The True Cross Caroline Farey on Biblical typology for children

Children deserve, and have sufficient curiosity, to enjoy the richness of Biblical typology at a young age. Like the medieval illuminists of historiated capitals, Roseanne Sharpe, the young contemporary artist who created the artwork reproduced in this article, keeps her figures simple and clear for the children, but packs her imagery with meaning.

The purpose of historiated capitals (capital letters with a picture painted within them) was to provide an image that mirrored the text on the page. The painting here is a single page from an entire illustrated creed published for children ages nine and upwards. Again, like illuminated manuscripts, which have been extensively researched by Roseanne Sharpe, the painting follows the text closely and always in accord with the Scriptures both literally and typologically.

The first striking element here is that the crucifixion is shown taking place both on the hill at Calvary and also in the temple, depicted by the tall columns and the great red curtain of the Holy of Holies. The sky behind is black because, as we know, ‘from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour’ (Mt 27:45) and then, ‘the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom’ (Mt 27:51). The author of the letter to the Hebrews tells us that this curtain is Jesus’ own flesh (Heb 10:20) which was also torn, from his head by the crown of thorns, to his feet by the nails that pierced them.

St Longinus, the Roman soldier and spear bearer, is the first gentile to be converted by Christ on the cross. You can see his open hand depicting his words, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God’ (Mk 15:39).

Jesus Christ gives up his Spirit (Lk 23:46) and the Father’s hand is there to receive it. In a stylised form commonly found in 5th century mosaics, the hand of God comes down from a cloud with a fan of gold rays.

Together these symbolise the cloud and fire of the guiding and protecting presence of God when the Israelites traversed the desert on their way to the promised land.

It was also while the Israelites were in the desert that God gave Moses ‘the pattern of the sanctuary’ (Ex 25:9). This was, firstly, the ‘tent of meeting’, followed by the temple of King Solomon. The tent and the temple were to house the Ark of the Covenant. This was made of acacia wood covered with gold, with two angels sitting on either side of the lid, which was called the mercy seat. ‘The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another, (Ex 25:20).

To plea for God’s mercy, the Israelites were to sprinkle the blood from sacrificed animals onto the mercy seat (Lev 16:14-16). The cross is the new mercy seat onto which the blood of Christ was sprinkled. Our altars represent the mercy seat (hence the two angels) of the cross which is also the place of Christ’s sacrifice, hence the altar in the picture has a chalice waiting there for the sacrificial offering of the blood which flows directly from the wounds of Christ.

You can see that the altar has its white altar cloth, symbolising the swaddling bands when the, ‘Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us’ (Jn 1:9), but also the swaddling bands or shroud in which Christ was wrapped for burial.

Jesus ‘was buried’ and here he lies in the cave belonging to Joseph of Arimathea covered in the shroud. It is surprising how often in medieval times, Christ’s tomb was not painted as a cave but as a carved stone tomb, partly because pilgrims to the Holy Land would visit the Holy Sepulchre and see the great stone on which Jesus is said to have been laid. At one point a marble covering was placed over the original stone to protect it. This had three holes in it (oculi) through which people could look to see the original inside. These three portholes then became a feature of the medieval iconography of the scene.

Throughout this illustrated creed, the artist has chosen trees mentioned in the Bible, all typologically linked to the cross. In this picture, the kneeling child is by a hyssop bush. The soldiers, ‘put a sponge full of vinegar on hyssop and held it to [Christ’s] mouth” (John 19:29)’. In the explanatory text for the readers, the book explains more widely the significance of Hyssop, that a ‘branch of hyssop was used, on the night of the Passover in Egypt, for brushing the blood of the lamb on the doorposts to save the Hebrew people from death.’

A cypress tree has been painted beside St Longinus. The cypress is mentioned many times in the Bible but perhaps the most significant is in Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the word that goes forth from the mouth of God which ‘shall not return to me empty but it shall accomplish that which I purpose … and the trees of the field shall clap their hands, instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress... and it shall be… an everlasting sign’ (Is 55:11-13).

The thorns which the cursed ground produced for Adam after the fall, are replaced now by the cypress because the word made flesh has accomplished God’s salvific purpose on the cross.

For the children to emulate, the baptised child, or Christian soul, with his light of faith lit, kneels at the tomb and the altar and the cross of Christ, following the guidance of the acolyte angel present there.

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Image taken, with permission, from I Believe, We Believe: An Illustrated Journey through the Apostles’ Creed, written by Caroline Farey and illustrated by Roseanne Sharpe, published by Bethlehem Books. Available from CTS Books 020 7640 0042 ctsbooks.org