View From the Cross: Perspective on the Crucifixion

Looking upon the crucifix where Jesus hangs, we have much to consider both historically and theologically. However, when this perspective is reversed and we look out from Jesus’ point of view, we see another side to the story. French painter, James Tissot, takes on this challenge of flipped perspective in his depiction of Mount Calvary from the vantage point of crucified Christ. In his painting we see all those gathered at the foot of the cross and those looking from a distance. At the sight of Jesus, who claimed to be the Messiah and the Son of Man, a man who was now hanging dead in front of them in the middle of two criminals, the onlookers are perplexed. Some have their heads tilted, others have their jaws dropped, and one soldier is simply sitting there. Tissot also includes the scribes and priests, who, too, seem not to grasp the theological significance of the event. In general, most of those depicted fail to understand and accept the identity of the man before them. Only one, the centurion, stands at full attention. Mark, in his Gospel, writes, “When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his

This rejection is much akin to what Jesus experiences before being crucified and after, looking out from the cross. Joseph is a key example. Though he was favored by God as evidenced by his ability to interpret dreams and the kindness he experienced in Egypt from Pharaoh and the jailer, Joseph’s election came at a great cost. Spurned by his brothers, he was “dropped into a pit, taken down into Egypt, and sold into slavery”, a kind of metaphorical death (Anderson 207). As soon as Joseph found favor with someone in Egypt, he seemed to fall again. In the end, however, Joseph rose to power and was able to provide for his brothers, the brothers who initially rejected him and sold him away. Ultimately, Joseph’s forgiveness of them shows how broken relationships can be