| Jesus' public ministry begins with his baptism
by John in the Jordan (Mark 1:9-11). John the Baptist was "a voice crying in the
wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." Jesus
kneels before John, and as John baptizes him with water, Jesus sees the heavens open and
"the Spirit descending upon him like a dove." Here, a dove descends from the top
of the window, symbolic of the Holy Spirit. Jesus' pose is one of receptivity and
devotion. The aura around his head with the three red pieces of glass was the way in which
medieval Christians characterized the divinity of Christ as one person of the Holy
Trinity. The wild-eyed representation of John, the deep blue- green water, the picture of
peace upon Jesus' face all combine to say, "Thou art my beloved Son, with Thee I am
well pleased."
Westminster Presbyterian Church |
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