Trinity Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Epiphany Window

Epiphany is the season that remembers the manifestations or theophanies of God -- when the Lord's purposes were demonstrated with clarity.  The Epiphany season includes the visitation of the magi, the miracle of the wedding at Cana, and the transfiguration.  The epiphany in this scene is the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.  God's intentions for Christ were never more apparent than at this turning point in his life.  The Jordan River where the baptism occurred transects the window.  The shell from ancient times has been associated with the baptism of Christ, often times with it held in the hand of John as he pours water over the head of Jesus while he stands in the river.  After the cleansing, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove.  Around the head of the dove is a nimbus -- which comes from the Latin word for cloud.  In Christian art it surrounds the head of a holy person and represents divine glory.  It always has three stripes for the three persons of the Trinity.  The shaft of light from above recalls the Christmas imagery for Christ who is now a man about to enter his life's work.

The minor theme is "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11).  The baptism began the public ministry of Jesus. Probably no other image has been used more in Christian art to embody the actions and teachings of Jesus than that of a compassionate herdsman who carefully watches over those in his care.  Christ in this scene holds a small lamb and one is reminded of the stories of the shepherd who seeks out the lost little ones gone astray.