Journey to Resurrection - Lucy Janjigian

The 33 paintings in this series are the evolution of many years of Bible study and Lucy’s personal experiences growing up in Jerusalem.

They depict Jesus’ final week on earth; Holy Week, starting with Washing of the Feet on Maunday Thursday, through Crucifixion, and Resurrection.

This series is in the collection of Dar al-Kalima University for Arts and Culture, Bethlehem, Palestine.

Now, you can stream Journey to Resurrection on YouTube.

Comparative Washings—36 x 48 in.
The first painting in this series “Journey to Resurrection” is comparing two washings.   In the lower part of the canvas, it is depicting what happened on Maunday Thursday after the last Passover supper.  Jesus is shown washing the feet of his disciple with love and humility.  The upper part of the canvas takes place on the morning of Good Friday in the governor’s official residence. Pilate wants to dismiss the case and is washing his hands in fear, pride and apathy.

Sleeping Disciples—48 x 40 in.
A depiction of when Jesus and His disciples got to the Garden of Gethsemane.  He took with him Peter, John and James and asked them to pray. ”My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”  Going a little further, He knelt down and prayed: “Father if you are willing, take this cup from me: yet not my will but yours.”  Three times He went back to the three disciples and found them asleep. “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”, He said.  I used artistic license to place the serpent behind the disciples, bringing the tempter from the Garden of Eden to the Garden of Gethsemane.

Agony in Gethsemane—48 x 72 in.
As Jesus knelt down to pray, He was in such agony of spirit that His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.   The branches of the olive tree seem to be pleading to God with Him.   Across the Kidron Valley Judas is leading a Roman battalion, a multitude of chief priests and Pharisees carrying lanterns and armed with swords and clubs marching towards Jesus.

Judas Questioning Viewer—40 x 48 in.
Judas is looking at each one of us, the viewers, and asking: “Are you too going to betray Him?” Judas the betrayer is carrying the light while Jesus the Light of the World is in prayer, in the dark shadows of the night.

Judas – The Identification—48 x 40 in.
Judas had arranged a signal with his followers,”The one I kiss is the man— arrest Him.” I preferred having Judas initially identify Jesus by pointing his finger at Him.

Judas – Moment of Betrayal—30 x 36 in.
In this painting, I have tried to capture the facial expressions of Jesus and Judas at the actual moment of betrayal. Judas may have realized the deplorable enormity of his deed, yet he was bound and bought by 30 pieces of silver. Jesus knew that Judas was the betrayer, yet when it actually happened, He must have been deeply hurt that it was one of His chosen disciples that betrayed Him. In the Gospel of Luke when Judas approached to kiss Jesus, Jesus asked, “Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Two Faces of Judas—30 x 30 in.
Judas must have had a good side to him. He was one of Jesus’ chosen twelve disciples for the past three years. Judas’ greed and love of money flowed over and over powered his good side.

Peter – The Denial—36 x 48 in.
Maundy Thursday is when Jesus was arrested and taken to the High priest’s house for questioning. Peter followed at a distance. That dark night, in the High priest’s garden, he denied knowing Jesus three times.  Jesus’ look is penetrating as another of His closest disciples has disowned Him in His hour of humiliation, pain and loneliness.

Peter in Agony—30 x 30 in.
As the rooster crows, Peter remembers Jesus’ prophetic words. They haunt him and he is in absolute agony.  He too has betrayed His Master—The Messiah.

The Rooster—20 x 32 in.
As the rooster crows, Peter remembers Jesus’ prophetic words. They haunt him and he is in absolute agony.  He too has betrayed His Master—The Messiah.

Arches Reverberating—52 x 36 in.
I also remember that every Friday through out the year, the Franciscan priests and brothers in Jerusalem, retrace the route Jesus carried His cross along the Via de la Rosa-–The Route of Suffering. At each of the 14 Stations of the Cross they kneel in prayer and read the scriptures. It is a moving sight, as this takes place in the middle of the Old City while pedestrian traffic and business as usual are going on. Any person may join in this solemn procession. The service ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where Jesus is believed to be buried. Other Christian denominations commemorate this procession only on Good Friday of Holy week.”  ”Using my imagination I tried to capture the aggressive emotions of that Friday in an expressionistic mode. The painting is called “Arches Reverberating.”  With the loud shouts of chief priests, Pharisees and the crowd insistently demanded that Jesus be crucified. Their shouts prevailed.   I imagine how the core of arches in the city of Jerusalem vibrated.

