GOSPEL GLASS:
A
Bible-Reader’s Guide
to the Windows
of St Andrew’s
Cathedral, Sydney
Welcome to St Andrew’s Cathedral!
Many visitors to the Cathedral express delight in and
admiration of the building, particularly the windows.
It is hoped that this resource can help you ‘listen in’ on
the windows as they illustrate the message of Jesus from the Bible.
For your convenience, the windows are labelled as per the map
on the left. Orient yourself by noting the direction of Town Hall and George
St. We start with ‘The Last Supper’, top left corner.
Most Bible passages are taken from the English Standard
Version. (The King James Version is quoted where embedded in the windows).
Note: In stained glass terminology, a ‘light’ is a single
vertical pane in a ‘window’.
- John Lew, Sydney, August 2014. (johngracelew@gmail.com)
1. The Last Supper
(John 13:21-30)
After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his
spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his
disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus' side, so
Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that
disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus
answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped
it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon
Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus
said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now no one at the table
knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the
moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that
he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread,
he immediately went out. And it was night.
Details to notice, corresponding to the bolded text:
- John
(the youngest; has no beard) is pressing against Jesus to ask who the
betrayer is;
- Judas
opposite Jesus (central window). He is the only person not looking at
Jesus; instead he is looking at the money purse with ‘evil’ eyes. His
hands are hidden under the table; everybody else’s hands are above the
table and visible. His red halo seems to represent his evil scheming.
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At this last supper with his disciples, Jesus revealed that
one of them would betray him, and knew who it would be. After the meal, Jesus
went out to a garden as usual. This time he was met by soldiers, led there by
Judas; he had been betrayed. Jesus was arrested and eventually crucified…
Meaning:
Jesus knew that this would be his last meal with his
disciples, his closest friends. He knew he would soon die. And he knew he would
be betrayed. He even knew who the traitor would be: one at that very table.
Message:
Jesus’ death didn’t take him by surprise. He could’ve
apprehended Judas on the spot. Instead, he knew that these things had to
happen. Later in Scripture we learn that Jesus understood these things had to
take place in order to fulfil God’s plans: Jesus had to die for the sins of the
world. Judas stands in contrast to the faithful disciples; which are you?
2. East Window
The East Window is the ‘main piece’ of the Cathedral. Its
theme is the life of St. Andrew (the patron saint of Scotland), and covers
almost every mention of him in the New Testament. Andrew was selected by Governor
Lachlan Macquarie, a Scot.
The way to read this window is to notice that in each
of the 3 rows, the middle 3 lights are consecutive, forming a single scene.
Additionally, in the top row, the first 2 and last 2 lights
form a continuous scene.
And in the bottom row, the first and last lights feature
Jesus the shepherd, instead of Andrew.
A diagram may help:
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a
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b
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c
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d
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e
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f
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g
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Top
Row
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Middle
Row
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Bottom
Row
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At the base of each light is some text related to the scene;
most are from the text of the King James Bible. The quoted words are
highlighted in the passages that follow.
2.1. East Window - Top Row
[a+b+... (c+d+e) ...+f+g]
The inner
3 lights (c, d, e) are taken from Luke 24:51 (KJV)
51 And
it came to pass, [Window c:] while he blessed them, [Window
d:] he was parted from them, [Window e:] and carried up
into heaven.
Meaning: This is known as the Ascension scene.
Following his resurrection, Jesus departed his disciples and ascended to
heaven. He promised to send them the Holy Spirit.
The outer lights – 2 on the left (a, b) and 2
on the right (f, g) – depict a continuous narrative from John 1:37-42. (KJV)
[Window a:] 37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and
they followed Jesus. 38 Then
Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They
said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where
dwellest thou? [Window b:] 39 He
saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and
abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. [Window f:] 40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew,
Simon Peter's brother. 41 He
first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the
Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. [Window g:] 42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when
Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be
called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
Meaning:
Andrew, after whom this Cathedral is named, is the brother
of Peter (who is considered the leader of the apostles). This scene depicts
Andrew taking Peter to Jesus, believing him to be the long-awaited Messiah
(i.e. Christ) of Israel.
