A Painted Advent | With Smithsonian & Olympic Artist Ron DicianniSample

Heaven’s Loss

Countless artists through the ages have painted the Nativity. The majority of the renditions portray a “romantic” version of what we believe to have happened, rather than what might have actually occurred. No matter what the outward circumstances were, no one who was there could have been aware of the profound meaning of that night, or of that Baby. 

The artist, Ron Dicianni, in Heaven’s Loss, portrays an angel’s realization of what it meant for heaven to give up Jesus to the world. Surely this night represented the highest joy possible, but for whom? Isaiah prophesied hundreds of years earlier that Christ would be “disfigured beyond that of any man and His form marred beyond human likeness.” (Isaiah 52:14). The night of Jesus’ incarnation meant great hope for the world, but must have resulted in some tearful prayers from the servants in heaven.

Christ was not born for Christmas he was born for Easter! That’s why the artist places a lamb at the foot of the trough and etches a map of the world into the wood. John the Baptist would someday exclaim, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

If we could get a true glimpse of Christmas, we would probably have to swallow hard and take a deep breath at the reality of what Christ started on that starry night. It is summed up in Hebrews 12:2; ”Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning it’s shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Something to remember the next time we sing “Silent Night.”