March 29: Christ's Suffering For the Sins of the People
♫ Music:
Day 45 - Friday, March 29
GOOD FRIDAY
Title: CHRIST’S SUFFERING FOR THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE
Scripture #1: Hebrews 2:9-10 (NKJV)
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Scripture #2: Hebrews 2:14-17 (NKJV)
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
Poetry & Poet:
“The Martyr”
by Herman Melville
Good Friday was the day
Of the prodigy and crime,
When they killed him in his pity,
When they killed him in his prime
Of clemency and calm—
When with yearning he was filled
To redeem the evil-willed,
And, though conqueror, be kind;
But they killed him in his kindness,
In their madness and their blindness,
And they killed him from behind.
There is sobbing of the strong,
And a pall upon the land;
But the People in their weeping
Bare the iron hand:
Beware the People weeping
When they bare the iron hand.
He lieth in his blood—
The father in his face;
They have killed him, the Forgiver—
The Avenger takes his place,
The Avenger wisely stern,
Who in righteousness shall do
What heavens call him to,
And the parricides remand;
For they killed him in his kindness,
In their madness and their blindness.
And his blood is on their hand.
There is sobbing of the strong,
And a pall upon the land;
But the People in their weeping
Bare the iron hand:
Beware the People weeping
When they bare the iron hand.
CHRIST’S SUFFERING FOR THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE
Upon returning from his service in the Franco-Prussian war in 1870, artist Odilon Redon began a project of creating his “Noirs” —so called due to his continuous use of black, and little else, in creating haunting images of suffering and loss. The horrors of war led him to a period of mourning via art, one that lasted two full decades. His Noirs continued until 1890, when color finally, fully returned to his work.
It should come as little surprise that Redon was repeatedly drawn to the figure of the suffering Christ during this period. In war, Redon had faced death daily. Death did not take him, but its specter haunted him. In Hebrews 2, the Devil is evoked, the prince of darkness whose work is all too evident for those living in war and its aftermath. Redon felt the incomprehensible darkness of Good Friday in his soul. For those who have suffered so deeply, this is an all-too-common experience.
Much as with Redon, author and poet Herman Melville’s verses reveal a deep mourning that turns toward the image of Christ in a moment of profound suffering. Not his own suffering per se, but that of his nation: the titular Martyr in this poem is in fact Abraham Lincoln, whose death was still being actively grieved as Melville penned these devastating words:
But they killed him in his kindness,
In their madness and their blindness,
And they killed him from behind.
The echoes of Christ’s death in the assassination of Lincoln are made starkly clear. Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, had won the Civil War with his brave leadership. His moral convictions had won him a second term on a platform of permanently ending slavery. He was killed on Good Friday, 1865, days after announcing his goal of giving freed slaves equal rights under the law. It was his expressed desire for justice and equality that drove John Wilkes Booth’s rage to murderous action.
The sheer magnitude of the injustices overwhelmed these artists. As we look around the world today and see all too many echoes of historical moments in the headlines of the unchecked violence of our day, it is all too easy to be caught up in overwhelming despair. The original readers of Hebrews were certainly facing a similar challenge, living in continuous fear of persecution and death at the hands of those who saw Christ’s followers as threats to be extinguished, rather than beacons of hope and new life.
And yet, even in these darkest of moments, these artists—just as the readers of Hebrews before them—did not need to succumb to despair. They knew Good Friday was not the end of the story.
Redon’s Christ, almost child-like with His innocent facial features, gazes toward (or perhaps past?) us, while He appears to strain under the weight of a crown of thorns. The crown is rendered as a heavy, seething mass of violence, pulling his head askew and piercing him from every angle. But above, even as darkness clouds the sky, a light is glowing. It is something like a halo and something like a sunrise, and it warms Christ’s turned cheek, a hint of the luminous glory from above that was so dim on that day. A glory that would rise in the morning with Christ mere days later.
Historian Michael Gibson sees "the triumph of light over darkness" as the true subject of Redon’s work. Despite his Noirs being predominantly veiled in darkness, the continued presence of light on the darkest of days is the true story being told. Christ, having been “made like his brethren,” allows the likes of Melville and Redon to look to Him not just for kinship in suffering, but for hope––hope of the triumph of life over death, of the end of wars and assassinations, the liberation of the body and the soul, and personal and global restoration from the cycles of trauma that remain with us to this day.