Message:
The disciples recognised the greatness of Jesus, and
followed him. ‘Following’ Jesus Christ is the right response God wants of us.
2.2. East Window - Middle Row
[a, b, (c+d+e), f, g]
The inner
3 lights (c, d, e) are taken from John 6:1-14 (KJV)
1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of
Galilee, which is the sea of
Tiberias. 2 And a
great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on
them that were diseased. 3 And
Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was
nigh. 5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company
come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may
eat? 6 And this he said to prove him:
for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip
answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that
every one of them may take a little. 8 [Window
c:] One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There
is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what
are they among so many? 10 And
Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So
the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 [Window d:] And Jesus took the
loaves; and when he had given thanks, [Window e:] he distributed
to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and
likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his
disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 Therefore
they gathered them together,
and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which
remained over and above unto them that had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the
miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come
into the world.
The outer
lights feature Andrew.
a. Label: ‘Bethsaida on the sea of Galilee’. No specific
biblical scene is depicted here, but John
1:44 states that Bethsaida was the city of Andrew (and
Peter).
b. Label: ‘They were fishers’, referring to Peter and Andrew.
(Mark 1:16 or Matthew 4.18-20)
f. Label: ‘He ordained twelve’, from Mark 3:14. Jesus appointed twelve
disciples (Mk 3:13-19…
Andrew is named in v. 18).
g. Label: ‘We would see Jesus’, from John 12:21. Greeks asked to see
Jesus (John 12:20-26… Andrew
is mentioned in v. 22).
2.3. East Window - Bottom Row:
[a, b, (c+d+e), f, g]
The inner 3 lights (c, d, e) feature The Holy
Spirit at Pentecost, and are taken from Acts 2:1-4 (KJV)
1 And
when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one
place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound
from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they
were sitting. 3 And [Window c:] there
appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and [Window d:] it sat upon each of them. 4 And [Window e:] they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The outer lights:
a. Jesus the good shepherd (John 10:1-18)
Label: ‘The Lord is my light’, possibly Psalm 27:1
b. Label: ‘when shall these things be’. Jesus and the fall
of Jerusalem. Judging by window ‘f’ on the right, in which Andrew has a bald top
and forehead, this scene is likely to be Mark 13:1-8, esp. vv. 3-4.
f. Label: ‘Go’ ‘Teach all nations’ (Matt 28:19) Andrew crosses the
Euxine (now called the Black Sea
between Europe and Asia). According to Eusebius’ “Church History”, Book III, ch
1. (probably quoting Origen) Andrew preached to Scythia.
g. Christ in glory (John 21:17)
Note the different decorations in the top and bottom of the
first and last lights (a and g). These are ‘Jesus the Shepherd’ lights.
3. Easter morning (Matthew 28:2-4)
And behold, there
was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came
and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and
his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became
like dead men.
(The window does not adhere strictly to the text, which says
that the guards were fearful of the angel. The window depicts them fearful of
Jesus himself.
Strangely, the sleeping guards reflect the fictitious
account in Matt 28:15.)
Note that Jesus is holding a flag on a pole. The red cross
symbolises victory over death. This symbol was probably taken from Piero della
Francesca’s painting, “Resurrection,” c.1463.
Notice also the tongues of fire (= Holy Spirit) resting on
the angels. Compare with the Pentecost in the bottom row of East Window.
Meaning:
The resurrection of Jesus was a spectacular event,
generating fear amongst its immediate witnesses. The message of the angel,
though, is ‘do not fear.’ Those who oppose him, however, have reason to fear.
4. Easter 1 (John
20:1-18)
[a, b, c, d]
Now on the first
day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark,
and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went
to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to
them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they
have laid him.” [Window d:] So Peter went out with the other
disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running
together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And
stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen
cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not
lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the
other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and
believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise
from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes. But Mary stood
weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. [Window
a:] And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had
lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why
are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not
know where they have laid him.” Having said this, [Window b:] she
turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried
him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus
said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which
means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet
ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending
to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” [Window c:] Mary
Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and
that he had said these things to her.
