"Portrait of God's Love"

"For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet." (Psalms 22:16) He was raised up and put on display for all to see; nailed upon the cross at Calvary, as one would hang their favorite painting upon that most special wall in the house, where all who go in and out are sure to gaze upon it. This is the portrait of John 3:16 displayed if the form of a real life action that is showing God's love for the world; just as the serpent was raised up in the wilderness, so too was Jesus raised up, that all that should look upon Him might be saved. The intent of a portrait is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. Portraits will usually portray the person looking directing at the painter or photographer, in order to most successfully engage the subject with the viewer. The account of Jesus upon the cross shows that He was placed so that all who went in or out of Jerusalem could see Him, and He was close enough that they could actually read the inscription 'Jesus of Nazareth - King of the Jews'. What we have here today is the appointed meeting of a wicked generation and the Sacrifice of God spoken of by Abraham when he said, "God will provide Himself a lamb for a sacrifice" (Genesis 22:8), spoken of over 1,800 years prior to this event, and speaking of the Lamb of God, given for the forgiveness of sin. As with most any portrait, they do not change or alter from the position that they were portrayed in; neither do they take on different expressions or gaze within their eyes; but they remain perfectly still, so as to help the viewer engage deeper and deeper into the mood or personality of the subject. Here too, we have forgiveness being put upon display; not just the act of forgiveness, but the very root of how much God wants to forgive us, and place us in a perfect relationship with Him. Before we can truly experience the fullness of God's forgiveness towards us, we must first accept it; making it our own and believing that it was for me that Jesus suffered and died upon that cross; because it is something that must be personal, it is also something that must be cherished as our own. What that means to us as an individual in Christ, is that because He so freely gave for me, now I must freely give for Him: because it is personal, I have an obligation to forgive others as I have been forgiven. Jesus demonstrated this powerful virtue as He hung upon that cross; surrounded with "dogs" and exceedingly "wicked" men, as He hung there for all to gaze upon and ridicule, He answered back with an act of forgiveness: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)