No Greater Love

No Greater Love - Christine Nichols, 2009

The best way I know how to explain this Christian abstract art is to simply quote the Scripture of John 15:13, for it is the very words that came to me, when I finished this painting. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." John 15:13 

Jesus loves you so much that He laid down His life for YOU. Let that thought sink in a bit. Realize the depth and width of His love poured out upon the cross for you...

I am a strong believer in reading Scripture in context, but with this particular passage and art, I'll go one better and cite the entire 15th chapter of the gospel of John because I believe you'll get so much more out of the verse and the abstract.

The True Vine

15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

⁵ “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

 

Love and Joy Perfected

⁹ “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
¹¹ “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. ¹² This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, that you love one another.

 

The World’s Hatred

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ He who hates Me hates My Father also. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. ²⁵ But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’^{[Psalm 69:4]}

 

The Coming Rejection

²⁶ “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. ²⁷ And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

No Greater Love - Christine Nichols, 2009

When I posted this art on Facebook, a friend of mine gave me some interesting insight to the painting. I had mentioned that my favorite part of the painting was the rich crimson in the upper right corner.  I envision the crimson red washing over the entire canvas to illustrate that we (Christians) are covered by the blood of the Lamb! My friend, Jean said, "I was thinking something similar, Chris. Funny how you see that - because I was thinking of how all the different colors blend together. Either, leading to the blood of Christ (knowing we all belong to Him) or looking at it differently, leading from the blood of Christ (knowing we all come from Him). The colors blending represent all different peoples, blending together. Doesn't matter. We all come from and will go home to - the blood of Christ. THAT is what I see. How nice they are the same."

Biblical Meanings of Colors:

RED: Sin, atonement

ORANGE: Spiritual warfare

GOLD: God's Glory, refinement

GREEN: Newness, new beginning, new growth

BLUE: Heaven, Holy Spirit

WHITE: Purity

All my paintings begin with prayer. I ask for the Holy Spirit's guidance from beginning to end - from choosing the canvas and paint colors to the last brush stroke. I pray that the Lord's message would go forth through the art and that Father God would be glorified. 

I believe all prophetic art has a message, but what the Holy Spirit speaks to me about a specific piece of art, may be different than what the Spirit says to you. Seek Him for a personal interpretation.

You can find more Christian Abstract paintings that the Lord has given me on my Facebook page, Christine Nichols-Art, in a Photo Album called FOR HIS GLORY. If you've enjoyed the art, you're invited to LIKE and SHARE my art Facebook page: STEEN ART.