Note, in Window b, Jesus is holding a flag with a red cross,
which symbolises victory over death. This symbol can be seen in Piero della
Francesca’s painting, “Resurrection,” c.1463.
Meaning:
The disciples were puzzled by the empty tomb, but rejoiced
upon meeting the risen Christ. Do you rejoice that he has risen?
5. Easter 2
[a, b, c, d]
a. Three Marys at the tomb (
Mark 16:1-7… Roman Catholic
tradition counts Salome as the third Mary.
)
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of
James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And
very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went
to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the
stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the
stone had been rolled back— it was very large. And entering the tomb, they
saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they
were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of
Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where
they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you
to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
b. The women see Jesus
This seems to represent a
combination of Matthew 28:9
And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up
and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
and John 20:16-17.
Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,
“Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to
them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
c. Jesus meets disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-15)
That very day two of them were going to a village named
Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other
about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and
discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.
Notice Jesus’ finger, pointing
towards the village.
d. Jesus makes himself known in the meal at Emmaus (Luke 24:28-30)
So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted
as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with
us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to
stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and
blessed and broke it and gave it to them.
6. Easter 3 (John
20 & 21)
[a+b, c, d]
The lights in this window depict the resurrected Christ
according to the Gospel of John. Jesus is wearing royal robes.
b. Thomas believes (John 20:28)
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was
with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and
said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and
see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not
disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
c. In Galilee, Jesus tells his followers where to fish (John 21:4-6)
Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the
disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you
have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on
the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and
now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.
d. Jesus tells Peter "Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17, 20)
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes,
Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to
him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes,
Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to
him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved
because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed
my sheep…”… Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved
following them…
·
The ‘disciple whom Jesus
loved’ is John (the young man without a beard).
·
The ship in the background
is the same ship as the window to the left; this scene follows the fish scene.
Two other disciples appear in this window; the one next to Jesus is John (the
disciple without a beard) – this is ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved following
them’.
·
‘Feed my sheep’ – notice
the sheep, and the shepherd’s staff in Jesus’ hand.
Meaning:
In all of these lights note the visible wounds in Jesus’
hands and side. Christ has conquered the cross!
9. Miracles 1
[a, b, c, d]
And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was
alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the
wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to
them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him
walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw
him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart;
it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind
ceased. And they were utterly astounded
b. Healing on the Sabbath
Jesus performed numerous healings on the Sabbath, to
the consternation of the Jewish religious leaders (Pharisees). They objected
that Jesus was violating holy law by doing ‘work’ on the holy rest day. Never
mind that he was miraculously healing people! This light does not appear to
have any particular biblical scene in mind; certainly there was no Sabbath
healing involving a young child, as depicted here. By performing healings on
the Sabbath, Jesus demonstrated that the day of ‘rest’ was a day for ‘life’.
The Pharisees couldn’t see this.
c. Curing a leper (Mark 1:40-42)
And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to
him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out
his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And
immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
d. Curing a sick woman (Luke 13:10-15)
Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And
behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen
years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw
her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your
disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made
straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the
Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be
done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the
Lord answered him, “You hypocrites!
10. Miracles 2 (Luke)
[a, b, c, d]
And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to
look at my son, for he is my only child. And behold, a spirit seizes him, and
he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and
shatters him, and will hardly leave him. And I begged your disciples to cast
it out, but they could not.” Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted
generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son
here.” While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed
him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave
him back to his father. And all were astonished at the majesty of God.
b. A catch of fish (Luke
5:1-7)
On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the
word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by
the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting
into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little
from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he
had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down
your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and
took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had
done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And
they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
c. A blind man sees (Luke 18:35-43)
As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside
begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told
him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David,
have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be
silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And
Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he
asked him, “What do you want me to do
for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him,
“Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he
recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people,
when they saw it, gave praise to God.
d. Healing ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19)
On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and
Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a
distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”
When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And
as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was
healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at
Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus
answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found
to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him,
“Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
This
is the grateful one; the nine others did not return to thank Jesus or praise
God.