This world of suffering remains. And yet, the sun also rises. And Christ is risen. And so, we will also rise.
Prayer
Lord, help us look to the dawn and praise your Son daily. Give us hope every morning, even when confronted with the often-overwhelming darkness of this world. We do not know the day or the hour he will come again, and yet we can radiate love, peace, and joy in the darkness. We bask in the light of new life, freely given. Thank you for your endless mercies and let us dwell in them today.
Amen.
Luke Aleckson, M.F.A.
Professor, Department of Art
Executive Director, Center for Christianity, Culture & the Arts
Biola University
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Art:
Head of Christ Wearing the Crown of Thorns
Odilon Redon
1895
Charcoal, black pastel and black crayon heightened
with white on buff paper
52.2 x 37.9 cm
British Museum
London, England
Although he wasn't a Christian, artist Odilon Redon was attracted to the figure of Christ. Many of his works focus on the mysterious dual nature of Christ as both divine and human. This image represents Christ as the Man of Sorrows––his expressive eyes gazing directly into those of the viewer capture the pain and pathos of Christ suffering under the weight of a dense bramble of thorns placed upon his head by his mockers.
About the Artist:
Odilon Redon (1840-1916) was a French Symbolist artist. Redon is perhaps best known today for the dreamlike paintings created in the first decade of the 20th century, which were inspired by Japanese art and leaned toward abstraction. His work is considered a precursor to Surrealism, a movement in art that sought to represent absolute truths symbolically through language and metaphorical images, mainly as a reaction against naturalism and realism. During his early years as an artist, Redon's works were described as "a synthesis of nightmares and dreams,” as they contained dark, fantastical figures from the artist's own imagination. His work represents an exploration of his internal feelings and psyche. Redon wanted to place "the logic of the visible at the service of the invisible.” Art historian Michael Gibson says that Redon began to want his works, even the ones darker in color and subject matter, to portray "the triumph of light over darkness."
About the Music #1:
“Death & Earthquake” from Water Passion After St. Matthew
Chinese composer Tan Dun's take on the Passion story, Water Passion After St. Matthew, (2000) is composed in eight sections, over a ninety-minute span. The oratorio follows Jesus from baptism to resurrection. Interested in the interaction of onstage visual elements with the music, Tan places seventeen transparent water bowls, lit from below and in the shape of a cross for the performance of this piece. The piece divides pairs of choruses, soloists, string players and three percussionists. In the dynamic "Death and Earthquake" section, traditional Mongolian throat singing collides with a Western-style choir, a high-flying soprano, the xun (a Chinese ocarina), and the expressive cries of a lonely cello.
https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2013/03/27/175496458/the-good-friday-5-musical-passion-stories-you-must-hear
http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/s/sny89927a.php
Lyrics #1:
(Note: very quiet instrumental opening, music is punctuated by strong loud passages)
Chorus:
Wu...wu...wu...
Jesus:
Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?
Soprano:
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Jesus:
I thirst...
Soprano:
They gave him vinegar...
Jesus:
It is finished...
About the Composer #1:
Tan Dun (b. 1957) is a Chinese-born American composer and conductor. A leading figure of contemporary classical music, he draws from a variety of Western and Chinese influences, a dichotomy which has shaped much of his life and music. Having collaborated with leading orchestras around the world, Tan is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Grawemeyer Award for his opera Marco Polo (1996) and both an Academy Award and Grammy Award for his film score in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). His oeuvre includes operas, orchestral, vocal, chamber, solo and film scores, as well as genres that Tan terms "organic music" and "music ritual." Born in China, Tan grew up during the Cultural Revolution and received musical education from the Central Conservatory of Music. Since receiving a D.M.A. from Columbia University (1993), Tan has been based in New York City. His compositions often incorporate audiovisual elements; use instruments constructed from organic materials, such as paper, water, and stone; and are often inspired by traditional Chinese theatrical and ritual performance. In 2013, he was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tan_Dun
Performers #1:
The RIAS Kammerchor (RIAS Chamber Choir), a German choir made up of thirty-four professionally trained singers, is based in Berlin, Germany. The RIAS Kammerchor Berlin, which celebrates its 75th birthday in the 2023-24 season, is one of the world's leading professional choirs. As part of the RIAS Chamber Choir Studio, four academics per season also become part of the choir. The repertoire ranges from historically informed Renaissance or Baroque interpretations to new interpretations of classical and romantic works and regular premieres. Justin Doyle has served as principal conductor and artistic director since 2017.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAS_Kammerchor
https://www.rias-kammerchor.de/ueber-uns/portrait/
About the Music #2:
“8-Part Crucifixus” from the album Allegri Miserere
Lyrics #2:
Latin:
Crucifixus etiam pro
nobis sub Pontio Pilato:
Passus, et sepultus est.
