Jesus Christ
Overview
Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, is understood by most Christians to be the Second Person of the Trinity, Son of God, and God who became incarnate, enfleshed, as the son of Mary. He is the central figure of Christianity.
Every depiction of Jesus Christ necessarily leans more toward his divine nature or more toward his human nature. Looking for details that indicate which way the artist leans is an important first step in interpretation.
The Gospels recounts the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Artworks that bring these stories to life are often seen as educational or as bringing to mind the story so that it can be celebrated in a church or at one’s home prayer corner.
But even thinking about the Bible in relation to art raises a question: Doesn’t the First Commandment ban images of God? Does that apply to Jesus? This question has come up several times in the history of Christianity. One answer focuses on images not made by human hands.
Reading or hearing the Bible, it is possible to get a sense of who Jesus Christ was and is. But the Bible is not a thorough, definitive biography of Jesus; it tells the stories most important to first-century Christians. Since the first century, Christians have tried to understand Jesus as he relates to their own lives and the problems they face. Many of the names and identities Christians have given Jesus have been significant in the Jesus art tradition as well. Artists have depicted Jesus as Teacher/Philosopher; Priest, Prophet, and King; the New Adam, the Son of Man, the Universal Man; the Son of God, Logos, Word of God; and the Liberator from Sin and Suffering.
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