11. Miracles 3 (Matthew)
[a, b, c, d]
When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him,
appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home,
suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the
centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but
only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under
authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to
another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly,
I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many
will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while
the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus
said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant
was healed at that very moment.
b. Curing Peter's mother in law –
(Matt 8:14-15)
And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law
lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and
she rose and began to serve him.
c. A mute man speaks (Matt 9:32-34)
As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was
mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man
spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in
Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of
demons.”
Note
the Pharisees pointing an accusing finger at Jesus.
d. Curing the daughter of a
Canaanite woman (Matthew
15:21-28)
And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre
and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and
was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is
severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his
disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out
after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And
he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the
dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from
their masters' table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith!
Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
Note
the sick daughter depicted in the thought bubble. The thought bubbles present a
symmetry to this window.
Note,
in the thought bubble, the demon departing from the daughter.
12. Miracles 4
[a, b, c, d]
And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof
above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which
the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the
paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting
there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is
blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus,
perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to
them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say
to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed
and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to
forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed,
and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before
them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw
anything like this!”
b. Calming the sea (Mark 4:37-41)
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking
into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern,
asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not
care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said
to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they
were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that
even the wind and the sea obey him?”
c. The miracle of loaves and fishes (John 6:4-14)
Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up
his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him,
Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may
eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip
answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each
of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother,
said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish,
but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now
there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in
number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he
distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they
wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up
the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and
filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those
who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This
is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
d. Water becomes wine (John 2:1-11)
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the
mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his
disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have
no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My
hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells
you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of
purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the
servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And
he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.”
So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine,
and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the
water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him,
“Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then
the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of
his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his
disciples believed in him.
13. The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-6)
[Elijah, Jesus,
Moses]
And after six days
Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his
brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured
before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as
light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah,
talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and
one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud
overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son,
with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this,
they fell on their faces and were terrified.
Notes:
Elijah holds a scroll with his name ‘Elias’ (as per King
James Version).
Moses is holding the stone tablet of the Ten Commandments (I
to X)
Moses’ horns come from a mistranslation (in the Latin
Vulgate) of an uncommon Hebrew word which, in context, intended to mean that
Moses’ face ‘shone’ after speaking with God. (Exodus 34:27-35)
In Moses’ left hand is his staff (see Exodus).
Scroll of the left angel: ‘hic est Filius’, Latin for ‘This
is my beloved Son’.
Scroll of the middle angel: ‘meus in quo mihi’, Latin for
‘in whom I’.
Scroll of the right angel: ‘complarie’, but is probably
intended to be ‘conplacuit’, Latin for ‘pleased’.
Thus the angels’ scrolls depict the voice of God in Mat 17:5
‘hic est Filius meus dilectus in quo mihi
bene conplacuit ipsum audite’
This identifies the passage as Matthew 17, rather than Mark 9 or Luke 9.
Message:
Much as we esteem great Old Testament characters such as
Elijah and Moses, it is the Son of God whom they point us to.
Top row:
Simon: a saw. According to legend, he was martyred by
being sawed into pieces.
James the Less: Long-standing tradition identifies
James the Less as the son of Alphaeus
Andrew: a transverse cross. It was on this kind of
cross that Saint Andrew was crucified in Greece
Barnabas
Matthias
Jude: a halberd. Persians executed him with this
long-handled and ax-like weapon.
Middle row:
Thomas
James (the Great), a fuller's club. After being cast
from the Temple roof Saint James was beaten to death with such a club.
John the Baptist
Stephen, palm branch (traditionally signifies
martyrs) and a stone(?). (He was stoned to death in Acts 7:58)
Philip, latin cross. Saint Philip is pictured
carrying the cross of Christ, which was the theme of his preaching.
