Parting the Red Sea and Baptism
Starting at the top left, Panels 1 and 2, respectively, show Moses leading the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt by parting the waters of the Red – or Reed – Sea and the Baptism of Christ.
The culmination of the Israelites escape comes in Chapter 14 of the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament:
Exodus 14: 19-22 describes how Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the waters parted, allowing the Israelites to escape the Egyptians.
In the New Testament, St Paul draws a parallel between the Exodus and Christian Baptism in his First Letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 10:1-4) where he likens the crossing of the Red Sea to baptism.
Christ’s own baptism is described in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 3:13-17).
Exodus 14: 19-22
“The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them.
It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided.
The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.”
In the New Testament, St Paul draws a parallel between the Exodus and Christian Baptism in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4
“I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink.
For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.”
The Baptism of Christ is described in Matthew’s Gospel:
Matthew 3:13-17
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.
John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’
But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.’
Then he consented.
And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’
Jerusalem’s Two Triumphal Entries
On the same row, we see two triumphal entries into Jerusalem. Panel 3 shows the future King David entering Jerusalem after defeating the Philistine giant Goliath.
David has Goliath’s severed head impaled on the giant’s own sword and is shown being welcomed into Jerusalem by women singing and dancing and is loosely based on a scene described in the First Book of Samuel (1 Samuel 18: 6).
David’s entry pre-figures Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, described in all four New Testament Gospels (Matthew 21: 7-9, Mark 11: 7-10, Luke 19: 35-38 and John 12: 12-16) and illustrated in Panel 4.
Here, Christ enters Jerusalem riding a donkey as people spread their cloaks on the road and stew flowers and palm branches in his path as a sign of respect.
1 Samuel 18: 6
As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.
In Matthew 21: 7-9
They brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.
A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
In Mark 11: 7-10
Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields.
Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
In Luke 19: 35-38
Then they brought it [the colt] to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road.
As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!’
In John 12: 12-16
The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting,‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord — the King of Israel!’
Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: ‘Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!’ His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him.
