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Today’s painting is by the Dutch artist Peter Paul Rubens. He is depicting the four gospel writers meeting together. An angel is giving them divine inspiration from above as they are composing their gospels. A meeting such as this never did occur, but it makes for a fascinating painting. It is sometimes called the Sacra Conversazione (sacred conversation). This is one of the few paintings that show all four evangelists together.
I thought it might be interesting to examine how each evangelist is typically depicted in art and literature. From left to right:
Luke is depicted with a bull by his feet. Bulls (or oxen) were symbolic for sacrifice, service, and strength. Therefore, this represents Jesus’ sacrifice in his suffering and death.
Matthew is usually portrayed as a man (usually somewhere near a winged angel). Matthew's gospel starts with Joseph’s genealogy from Abraham onwards, and therefor stresses the incarnation and Christ’s human nature.
Mark has a winged lion at his feet, a sign of courage and kingship. The lion also represents Jesus’ resurrection, as lions sleep with open eyes, a comparison with Christ in the tomb.
John looks up to an eagle, a figure of the sky who, it was believed, could look straight into the sun. This represents Jesus’ ascension into heaven, and Christ’s divine nature.
Mark’s Gospel is generally accepted as the first of the four gospels to be written. Mark begins his gospel with a simple declarative statement, “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” There is no ambiguity of who Mark believes Jesus is.
In Mark 8:29, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” This is a question for each of us. It is probably one of the most important questions any of us will ever answer and we may spend our whole lives trying to figure it out. But it is important enough to spend a whole life doing so. Or we may spend our whole life ignoring it. Either way, we will have to answer it someday. Who do you say that Jesus is?
Peace,
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