Meaning

In Luke 22:20, Jesus and His disciples are having the Last Supper when He takes a cup of wine and says to them, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." A covenant is an agreement between two parties where both parties have certain commitments to fulfill the desired outcome. Under the Old Covenant, man's side was to keep the Law and the Sabbath, God's side was to give them prosperity and protection for they would be His treasured nation. In the New Covenant, Jesus' side was fulfilled in a His death and resurrection. Our side is fulfilled when we choose to live for Him. The desired outcome is becoming part of God's family. 

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For the Israelites, Lion of the tribe of Judah was a symbol of power, it was a symbol of victory and conquest. When Jesus is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah in Revelation 5:5 He received the name because of the victory at the cross. Jesus overpowered the enemy and redeemed us through His blood so that we could be one with Him. 

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This painting is about victory, it is about the victory of the cross and the New Covenant in which we live. The New Covenant is a part of Him. This is why the Lion's mane is rainbowed. He calls it His Everlasting Covenant, one that He will never break or take back. When He said, "It is finished," He meant it. There is nothing we could do to make Him change His mind nor is there anything we could do to enhance what He did. It is on His blood that the Covenant is founded, it's part of who He is.

Story

I had the inspiration for this piece early one morning as a teenager. I could see a galaxy in the shape of a lion and thought, "I want to paint that." However, I was certainly not prepared for the challenge before me. It took me a couple of years to complete because I kept repainting it.

This painting is the fifth in my journey as a prophetic artist. Having four paintings under my belt, I felt pretty confident in what I was doing. Looking back on it now, I was naively optimistic! There was so much I had yet to learn -- design and technique were things I was only fresh to. I hadn't even developed my own style yet. Much of what I was creating at the time was very similar to my aunt's work. Although, that's not much of a surprise as she was the one who mentored, trained, and took me under her wing. But design and technique weren't what God had for me to learn through this piece.

I struggled through a lot of trial and error, frustration, and thoughts of giving up while attempting to create this piece. In fact, I did give up at one point. In each attempt, what I had in mind and what I ended up with were not matching at all. Even the final image isn't what I envisioned as a teen. God had given me an idea, but the problem was I was trying to make God fit into my version of His idea. He woke me up one morning with the vision of a lion as a galaxy, and I ran with it ...without Him. 

There's a difference between creating a prophetic, God-inspired art piece and a Christian-themed art piece. A Christian-themed art piece is simply that -- a cross thrown here or maybe paint a biblical scene and it's called Christian art. Often it has no depth or meaning. But a prophetic, God-inspired piece is one where God is part of every step. Each brushstroke and choice of colour are His, and the painting is His voice. It speaks; it has meaning. God gave me an idea, but I unwittingly, left Him out of it. I didn't ask Him what or how He wanted it done. It wasn't until I turned my attention to what He was saying that this painting came together. It wasn't until I submitted to Him that He taught me the delight of partnering with Him.