Palm Sunday - Live Painting

Artist Statement

Title: “Jesus Triumphant Entry Into Jerusalem.” Acrylic Painting on Canvas, 30 x 40

In March 2021, The Greenroom Church in Ann Arbor, MI, commissioned Natalie K Ziemba to create a video of herself Live Painting an Art piece for their Online Palm Sunday Service.

Painting for Sale: $250 + shipping

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the most important city in the Jewish world, he arrived riding on the most humble animal, a donkey. Crowds formed around him as he rode, and since they were in Jesus’s presence, the people began shouting in exuberance & delight. The people began waving large palm branches in celebration, shouting, “Highest blessings to the one who comes in the name of the Lord!“
 
Yet, right before the crowd had formed, Jesus wept for the city. In the midst of this celebration, Jesus knew that in a matter of days, this city would become the burial ground for his death. Less than a week after he entered the city with a triumphant celebration, Jesus would walk out of the city surrounded by these crowds, stained in his own blood from governmental abuse. He would stumble, carrying the cross he would die upon.
 
Even though Jesus knew this would happen, I believe in a Jesus who, as he entered the city surrounded by a celebrating crowd, he smiled at them. I believe in a Jesus who, on his donkey, would reach out to touch and greet the widows, the crippled, the poor. I believe that as the children danced in joy around him, Jesus laughed. I believe that as the people threw their garments on the ground to carpet where his donkey walked, Jesus told them “thank you.” I believe in a Jesus who, even in the midst of the commotion, peacefully locked eyes with men, women & children, and gazed into their faces with love. I believe that as the people celebrated, Jesus was engaged with them, full of gratitude for their expression of love towards him.
 
I would like to believe that Jesus soaked in this moment, despite the impending evil that would happen to him, because the reason that Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem at all, the reason he entered a city that would cause his death, was for the sake of giving himself in love to all of the people. They were the reason he walked toward his death. We are the people that he gave all of himself for, so that we could experience life abundantly alongside him.