St John’s Gospel tells us that the Roman soldiers who crucified Christ removed his clothes and shared them out among themselves. This was in fulfilment of Psalm 22:18, which was understood to refer to the coming Messiah. Contrary to most representations, Christ was probably crucified naked. This would shed light on why Hebrews 12:2 says that he “endured the cross, disregarding its shame”.
This richly coloured mosaic was created by the Ludwig Oppenheimer firm in 1930. It’s but one of the fourteen mosaic Stations of the Cross that cover the walls of St Boniface’s church in Tooting, London. Christ’s passive approach to the removal of his clothes is underlined by the act of holding his arms high in surrender.
See the full image:
Where to find this work of art
St Boniface’s, Tooting
Read the relevant passage
John 19:23-24
