Christ Crucified - For What?

Jake Stelpstra is the senior art teacher at Abbotsford Christian Secondary School. The following article was first published in the December 2004 issue of the ACS Messenger

What are the reasons for having Art classes in school? What should we be saying with our creative expressions?

In the Art classes at Abbotsford Christian Secondary School we explore a wide variety of subject matter and a broad spectrum of technical skills. We do landscapes, portraits, abstractions, and still life. We use graphite, charcoal, acrylics, watercolour, clay, and wood. The question, however, goes beyond the subject matter and the mechanics of art making. What are we saying about our beliefs through the visual representations we make with our hands?

I recently asked the students in my Art 11 class, why Jesus came into the world. The answer was not surprising. "He came to save us from our sins." I wondered how I could help them to understand that this answer is simplistic and not the complete message of salvation. I showed them several pictures of representations of Jesus in Art; works done by artists from the Middle Ages up until the late 20th century. We saw very regal depictions, saintly icons, muscular heroes, defeated men and soft comforters. We also talked about the brokenness of our world and that the need for redemption goes far beyond our individual desire to be made whole. Through discussion we began to see a bigger picture; that God loved the WORLD so much that he sent his Son to die for it. Instead of being a picture with individuals in the centre, the scenario puts Christ in the centre, redeeming all of the creation.

The assignment that followed asked the students to choose one aspect of humanity's brokenness to lay at the foot of the cross. The resulting artwork showed depth and emotion.

Why did Jesus come to this world? He came because of our wars. He came to free us from addictions, and to do away with malnutrition and disease. He died for our greed, our apathy and our closed-mindedness. He came to save us from sinfulness. The expressiveness of these drawings indicates that the students came to a deeper understanding of God's love in the gift of His Son.