Mythical Tree—48 x 24 in.
Legend believes that the wood for the cross on which Jesus was crucified came from a tree-–symbolizing life–from the Garden of Eden, where life began.

Crosses in Abstraction I—40 x 30 in.
Phil. 2:8 “He was humble and walked the path of obedience to death–His death on the cross.” 1 Cor. 15:3b “–that Christ died for our sins–.” By the 2nd century the cross was the symbol for Christianity.

Crosses in Abstraction II—40 x 30 in.
Stretching–encompassing God’s love for the entire earth in all directions–to all humanity.

The Old Rugged Cross—48 x 24 in.
From the hymn with the same title, The “Old Rugged Cross” shows crosses juxtaposed against the red ominous sky-–depicting pain and suffering. Yet the white sails of hope propel us upwards.

Crown of Thorns—24 x 18 in.
Pain and suffering are on Jesus’ face as he is hanging on the cross, crowned by deadly thorns. The whole earth is darkened, the sun has stopped shining—-The source of life and light is black in mourning.

Shadow and the Substance—48 x 38 in.
Isaac is carrying the wood on his back obediently and unknowingly, for his sacrifice. Foreshadowing Jesus’ carrying His wooden cross in obedience, willingly and knowingly for His sacrifice. God substituted the ram for saving Isaac. Jesus is our sacrificial lamb.

Light in the Mourning—60 x 28 in.
At the foot of the cross–The beloved disciple is comforting Jesus’ mother Mary. Counteracting Mary Magdalene’s and Salome’s sorrow in darkness, shines the golden light of Hope.

Perplexed—52 x 36 in.
Witnesses bewildered and puzzled as they experience the natural catastrophies accompanying Christ’s crucifixion.

Agonizing for Humanity—48 x 28 in.
At the foot of the cross–One person representing Humanity is agonizing in sorrow and perplexity.

Tearing of the Veil I—48 x 36 in.

Tearing of the Veil II—48 x 36 in.

Tearing of the Veil III—24 x 18 in.

Tearing of the Veil IV—40 x 30 in.

Women to the Tomb—48 x 40 in.
This painting is the first of the diptychs. It shows the women’s expressions that early Sunday morning when they came to the tomb. Puzzlement, disbelief and fear is evident in their facial expressions.

The Empty Tomb—36 x 48 in.
The second diptych shows that the stone was rolled away, the tomb was empty. Christ had Risen.

Mary in the Garden—24 x 30 in.
For Easter sunrise service I used to go to The Garden Tomb which was walking distance from our home. My girlfriend’s father was curator there. Some believe this is the site where Jesus was buried. It is out side of the Old City. There is no church–in its natural setting, it is an ancient tomb carved out of a rock with a large round stone to the side of the entrance. In the Garden Tomb Mary stood outside the empty tomb crying. “Why are you crying? Whom are you looking for?”Thinking He was the gardener she asked if He knew where Jesus’body was, so she would go and get it. When He called her name “Mary” she recognized Him. She was the first person to see the risen Christ.

Glory of Crucifixion—24 x 18 in.
Mary engulfed in sorrow. Jesus glorified in His crucifixion.

Beyond the Empty Tomb—32 x 25 in.
As viewers, we are in the empty tomb looking out to the promised New Life. According to legend the peacock’s flesh does not rot after death–neither did Jesus’ body disintegrate. When the gorgeous tail of the peacock is fully opened it symbolizes a new day dawning.

Serpents in the Wilderness—36 x 60 in.
In Numbers 21:8 We are told of Moses obeying God by putting a bronze serpent on a pole. Anyone who looked at it when they were bitten by the fiery serpents in the wilderness would not die. In John 3:14 Jesus referred to that incident and said: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up–that each one who believes in Him may have eternal Life.”

Salvation Through the Ark—54 x 32 in.
Noah and all who were with him were saved in the ark through the waters of the flood. We, too, are saved through our ark, Christ, by the waters of baptism. The dove appears in both instances. It brings the olive leaf to Noah–symbolizing new life has begun. As Jesus was coming out of the waters of the River Jordan the Spirit descended on Him like a dove. In Him we have New life. In these 3 paintings–“Shadow and the Substance”, “Serpents in the Wilderness” and “Salvation through the Ark”, I have incorporated the Shadow from the Hebrew Testament and the fulfillment in the Greek Testament.

Resurrection—42 x 36 in.
On the third day Jesus was resurrected. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:10 “Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.”

Passages—36 x 48 in.
The passage to glorious Resurrection is through crucifixion. To God be the Glory.