGHT DAYS AFTER HIS BIRTH,

HE WOULD SHED BLOOD.

JESUS WAS BORN TO DIE.

IN THAT SCENE, WE SEE JESUS

LYING THERE, AND THEN

PRAYING ON A ROCK.

SOME OF THE APOSTLES WERE

NOT AWAKE AT THAT TIME.

AND AS HE SWEPT, LUKE TELLS

US AFTER THAT FACT, AFTER HE

GATHERED THE EVIDENCE, THAT

HIS SWEAT TURNED INTO GIANT

DROPLETS OF BLOOD.

THAT'S WHEN HE BEGAN TO DIE

MEDICALLY.

JESUS WOULD THEN LOOK UP

INTO A BEAM OF LIFE, AND AN

ARTIST, HUFF MAN, PORTRAYS

THIS IN A SCENE.

HE SAID, LET ME OUT OF THIS

MOMENT, BUT LET NOT MY WILL

BE DONE, BY THINE.

THE ARTIST CAN RELATE TO HIM

BECAUSE JESUS PRAYED THAT

PRAYER.

AND EVEN AFTER THAT PRAYER,

HE COULD HEAR THE TINKER OF

ARMY AS ONE OF HIS OWN WOULD

BRING THE SOLDIERS TO ARREST

HIM AND GIVE HIM THE KISS OF

DEATH.

THEN IN THAT GIANT PAINTING,

THE CONFRONTATION SEEN

BEFORE THE ROMAN SOLDIERS,

WE CAN SEE THE SENTORIAN,

THE COMMANDER OF THE GUARD.

JESUS, A BATTALION OF MEN,

900, 1200 MEN, AND COMING

OFF HIS HORSE, THE COMMANDER

WOULD MAKE SPORT OF HIM.

THEY WOULD PLACE A BLINDFOLD

AROUND THE EYES OF JESUS.

AND ALL HE HAD TO DO AT THAT

TIME WAS TO PROVE AND

CONVINCE THE COHORTS, THE

ROMAN SOLDIERS.

SO IN FRONT OF HIS OWN MEN,

HE WOULD ASK JESUS TO PLAY A

TRICK.

COME ON, CHRIST, YOU HEARD

ABOUT ALL OF THESE PROFITS

WHO HEAL PEOPLE OF --

PROPHETS WHO HEAL PEOPLE OF

LEPROSY.

AND THEN THE LEPROSY COMES

BACK?

ARE YOU ONE OF THESE MEN,

JESUS?

BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY

OF THESE TRICKS.

COME ON, CHRIST.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO

HARROD AND BE A POLITICIAN.

TELL US ABOUT THAT BLIND MAN

ALONG THE ROAD.

TELL US.

HE WAS THERE.

AND YOU ACTUALLY HEALED HIM,

CHRIST.

COME ON, CHRIST, IF YOU'RE

THE KING, YOU CAN SEE

THROUGH A MERE BLINDFOLD.

WHO WAS IT?

WAS IT ME, ONE OF MY MEN?

SIX OF THEM?

HOW MANY WERE THERE, CHRIST?

THY REED, WHICH WAY DO I

HOLD IT?

STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN.

SPEAK TO US, PLAY SOME KIND

OF A TRICK.

SEE THROUGH THE BLINDFOLD.

ON THAT SIDE.

CAN'T YOU SEE THROUGH A MERE

PIECE OF CLOTH -- AND THIS

FOOLISHNESS WOULD GO ON.

BUT JESUS WOULDN'T SAY ONE

WORD.

AND THEY WOULD REMOVE THE

BLINDFOLD AND LET HIM GO.

THEY WOULD RELEASE HIM TO

THE MOB.

AT THAT TIME, THEY WOULD

FASHION A CROWN OF THORNS.

AND THEN ACCORDING TO LAW

AND CUSTOM, JESUS WOULD BE

SCURGED.

PAUL SPOKE ABOUT THE

STRIPES, 40 STRIPES, MINUS

ONE, ACCORDING TO THE LAW.

