Luke 2:7

OIL ON WOOD

24"x48"

2023-Present (work in progress)

The second painting in the Alpha and Omega series captures the humble beginnings of Christ's mortal journey. Depicting the moment of His birth, the scene unfolds in a grotto—a cave-like stable common to ancient Palestine. The infant Jesus, swaddled in cloth, rests in a stone manger, foreshadowing His eventual burial. A divine light softly illuminates the serene figures of Mary and Joseph, their expressions full of reverence as they care for the Savior at the dawn of His life.

The symbolism is deeply layered: the stone manger reflects the stone slab of His future tomb, while the swaddling clothes anticipate the burial shroud. At His birth and death, Jesus is attended by figures named Mary and Joseph, his earthly parents, and Aramathea and Magdaline, forming a profound chiasmus that highlights the connection between His entry into the world and His sacrifice. This painting serves as the prelude to the ultimate redemption He would offer, intertwining life and death even at His nativity.

It is as though His miraculous birth was always meant to point us to His death so that we might find life everlasting through His sacrifice.

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This is the second painting in The Alpha and Omega Series, a collection of five oil paintings depicting key moments in Jesus Christ's life, from His pre-mortal offering to His eternal advocacy. Each painting intertwines love, sacrifice, and resurrection themes, creating a chiasmus where the first and last, second and fourth pieces mirror each other, and the third stands as the climactic center. Together, they reveal Christ’s role as Alpha—the beginning—and Omega—the completion.