Et resurrexit tertia die,
secundum Scripturas.
Et ascendit in coelum:
sedet ad dexteram Patris.
Et iterum venturus est cum
gloria judicare vivos et mortuos;
Cujus regni non erit finis.
English Translation:
He was crucified also for
us under Pontius Pilate:
He suffered and was buried.
And on the third day he rose again,
according to the scriptures.
And ascended into heaven:
and sitteth on the right hand of the Father.
And he shall come again in glory
to judge both the quick and the dead;
Whose kingdom shall have no end.
About the Composer #2:
Antonio Lotti (1667–1740) was an Italian composer of the Baroque era. Lotti wrote in a variety of forms, producing masses, cantatas, madrigals, around thirty operas, and instrumental music. Some of his sacred choral works are unaccompanied (a cappella) but many of them are composed in the concertato style with strings, basso continuo, occasionally oboes, and trumpets. His more progressive works foreshadow the gallant style, considered a transition between the established Baroque and emerging Classical styles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Lotti
Performers #2:
Tenebrae Consort directed by Nigel Short
Under the direction of Nigel Short, the Tenebrae Consort performs at major festivals and venues across the globe. The choir has earned international acclaim for its interpretations of choral music from the Renaissance through to contemporary masterpieces and has commissioned new music from contemporary composers. Tenebrae has enjoyed collaborations with some of the UK’s leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Aurora Orchestra, the Academy of Ancient Music, and Britten Sinfonia. Alongside its performance schedule, the choir runs a thriving Learning & Connection program encompassing partnerships with Music Centre London and London Youth Choirs.
https://www.tenebrae-choir.com/about
Award-winning conductor Nigel Short has earned widespread acclaim for his work with leading orchestras and ensembles across the world. A former member of renowned vocal ensemble The King’s Singers, in 2001 Nigel formed Tenebrae Consort, a virtuosic choir that combines the passion of a cathedral choir with the precision of a chamber ensemble. Under his direction, Tenebrae has collaborated with internationally acclaimed orchestras and instrumentalists and now enjoys a reputation as one of the world’s finest vocal ensembles. Nigel has conducted the choir at some of the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals, including the BBC Proms, Wigmore Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Rheingau Musik Festival, and Sydney Festival. Short has conducted the majority of the UK’s leading orchestras, including the Academy of Ancient Music, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, English Concert, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2018, he received a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Choral Performance for Tenebrae’s album of songs from Music of the Spheres.
https://www.tenebrae-choir.com/about
About the Poetry and Poet:
Herman Melville (1819-1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are Moby-Dick (1851); Typee (1846), a romanticized account of his experiences in Polynesia; and Billy Budd, Sailor, a posthumously published novella. At the time of his death, Melville was no longer well-known to the public, but the 1919 centennial of his birth was the beginning of a Melville revival. Moby-Dick eventually would be considered one of the great American novels. Melville did not publish poetry until his late thirties, with Battle-Pieces (1866), and did not receive recognition as a poet until well into the 20th century. He wrote predominantly poetry for about twenty-five years, twice as long as his prose career.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Melville
https://poets.org/poet/herman-melville
About the Devotion Writer:
Luke Aleckson, M.F.A.
Professor, Department of Art
Executive Director, Center for Christianity, Culture & the Arts
Biola University
Luke Aleckson is an assistant professor of art at Biola University and is currently the executive director of the CCCA. He received his M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in sculpture and a B.S. in art from the University of Northwestern, St. Paul, Minnesota. Past positions have included serving as department chair and professor of art and design at the University of Northwestern and the director of Denler Gallery in St. Paul. Past exhibitions of his artwork have been held nationally, at venues such as the Chicago Cultural Center, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and the Suburban in Oak Park, Illinois. He maintains an active art practice in which he explores sculpture, digital modeling, video art, and installation art.