A Long Boney Finger

John 1:29-34

There is a painting that has become popular in the church the last couple of years.  It’s been around a long time, but I hadn’t noticed it until recently.  That’s all you need to know about how much I paid attention in Fine Arts as a student, but I digress.

The image is a painting by Matthias Grunwald entitled, The Crucifixion. There is a lot going on in this painting:  you can see Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the left side of the painting fainting into the arms of John, the disciple; a woman recognized as Mary from Magdala by the alabaster jar sitting next to her; Jesus with his hands extended to the heavens grasping for his Father; on the right side of the cross a lamb with a cross over its shoulder; and a strange figure on the right of the painting holding what appears to be scripture while pointing a long, boney finger at Jesus.  Over John are written the words, “He must increase, I must decrease.”

This picture was painted in the middle ages.  It was during a dark time in the church, with very few copies of scripture, and is why churches often told the gospel through stain glassed windows and paintings.  Artist didn’t paint abstractly, but were telling the gospel story through art.  They had purpose and meaning.  They were not trying to confuse anyone, but tell the story of the gospel to those who are illiterate, or unable to have a copy of scripture, using images.  

Theologian Karl Barth had a copy of Grunwald’s painting on the wall of his study.  It's said that when Barth would talk with a visitor about his work, he would direct them to John the Baptist in the painting and would say, “I want to be that finger."

Me too.  The interesting thing is John the Baptist says twice in these six short verses that he didn’t know Jesus was the one, saying “Look!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He (Jesus) was the one I was talking about . . . I did not recognize him as the Messiah.”  But once he did, it was all about Jesus.  I’m not sure his finger was as boney as Grunwald portrays, but that long boney finger sends a clear message; he, Jesus, the one naked, dying on the cross is the one!  The one whose mother just fainted into the arms of John, he is the one.  The lamb I said would take away the sin of the world, this is how it happens.  He is the one! 

When things around us can become dark, as they were in Jesus day, John pointed to Jesus.  That’s what Lamorris, Megan, Andy and JJ did this week for us.  In pointing to Jesus, they pointed us to Jesus too.  I didn’t see them extend their finger pointing, but I think we heard clearly as they shared vulnerably with us not only about their good days, but their dark days, recognizing God was with them in the light and the dark.  They believed that God had them.  When he was drafted – God was there.  When he made his first pro-Bowl – God was there.  When they were 8-0 and he broke his thumb – God was there.  When he was released by the Bengals and didn’t know what their next step was – God was there.  When they lost two babies while trying to have a third child – God was there.  They currently don’t know what the next step is for them – but they gave testimony that just like God has been with them in the past, God is with them now.

Every now and then, we all need a long boney finger pointing us to Jesus.  He is the one!