IN THIS SETTING, WOULD THE

SOLDIERS ACTUALLY COUNT THE

39?

JESUS THEN WOULD BE

DELIVERED UP.

HE WOULD CARRY THAT CROSS,

SOME 800, 900 YARDS TO THE

HILL OF SKULL, CALVARY.

WHEN THEY GOT HIM THERE,

THEY WOULD CROWN HIM WITH A

CROWN OF THORNS.

AND THEY WOULD CRUCIFY HIM.

THE PERSIANS INVENTED IT,

BUT THE ROMAN SOLDIERS WERE

QUITE EXPERT AT THIS.

WE SEE THESE SCENES THROUGH

PAINTINGS.

JESUS FULFILLING EVERY IOTA

OF PROPHECY.

*

THEY WOULD THEN TAKE HIM

IN THIS CONDITION.

THEY WOULD PLACE HIM ON A

CROSS.

THEY WOULD FIX HIM WITH

NAILS, IN A SPECIAL AREA IN

THE WRIST.

THEY WOULD DRIVE THESE NAILS

IN HIS WRISTS, ONE DOWN

BELOW, ON A FOOT,

OVERLAPPING THE OTHER.

AND JESUS DIDN'T STAND ON

THE CROSS AS SOME ART WOULD

HAVE IT, LIKE SOME KIND OF A

KING.

JESUS THE MAN, TOTAL MAN,

MINUS ONE THING WE ARE ALL

HEIR TO, EVIL AND SIN.

AT THAT PARTICULAR MOMENT,

JESUS WOULD LOOK UP INTO THE

HEAVENS AND THEY BECAME

DARK.

HE COULDN'T SEE THE FATHER

ANYMORE.

AND HE WOULD RISE, TRYING TO

EXHALE HIS AIR IN THIS

CONDITION.

THEY COULD HEAR HIM.

JESUS WOULD RISE OUT OF DOWN

BELOW.

FATHER, FORGIVE THEM FOR

THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.

AND IN THE NINTH HOUR, HE

COULD HAVE SAID, COME DOWN,

CHRIST.

HE WOULD HEAR THE ADVERSARY,

SPOKE IN ISAIAH 14: 14.

JESUS WOULD RISE AGAIN, AND

THEN HE KNEW THE FATHER

WASN'T THERE.

IN HIS HUMANITY, HE DIDN'T

TURN DIVINITY ON AND OFF.

JESUS WOULD LOOK UP AND

SHOUT SOMETHING THEY DIDN'T

QUITE UNDERSTAND.

[SPEAKING A

FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

MY GOD, MY GOD!

WHY HAS THOU FORSAKEN ME?

AT THE VERY END, JESUS WOULD

SAY, BUT INTO THINE HANDS I

COMMEND MY SPIRIT, AND HE

WOULD DIE.

BUT JESUS, AS HE PROMISED,

CAME BACK ON THE THIRD DAY.

NOT TO BE JESUS THE

CRUCIFIED, BUT JESUS CHRIST

THE KING, AS HE SAID HE

WOULD, RAISING LAZARUS FROM

THE DEAD, HEALING A WOMAN,

HEALING A BLIND MAN.

JESUS CAME BACK.

AND HE SAID HE WOULD COME

BACK AGAIN, A SECOND TIME.

ARE WE LIVING AS IF -- WE

WHO CALL OURSELVES

CHRISTIANS, AS IF WE BELIEVE

THIS, THAT JESUS HAD TO DIE

THIS DEATH AND THE FATHER

WOULD LET HIM GO, AS HE DID

EFRIAN.

YOU ARE SO BENT ON LEAVING,

HE SAID IN HOSEIA 10, I MUST

LET YOU GO.

AND JESUS, THE LAMB, TOOK

UPON HIMSELF ALL OF THE SINS

OF MEN SO THAT WE WOULD BE

FREE UNDER GRACE.

IF THE WORLD OF ART GIVES US

NOTHING MORE THAN TO THINK

ABOUT THESE MATTERS, IT WILL

HAVE ACHIEVED ITS GRANDEST

GOAL.