2023

8 x 10 inches

Charcoal on Arches hot press watercolor paper

Our God, Savior and King Jesus Christ is alive and has risen!! He "bore our sins (the sins of all the world) in His body on the cross" (1 Peter 2:24) and died in our place so that we would be redeemed and forgiven of our sins (Ephesians 1:7-8). God desires so much more than just our sins be forgiven. He has forgiven our sins for a purpose and He has risen from the dead for a purpose. My goal for this drawing, "The King Has Overcome", is to express why Jesus Christ overcoming sin and death is the greatest news ever!

The setting of the drawing is from within the tomb. The light shining in hints that the stone that was before the entrance and sealed by the guards has been rolled away. The tomb could not contain Him. How is this so? Acts 2:24 says "But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power." Our God is sovereign and He has power over all things, even death! We rejoice over Jesus' resurrection because it confirms the power of God and it confirms that Jesus is God. This is one reason why I chose the lion to represent Jesus. He endured suffering and died on the cross as our Sacrificial Lamb (John 1:29). He defeated sin and death and came out of the tomb as our Conquering Lion. "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)." The lion is a symbol of authority and power. His authority and power over sin and death confirms that our sins are officially atoned for!

His power over death is great news because it means that, through Him, we can have power over death as well! Because He died to sin in our place, our sin is dead. In the same way, because He now lives, we live (Romans 6:5-11)! God doesn't just forgive us our sins. He puts our sins to death and He gives us new life! This is only made possible because Jesus is alive! "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17)." The way a Christian lives their new life is the greatest testimony of Jesus' resurrection. The world should see that our God is alive because our lives have been made new to reflect Him.

His resurrection is great news because it means that Satan is defeated! After Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan and gave into sin, effecting all of mankind, God had a clear message for Satan: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel (Genesis 3:15)." This means, because of sin introduced into the world by Satan, Jesus (the seed) will receive a huge blow (His death on the cross). This blow might appear as though Satan won. However, it's just a "heel bruise." Satan is the one who has received the true death blow ("bruise you on the head"). Satan's attempt to kill Christ and eternally separate man from God was used by God to achieve the exact opposite, making Satan powerless (Hebrews 2:14)! And Jesus is coming back again to destroy Satan entirely and eternally.

I also chose the lion to represent Jesus to make the connection with Revelation chapter 5. In this chapter, we see that Jesus has been given authority to judge and overthrow evil, making everything right again. "I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?" And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals (Revelation 5:1-5)." The book (or scroll) in these verses represents the judgement on creation. The only One worthy of opening the book and making all things right is the conquering Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ! The verses immediately after explain why He is worthy. In these verses, the One who is the Lion is also described as the STANDING slaughtered Lamb. Jesus has endured death and He has conquered death. He did not fall prey to sin; He possessed power over sin. He was not captive to Satan; He has defeated Satan. He did not succumb to death; He triumphed over death. The King has overcome and He is worthy of us living for His glory, looking forward to when He returns to establish His perfect kingdom!