This Lent, you may wish to consider a new resource to use with your adult or high school classes. With the beauty and power of art by John August Swanson and the insight from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology about the sacred text for the gospels, you can journey alongside Jesus as he journeys to the cross.
What Wondrous Love is a 41-minute DVD that presents key scripture passages and events in the biblical story of Holy Week – the last days of Jesus’ ministry, his death, and his resurrection. Each biblical text is illustrated and interpreted by the beautiful artwork of John August Swanson with scholarly commentary from Dr. Carl R. Holladay, Dr. Steven J. Kraftchick, Dr. Thomas G. Long, Dr. Andrea C. White, Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson, Dr. Joel M. Lemon, Dr. Carol A. Newsom, and Dr. Walter T. Wilson. It can be viewed in its entirety or chapter-by-chapter. A participant’s booklet is also available, featuring all of the artwork along with discussion questions.
Divided into six sections, each video is approximately seven minutes long. The “Coda” concludes the story of Jesus’ passion by portraying the burial of Jesus and opens the story to what follows by pointing to the hope of Easter.
- John 11:38-44 The Raising of Lazarus (Take Away the Stone)
- Mark 11:1-11 The Entry into Jerusalem (Entry into the City)
- John 13:1-20 Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet (Washing of the Feet)
- Matthew 26:17-30 The Last Supper (Last Supper)
- Luke 22:47-53 The Betrayal and Arrest (Kiss of Judas)
- Mark 15:21-39 The Crucifixion (The Crucifixion)
- Coda Luke 23:53-56 The Burial of Jesus (Entombment of Christ and Festival of Lights)
We are using this resource during Lent at our church, Gary United Methodist Church in Wheaton, IL… it’s a wonderful way to view the events of Holy Week through art. My husband Bill Austin, who is an artist, and I are leading this all-church study, held between our 9:00 and 11:00 worship services. Each week we’ve invited one of our own congregation’s artists to present his or her own artwork to complement the series. John August Swanson’s artwork is compelling and our featured artists then present another view of the week’s theme through their interpretations. Along with the wisdom of the theologians featured in the DVD and the questions we are then posing to our group, it’s a rich and provocative way to see the events of Holy Week with new eyes.