The gift of light

https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57147

The LORD is God and he has given us light.

Jesus approaches Jerusalem, the light of the world sets his feet on the Mount of Olives.

He had come to Jerusalem before, but now he approaches , a prophet from Galilee. He had fed multitudes, healed, delivered the oppressed; opened the eyes of the blind, cleansed leapers, straightened the enfeebled and raised the dead to life.

The stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

And the people recognise this and lay their cloaks in reverence before Jesus riding on a donkey and lay with Joy branches before him.

The LORD is good and gives light.

He comes on a donkey, humble. In humility we cry for mercy, Hosanna- save us!

The psalm proclaims; I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.

The human heart seeks mercy in the way of righteousness. The LORD is good; he is steadfast in love. This is the gate of the LORD.

Save us, we beseech you, O LORD! O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!

We enter the gates with thanks giving!

The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.

Praise the name of Jesus, our bread, our wine,; the water of life and the light.

Praise the name of Jesus; our daily bread, the water given so that we will never thirst.

Praise the name of Jesus, who is our forgiveness. Have mercy on us Lord, deliver us from the evil one. Forgive us our trespasses. We lay our cloaks before you and cut branches, proclaiming your saving power and rejoicing in the salvation we have received.

The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

The whole city was in turmoil.

This is the Lord who comes to us wild like the wind, in bread and wine, through water and the spirit.

The LORD is God and gives each of us light.

He is the light in everyone. The donkey and her colt are untied, freed and brought to the saviour of the world, their saviour, to carry him up to the horns of the alter, the cross, the throne of grace; the revelation of God; to die and to rise again to new life; the divine made present in us.

We may step into this new life and may often fall back, but God has mercy on us as we grow into his nature. We ask for mercy and forgiveness; be with us in the time of our trial and as we grow in grace God is glorified in us.

When we walk back into the old country, he leads us by his light back as we are no longer at ease in our old ways, drawn by the abundance of new life.

Lord have mercy- you are our salvation;

Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!

Grace and peace be with us, children of God, bearers of his image.

Image attribution: Moyers, Mike. Hallelujah, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57147 [retrieved March 29, 2026]. Original source: Mike Moyers, https://www.mikemoyersfineart.com/.

“An impression of The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. This painting depicts the scene from the book of Revelation referenced in Handel’s masterpiece.”

“It is an honor and a joy to share my work with you. For years, I have illustrated, designed and directed many book covers, ads, logos, commercials and campaigns. However, my deeper side is the life of a fine artist. I love to paint with the palette knife to keep my work loose, textured and bold. You will see that I paint all kinds of subjects. My deepest passion, however, is to use fine art to communicate matters of faith.

I firmly believe that art is a communion with the soul. Through my art, I strive to make known the beauty and wonder of life and faith. The pieces in this exhibit are inspired by things that have touched my life in a meaningful way. They range from plein air and impressionism to abstract and conceptual. My hope is to successfully communicate those inspirations so that you might be touched as well.”