Bartholomew, a knife. The traditional symbol for
Saint Bartholomew, used to flay him alive.
Bottom row:
Peter: crossed keys. Silver and gold keys signify
Saint Peter's divinely-given power of binding and loosing.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John hold quills, denoting them as
Gospel authors. They are presented in the order they appear in the Bible.
“Christian tradition has long connected the authors of the
four canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) with the four "living
creatures" that surround God's throne, as described in Rev 4:7”, Ezek
1:10, 10:14.
Matthew: angel signifies that
Christians should use their reason for salvation.
Mark: winged lion signifies
that Christians should be courageous on the path of salvation.
Luke: The ox signifies
that Christians should be prepared to sacrifice themselves in following Christ.
John: youngest apostle =
no beard. Eagle.
Peter precedes, possibly because he supplied the oral
tradition to Mark.
Paul is last, because chronologically he was the latter
prominent writer.
Paul: sword (Sword of the Spirit? Eph 6.17)
15. The Baptism of Jesus (John 1:29-34)
The next day he [John
the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of
God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After
me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not
know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be
revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from
heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but
he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit
descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have
seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
The baptismal font is symbolically placed directly below
this window.
This important event is recorded in all four Gospels, but
the words coming off the staff held by John the Baptist, ‘ECCE AGNUS DEI’, are
Latin for ‘Behold the Lamb of God’, from John’s Gospel, chapter 1.
The theme of ‘Son of God’ continues onto Window 16 (next).
Meaning:
John the Baptist was the last of the Prophets. His main
mission in life was to point the world to the Son of God. Calling Jesus the
Lamb of God prophesies that he would be sacrificed for the sins of the world.
16. Three temptations of Jesus (
Matthew 4:1-11)
Then
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
[Window c:] And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these
stones to become loaves of bread.” But
he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
[Window a:] Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of
the temple and said to him, “If
you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will
command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the
Lord your God to the test.’”
[Window b:] Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all
the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and
worship me.” Then Jesus said to him,
“Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and
him only shall you serve.’”
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Why are the temptations displayed out of order? Possibly so
that the third temptation, in which the devil finally departs from Jesus, is
positioned in the central light to magnify his ‘victory’… notice how Jesus is
elevated in this picture.
Notice the devil’s grey halo = fallen angel?
Meaning:
Jesus was led to the wilderness for 40 days and nights,
after which he withstood the temptations of the devil.
The 40 days and nights represent the 40 years that Israel
was punished in the wilderness for.
Where Israel failed, Jesus is the true people of God.
Note that Jesus fought the devil with the word of God.
17. Parables 1 (Luke)
[a, b, c, d]
And
when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him,
he said in a parable, “A sower
went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path
and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and
as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and
the thorns grew up with it and choked it.
And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As
he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” And when his disciples asked him what
this parable meant, he said, “To you
it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others
they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may
not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word
of God. The ones along the path are
those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their
hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word,
receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in
time of testing fall away. And as
for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on
their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and
their fruit does not mature. As for
that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an
honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
b. The Pharisee and the tax
collector (Lk 18:10-14)
“Two
men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax
collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I
thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or
even like this tax collector. I fast
twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing
far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast,
saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to
his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself
will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
c. The good Samaritan (Lk 10:30-37)
Jesus
replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among
robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half
dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he
saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite,
when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But
a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him,
he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on
oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and
took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the
innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay
you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a
neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed
him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
d. The lost son (Lk 15:11-32)
And
he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his
father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he
divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son
gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he
squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a
severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and
hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his
fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs
ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How
many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish
here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.
Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father.
