Gospel in Art: God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son

Pietà with Saint Nicodemus and Mary Magdalene, Sculpture by Ippolito Scalza, 1579 © Christian Art

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 30 April 2025
John 3:16-21

At that time: Jesus said to Nicodemus, 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.'

Reflection on the Sculpture

Our sculpture is installed near the sanctuary inside the Duomo in Orvieto. Created in 1579 by local artist Ippolito Scalza, the group depicts Our Lady holding the lifeless body of her Son in her lap, with Saint Nicodemus standing to her right and Mary Magdalene mourning to her left. It is a work of extraordinary beauty. The veins visible on Christ's arms, the open wound from the soldier's lance, the gentle expression of the Virgin, and the sorrow etched into Mary Magdalene's face all contribute to a sculpture of profound emotional depth. Behind them, Nicodemus stands holding a ladder in his left hand, and in his right, the nails of the Crucifixion along with a pair of pliers. He has just helped Mary to take down the body of her Son from the cross.

Nicodemus appears only in the Gospel of John and is absent from the other three Gospels. He first visits Jesus by night, our reading today, seeking to understand his teachings. Later, Nicodemus defends Jesus' right to a fair hearing before the Pharisees (John 7:50-52), and finally, he appears after the Crucifixion, bringing an extraordinary amount of myrrh and aloes to anoint Jesus' body (John 19:39-40). These glimpses show a man who moves gradually from cautious curiosity to courageous discipleship.

Nicodemus was evidently a man of considerable means, as he brought with him a large quantity of myrrh and aloes to anoint Jesus' body. Pope Benedict XVI, in his book Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week, observes: "The quantity of the balm Nicodemus brought is extraordinary and exceeds all normal proportions. This is a royal burial." Nicodemus' actions quietly affirm his deep reverence and love for Christ.

In today's Gospel reading, we hear Jesus speak the most beautiful and tender words to Nicodemus. Jesus paints a picture of a God who is both lovingly generous and majestically paternal. He speaks of God's deep love for the world, a love so abundant that He gave His only Son, so that all who believe in Him might not perish but have eternal life. This passage reveals the very heart of the Gospel: a Father who longs for all people to receive the gift of life through faith in His Son.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-3-16-21-2025/ (with audio)