March 2008 - Vol. 17


Plague of the Firstborn and Christ’s Death on the Cross
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by Yvette Rock
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The Plague of Firstborn symbolizes the intersection of the Passover and the Crucifixion of Christ. In speaking about the Messiah, Isaiah the prophet says, 
For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground….Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.(Isaiah 53:2,4-5). 
The plagues find themselves on the cross; they too are crucified with Christ. Though from the hand of God, the plagues are a result of man’s hard-heartedness and rebellion; indeed the Christ was stricken for us. The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians: 
He [referring to Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation…He is before all things, and in him all things hold together…he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead…For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross (Colossians 1:15-20). 
Consider the blood that was put on the tops and sides of the doorframes during the Passover. Referring to Christ’s death on the cross, Luke writes, “It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last.” The plague of darkness came before the plague of firstborn, and it returns as Christ is crucified. This painting has all ten plagues represented, either on the cross or around it. Jesus took the sins of the world, and the wrath of God upon himself. This painting represents Christ as the firstborn – as that tender shoot who came out of dry ground to give life and redemption.
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The 10 Plagues Series
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plague of blood

plague of frogs

plague of gnats

plague of flies

plague of livestock

plague of boils

plague of hail

plague of locusts

plague of darkness

plague of the firstborn
click on each box to view large illustration


Artist Statement

My work revolves around biblical themes, imagery and language.  I am drawn to the truth and beauty found in the Old and New Testaments – from the harshness and awesomeness of the ten plagues, to the glory and compassion of the crucifixion. 

I connect scripture to everyday life – using painting, drawing, collage and mixed media to reflect universal experiences such as love, anger, violence, hope, disparity, poverty, sickness and redemption. 
 

Yvette lives in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She and her husband, Joshua, now have three children. They are leaders for Youth-Works Detroit, an inner city youth outreach of the Sword of the Spirit. To see more of Yvette's art work, vist her website: http://www.yvetterock.com/
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(c) copyright 2008  The Sword of the Spirit
publishing address: Park Royal Business Centre, 9-17 Park Royal Road, Suite 108, London NW10 7LQ, United Kingdom
email: living.bulwark@yahoo.com
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