Crucifixion with the Virgin and St. John (Hendrick ter Bruggen, ca, 1625)

When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull), they offered him wine to drink, mingled with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And they divided his garments among them by casting lots. This was to fulfill the scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing.” (from John 19)

This is a scene which is almost impossible to convey in Christian art. The crucifix is common in Roman Catholic churches and also central to the theology of Martin Luther.  But if we are to portray the crucifixion accurately then we must remember that Christ hung on the cross naked, and that is a step most Christians are unwilling to take.

The fathers of the church (especially Irenaeus of Lyons (2nd c.)) made much of the idea of "recapitulation", i.e., the idea that Christ recapitulated and reversed Adam's sin with his obedience.  As Adam sinned in a garden, so Christ suffered in a garden.  As Adam sinned by eating from a tree, so Christ suffered by being nailed to a tree.  And as Adam was naked in paradise, so Christ was naked upon the cross. At least, it is great material for sermons!

But for me Christ's nakedness is the ultimate sign of his vulnerability. All of us have had dreams in which we find ourselves naked in a public place -- at work, in a classroom, or perhaps even in church.  It is a terrible feeling.  We are exposed, weak, embarrassed.