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion,
and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I
have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called
your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best
robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And
bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my
son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to
celebrate. “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to
the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and
asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and
your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe
and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out
and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have
served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young
goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came,
who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf
for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is
mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother
was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
18. Parables 2
[a, b, c, d]
He
said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor
respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming
to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself,
‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man,
yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that
she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his
elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to
them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on
earth?”
b. The king's banquet (Lk 14:16-24)
But
he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited
many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who
had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began
to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go
out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five
yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another
said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came
and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became
angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of
the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the
servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’
And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and
compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none
of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”
c. The unjust steward (Luke 16:1-10)
He
also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager,
and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions.
And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in
the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ And the
manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the
management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to
beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management,
people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master's debtors
one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A
hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly
and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said,
‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write
eighty.’ The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the
sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than
the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of
unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal
dwellings. “One who is faithful in a
very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little
is also dishonest in much.
d. The wedding garment (Mt 22:1-14)
And
again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,
“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding
feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to
the wedding feast, but they would not come.
Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See,
I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and
everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention
and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized
his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and
he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he
said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not
worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many
as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom
they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But
when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no
wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a
wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants,
‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are
chosen.”
19. Parables 3 (Luke)
[a, b, c, d]
And
he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his
vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to
the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit
on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up
the ground?’ And he answered him,
‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next
year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
b. The ten talents (Luke 19:12-28)
He
said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for
himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants,
he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a
delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the
kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called
to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying,
‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’
And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been
faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord,
your mina has made five minas.’ And
he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept
laid away in a handkerchief; for I
was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not
deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’
He said to him, ‘I will condemn you
with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man,
taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you
not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with
interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give
it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord,
he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that
to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even
what he has will be taken away. But
as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring
them here and slaughter them before me.’”
And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
c. The lost coin (Luke 15:8-10)
“Or what
woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp
and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has
found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice
with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there
is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
d. A rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)
“There
was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who
feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named
Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the
rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The
poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man
also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes
and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father
Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in
water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said,
‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and
Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in
anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed,
in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none
may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him
to my father's house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest
they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses
and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if
someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they
do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone
should rise from the dead.’”
20. Parables 4
[a+b, c, d]
So he
told them this parable: “What man of
you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave
the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost,
until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders,
rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his
neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was
lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner
who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
c. The two sons (Matt
21:28-32)
“What
do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said,
‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’
but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said
the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did
the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I
say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God
before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not
believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even
when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
Note
the man with the crossed arms on the right; is he the son who said ‘I will
not’?
d. The wicked tenants (Matthew
21:33-46)
“Hear
another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard
and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and
leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for
fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his
fruit. And the tenants took his servants
and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first.
And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying,
‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to
themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’
And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard
comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those
wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who
will give him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never
read in the Scriptures:
“‘The
stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the
Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
Therefore
I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a
people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken
to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” When the chief
priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was
speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared
the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.
21. Supper at Bethany (
John 12:1-8)
Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came
to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they
gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one
of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of
expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and
wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of
the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to
betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii
and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but
because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to
help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that
she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with
you, but you do not always have me.”
Is Judas on the left, grasping the moneybag?
Who is the man on the right, cupping his ear to
hear Jesus?
Lazarus’ name is written on his halo; he is the man
opposite Jesus, holding a cup of red wine.
Meaning:
This dinner was given for Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised
from the dead.
After this, the Jewish
leaders, in their utter corruption, planned to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus!
The corrupt Judas will soon play into their hands.
22 (Andrew, Peter and Jesus). Top Row
[a, b, c]
a. Behold the lamb of God (John 1:29-36)
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and
said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he
of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was
before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing
with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw
the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself
did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on
whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the
Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of
God.” The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he
looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
b. Call of St Andrew
(
Matthew 4:18-20)
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two
brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a
net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and
I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed
him.
c. Call of St Peter (
Luke 5:1-11)
On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on
him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he
saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were
washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he
asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the
people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put
out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered,
“Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down
the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish,
and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they
began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees,
saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who
were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so
also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”
And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and
followed him.
