Peter Davies' Sermon Description of the Prestigious Stained Glass Window

Historical Description of the Window
a sermon by Peter Davies, Vicar of Audley, the 14^th July 2002

It has been said that part of the reasons for medieval stained glass is that the windows themselves could be made to tell a story. At a time when literacy was the realm of the elite and some, possibly most, but by no means all clergy, pictures could be used as reminders of the stories that particularly focused on biblical themes, on the life of Jesus and the saints.

While this tradition has not been lost altogether many windows made in this generation are regarded often as just works of art and, it is supposed, the art itself is sufficient to inspire through emotion the heart to worship. I believe that this window so recently restored is certainly a work of art and that the process of restoration has reminded us again of the vividness of colour and the craftsman's art. These can indeed cause us to appreciate the beauty and wonder of creation and God's artistry in making humankind not only able to reflect his creativity but to appreciate it.

Yet this window follows in the older tradition too. It tells a story and it's that story that we are going to focus on for a time together now.

Right at the centre and right at the top of the window we can see the ascended Christ in his glory. In his left hand is the orb, the reminder of his sovereignty over the world. A contemporary song today reminds us simply, "He's got the whole world in his hand," and goes on to affirm the consequence, he's got everyone here in his hand.

That may or may not provide you with comfort. What it really declares is the fact that He is Lord. And as Lord He has the divine right to order our lives, and it is in His ordering of our lives that we receive the blessing that His right hand is lifted up to bestow. I guess for most people in our secular society today, the idea of Jesus Christ ruling in heaven is about as far away from their reality as you can get. But simply because Australia happens to be out of sight and out of mind, and I've never been there, my only reason for believing that Australia exists is that others have told me. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist and it doesn't mean that the news reports are fabrications.

This window testifies to the same reality. Not everyone may acknowledge the ascended Christ as Lord but there are witnesses who testify to the truth of the matter. And they call us to live with the knowledge that Christ is Lord.

Either side then of the central figure of Jesus we have representations of the evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, - the four gospel writers. Each hold a quill and a book. They are recorders of some of the events that occurred about 2000 years ago, in those same lands lived in by Israeli and Palestinian, so much in the news today. They wrote about a period covering some 30 years or so and yet the bulk of their writing concerned first, the 3 years of Jesus ministry, and second, just 1 week in Jesus life, Mark significantly devotes nearly one half of his gospel to Jesus' last week. The week of his death and resurrection. In the upper windows in the tracery we see there recorded these two events. On the left hand side the burial of Jesus and on the right hand side the resurrection of Jesus, and at the foot of the central lancet almost as the foundation of the window as a whole - the Crucifixion.

There are many ways in which we might understand these events but the gospel writers themselves explain it. Mark, using Jesus title of Son of Man, records, "The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many", Mark 10:45. and John wrote, "these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31

Just after the resurrection of Jesus he was walking with two of his disciples unrecognised by them down the road to Emmaus. I have always counted it a privilege to be able to meet people in their homes through the course of some of life's events. In Baptism visits today I increasingly meet people who are very uncertain about their own knowledge of God. They would, in common with many, share confusion about the events surrounding Jesus' life. These two disciples had their confusions too. Their hopes were dashed. The crucifixion had seemingly brought an end to Jesus' life, it was over, finished, he was buried in the tomb, the matter was done and dusted, - along with their hopes. The Christ of the resurrection is the bringer of new hope, he says, "the problem is that you are ignorant of your own faith. And beginning with the law and the prophets and the writings in the scriptures he showed them how they could look even to the Old Testament to see that God's plan for his Messiah, the Christ, was anticipated and pointed to and that it included the whole issue of a suffering and sacrificial servant.

To the outside of the window then we see represented this element of the bible story, on the left Moses with the Law, and on the right Elijah one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament. Two incidents from the lives of Moses and Elijah are recorded. I think the selection of these incidents is significant. Beneath Moses, we see him holding up a staff with a bronze snake on it. This records a moment of fatal significance. By rejecting the plan of God the people had been afflicted with a plague of snakes. Moses is instructed to make this bronze effigy of a snake and as he lifted it up and people looked at it, so they were healed from the snake bites. This allusion is related, I think, to the death of Jesus, for Jesus spoke of his being lifted up referring to his coming death on the cross. John the gospel writer further records Jesus words, "As Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
Underneath Elijah we find an allusion to the ascension as we see Elisha witnessing Elijah being taken up into heaven. Through these pictures we see that the whole bible both Old and New Testaments were pointing to the person of Jesus and his significance for us. To believe in him is to find the one who has conquered death and raises us to new life.

Perhaps underplayed yet still very much a part of the window we discover another biblical allusion. In the Four lower sections beneath the evangelists we see four beasts. One is like a man, one like a bull, one like a lion and one like an eagle. These four characters are found in the book of revelation as the four living creatures who give glory to God before the throne. Their song is "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty who was and is and is to come". Set in the context of heaven in the end times they speak of the glory of the eternal and ever living God.

The whole window then picks up of the biblical themes of who Jesus Christ is and how we can discover more of him through the scriptures. These same scriptures that include our bible reading from Philippians that I am now going to reread and as I do so I'd like us all to see how this window records for us the events that point forward to Christ, lead us through life to death through death to resurrection and on to ascension and Christ in glory. Why is Christ ascended in glory and seated in majesty now - because he died, was buried, rose again, and in doing so opened the way for all men to come into the presence of the living God; if only we choose to. So where do you and I stand in relation to this Christ. Is he just a figure in this beautiful window or is he indeed the Lord attested to by evangelist, law and prophet to whom one day all men will bow down.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

That's the story this window tells.