“Rembrandt’s The Three Crosses” (Ready to Worship S8E3)

On this season of Ready to Worship, we are focusing on the cross of Christ. I believe that worshipping in the shadow of the cross will greatly enrich our worship.

Rembrandt, a famous Dutch artist, painted a picture of the crucifixion of Christ. Using shadow and light, Rembrandt draws our eyes to the center cross, where they should be. In the crowd we find Mary, John, and Roman soldiers. In the shadows, at the edge of the painting, we find a mysterious person that some critics contend is a representation of Rembrandt himself. It is as if Rembrandt was acknowledging that his sins had put Christ on the cross.

Whether or not Rembrandt realized the role that his sins played in the death of Jesús, we should. We have all sinned (Rom. 3:23). We all deserve to die (Rom. 6:23). However, in His grace, God sent Jesus to taste death for us (Heb. 2:9). Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. He carried the iniquities of us all (Isa. 53:4-6). The fifth chapter of Romans captures this beautifully. We read, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Rom. 5:6-11). These verses properly describe us as ungodly, as sinners, and as enemies. However, they also point out that because of the death of Jesus, we are now justified, reconciled, and saved. You might say that we have been brought out of the shadows into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9).

As we get Ready to Worship this week, we need to see ourselves standing in the shadow of the cross. We need to acknowledge that it was our sins that put Him there. Realizing our part in Christ’s death will help us to worship God with the gratitude that He deserves.