22. Middle Row
[a, b, c]
a. Receive ye the Holy Ghost (John 20:19-22)
On the evening of that day, the first day of the
week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus
came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he
had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were
glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As
the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this,
he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
b. Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4)
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all
together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a
mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of
them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
22. Bottom Row (Crucifixions)
[a, b, c]
a. Andrew crucified on diagonal cross
“Was the
brother of Peter. He preached the gospel to many Asiatic nations; but on his
arrival at Edessa he was taken and crucified on a cross, the two ends of which
were fixed transversely in the ground. Hence the derivation of the term, St.
Andrew's Cross.” (Foxe’s book of martyrs: ch 1, VII.)
“A
tradition developed that Andrew had been crucified on a cross of the form
called Crux decussata (X-shaped cross, or "saltire"), now commonly
known as a "Saint Andrew's Cross" — supposedly at his own request, as
he deemed himself unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross as Jesus
had been.”
b. Jesus crucified (John
19)
Two
details identify this depiction as from John’s Gospel: the inscription ‘INRI’
(v. 19-20), and the piercing with the spear (v. 34).
The
acronym INRI represents the Latin inscription IESVS·NAZARENVS·REX·IVDÆORVM
(Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum), in English reads as "Jesus the Nazarene,
King of the Jews".
c. Peter crucified upside down (under Nero)
“By this, Peter, perceiving his suffering to be
understood, returned into the city. Jerome saith that he was crucified, his
head being down and his feet upward, himself so requiring, because he was (he
said) unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as the Lord was.”
(Foxe’s book of martyrs, chapter I, IX)
24.
The birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26-2:20)
[a, b, c, d]
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel
was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to
a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.
And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with
you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what
sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,
Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your
womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and
will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the
throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
The ribbon flowing from the foot
of the angel says "ave gratia plena", probably from the Latin ‘have
gratia plena’, which literally means “Hail, full of grace”. In the modern ESV
it is translated as ‘Greetings, O favoured one’.
b. Mary and Elizabeth meet (Luke 1:39-45)
In those days Mary
arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she
entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth
heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was
filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are
you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted
to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound
of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And
blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was
spoken to her from the Lord.”
c. The birth of Jesus (Luke 2:6-7)
And while they [i.e.
Joseph and Mary] were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she
gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and
laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Note the ribbon held by the angel
above: ‘Glory to God in the highest’ (see v. 14 below)
d. The shepherds (Luke 2:8-20)
And in the same region there
were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by
night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the
Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel
said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that
will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will
find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly
there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and
saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those
with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the
shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing
that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with
haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they
saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this
child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary
treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds
returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it
had been told them.
The ribbon under the angel says ‘Gloria
in excels’, which is probably shortened from ‘Gloria in excelsis Deo’ (Latin
for "Glory to God in the highest", v. 14)
Meaning:
The birth of Jesus was accompanied with much human and
angelic joy!
Note:
The narrative of Luke’s Gospel continues in Window 26.
Window 25, though, tells of the next chronological event,
namely the visit of the wise men.
25. The wise men (Matthew 2:1-11)
[a, b, c, d]
2 Now after Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, [Window b:] wise
men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has
been born king of the Jews? [Window a:] For we saw his star when it
rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard
this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief
priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to
be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is
written by the prophet:
6 “ ‘And
you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by
no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who
will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
[Window c:] 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from
them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem,
saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him,
bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star
that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the
place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with
great joy. [Window d:] 11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and
they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered
him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Meaning:
The ‘wise men’ were foreigners to Israel. Yet in guiding
them to Jesus by a star, God was bringing his Saviour into the world for the
whole world, not just Israel. King Herod felt threatened by this new king, and
wanted to use the wise men to locate the boy (so that Herod could dispose of
him). Upon finding the boy Jesus, the wise men did not merely pay their
respects to him as a king, but worshipped him.
Message:
Is our response to Jesus like that of the wise men, or of Herod?
