Calvary Love

I was commissioned by Desiring God, a Christian ministry, to create an illustration for founder John Piper’s poem “Calvary Love.” The illustration appeared on their website and social media. Its style was inspired by the delicate and laborious art of paper cutting.

In the Bible, grapes (and their vines) are a familiar symbol of growth and spiritual maturity. Thorns often represent fruitlessness and suffering. When Jesus was interrogated before he was crucified, soldiers placed a woven crown of thorns on his head to mock him. Together, grapes and thorns offer a rich portrait of the contrast of Jesus’ godly power and human vulnerability, and how life conquered death through his resurrection and love.