Luke 22:42

OIL ON WOOD

24" x 48"

2023-2024

This painting delves into the emotional depth of Jesus Christ's anguished moments during the great prayer of submission in Gethsemane, known as "the garden of the oil press" on the Mount of Olives. With the weight of all the injustice and suffering of the world pressing upon him and overlooking the Kedron Valley, a historical symbol of death stretching far below, Christ grapples with the enormity of his impending sacrifice. He asks God to lift the burden. 

At this pivotal moment, Christ utters (in the artist’s opinion) the most significant and most selfless words ever spoken: “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). The painting captures the profound significance of this declaration as Christ submits himself to the divine will and experiences the apex of pain in every facet - physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially and temporally - embodying the full spectrum of human suffering.

As the scene unfolds, Golgotha, “the place of the skull,” looms in the distance, where Christ would complete this oblation. Jesus becomes the Savior of the world through this ultimate atonement, offering succor and lifting all hands that hang down.

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The artist found solace in painting this composition while dealing with the emotional turmoil of visiting her father in the hospital and managing her day job. Doctors identified her as the best match for an organ donation, and she had been praying that her father's body would accept it and that the Lord would view her decision as living the laws of sacrifice and consecration. Unfortunately, her father passed away before this outcome could save him. This experience taught her that the sacrifice of a broken heart and contrite spirit was far greater than any she could have given on the altar of an operating table. This painting expresses the emotions of her soul throughout this journey, finding comfort in Christ during her darkest hours and holding onto hope for the promised resurrection.