Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Halo

I am the light of the world (John 8:12).

When you look at paintings of Jesus, you often see a halo of light crowning His head. Some halos look like a soft glowing light; others are shown as a floating ring of gold. Of course, Jesus did not walk around with a glowing head. And the first artists to make paintings of Jesus did not include halos in their work. It wasn’t until the fourth century that halos became a feature of Christian art.

The church has always used art to reinforce Biblical teaching. So what does the halo tell us about Jesus? Some artists used the halo to show that Jesus is the source of light, referencing what the Lord said about Himself: I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness (John 12:46). Others have used the halo to suggest the golden light of heaven, which can only be seen through Jesus. Some painted Jesus with a halo to represent His dual nature—the human face shows that He is the Son of Man, while the glowing halo shows that He is also the Son of God.

Originally, halos were only found in pictures of Jesus. Later on, they became a popular way to picture anyone filled with the grace of God. Modern artists don’t use halos much anymore; their original meaning has been diluted from misuse, and they don’t represent Jesus as He looked to His disciples.

Of course, there is one time when Jesus did glow with heavenly light. It happened shortly before He went to the cross to die for our sins. He allowed Peter, James, and John to see the glory hidden within His mortal form, a glory that was dazzling in its brightness. Why did Jesus choose that particular day to reveal His glory? Because of the cross that cast a dark shadow across His future. It was almost time for one of the disciples to betray Jesus, leading to a false arrest. It was nearly time for Jesus to be humiliated, beaten, and found guilty of crimes He did not commit. The day was close when He would be nailed to a cross, rejected by man and God alike. In those dark hours, anyone who followed Jesus might easily give up hope. But Jesus is the Son of God; He had the power to use those tragic events and make them into a wonderful blessing, by which our sins are forgiven and the grave is stripped of its power. Jesus showed His best friends a glimpse of that power beforehand, so they would not lose hope during the terrible days ahead. The halo of Christ shows His power to triumph over any tragedy and make our futures bright.

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