Note:
The next event in Matthew’s Gospel is depicted in Window 26,
light b.
26. Boy Jesus
2:22 And when the time came for their purification
according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him
to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every
male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord,
“a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this
man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the
Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in
the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in
peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the
presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for
glory to your people Israel.”
33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was
said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his
mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in
Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce
through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be
revealed.”
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the
daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having
lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the
temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to
speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 And when they had performed everything according to
the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
c. The visit to Jerusalem
40 And the child grew and became
strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. 41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the
Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went
up according to custom.
d. Jesus in the temple
43 And when the feast was ended, as they were
returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know
it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a
day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and
acquaintances, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to
Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother
said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have
been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were
you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
Meaning:
The temple was highly significant
to the Jews; it was the place of their worship and encounter with God. Simeon
and Anna were privileged to see the Saviour of Israel during their lifetime;
note that Simeon prophesied also the child would be a light to the nations, not
just Israel. He also hinted at the kind of death the boy will die.
We learn also of Jesus’
understanding of his identity as a boy, calling the temple his Father’s house.
Note:
This window is a continuation
from Window 24.
Window 25, telling of the wise
men according to Matthew, had been inserted so that the three windows tell the
story of Jesus’ birth and boyhood chronologically.
b. Escape to Egypt “the
Flight into Egypt” (Matthew
2:13-15)
13 Now when they had departed,
behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
“Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain
there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy
him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by
night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This
was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called
my son.”
Meaning:
King Herod sought to kill this
new boy king. God protected his Son by sending an angel (messenger) to instruct
Joseph to flee.
Note:
This light is a continuation from
Matthew’s Gospel in window 25. It has been inserted at this point for
chronological reasons.
Endnotes
Editions:
The latest edition of this
document can be found at tiny.cc/SACwindows
A single-page map of the
windows can be found at tiny.cc/SACwindowsmini
Credits:
Thanks to Adrian Leung and
Marcus Lim for photography.
Historical Notes:
St Andrew’s Cathedral was
consecrated on Monday 30 November, 1868.
On that day, the Sydney
Morning Herald published, on page 2, a description of the Cathedral.
On the following day (Tuesday 1 December),
it published, on page 5, a report of the consecration ceremony.
A contemporary academic
wrote:
“From 1861 to 1868 Hardman of
Birmingham made windows for St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney, built in 1837-68,
mainly to Edmund Blacket’s design. The windows form a rich narrative scheme
which covers the major events of Christ’s life. Harman’s strength in handling
large compositions is evident particularly in the twenty-one-light window which
features the life of St Andrew.”
Vision:
I was privileged to be a
Student Minister at St Andrew’s Cathedral in 2013-14. In that capacity I spoke
with many visitors to the Cathedral who expressed admiration at the building. I
quickly taught myself some of its history, with the goal of using it as a segue
to sharing the gospel. I suggested that members of the congregations do the
same, but I soon realised their knowledge of the building was almost non-existent.
In one sense we can be thankful that the beautiful building is not a
distraction to the priority of the gospel, but then I noticed the windows…
What I admire about the
windows is that they tell the gospel, unlike many other church building windows
in the world. We have an opportunity not to be missed. Whilst studying
Australian church history at Moore College I acquired some historical research
skills, and decided to apply them to researching the Cathedral windows. This
has taken me to archives in the State Library, the SMH archives, long-term tour
guides of the Cathedral, and to some academics. My goal in all this research,
however, has been to produce an accurate guide to a biblical
understanding of the window depictions. To that end you will notice that the
photographs have been cropped to remove the peripheral, leaving only the
content.
This project was undertaken
in spare time over approximately eight months. I won’t have time to do more
beyond this document. However, I have a vision that I would like someone to
take up. I would like the material in this document be converted into a smartphone
‘app’. I envisage a QR code be prominently displayed at the Cathedral entrances
during visiting hours, enabling visitors to freely download their own self-guided
tour of the windows, and to hear/read the gospel.
May God use this resource to
bring people to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
