The Lost Years Series: That One (Jesus Pointing at Black Lamb)

One of the foundational elements of Christianity is the knowledge that Christ lived a pure and sinless life, exemplifying a set of core values that are essential for purpose, fulfillment, and spiritual victory. Yet we are provided with very few examples of this perfect life prior to the start of Jesus’ public ministry.

Introducing the astoundingly beautiful series of fine art paintings titled, The Lost Years of Christ… Teaching Family Values. Though these scenes do not depict actual recorded historical events in the childhood of Christ, they serve as dramatic visual reminders of the qualities He embodied, even as a small child. May the stirring images presented in this collection allow the boyhood of Jesus to emerge and inspire others to live as kindly, compassionately, and generously as did Jesus Christ Himself.

In his piece That One, master painter Mark Missman urges us to imagine what it might have been like as Jesus was allowed to pick out His very own lamb. As the young family walked to the beautiful pasture where the prized sheep grazed, Jesus’ eyes shone with excitement. He dropped to His hands and knees to look more closely at the flock, and as He pointed to a small black lamb, He said, “That one! That’s the one I want to care for and love.”

Though the old shepherd who watched the field urged Jesus to select the perfect lamb cradled in his arms, Joseph took one look at the black lamb and said, “Jesus came for this one.”

We sometimes wonder what Jesus sees in people who are different or unlovely in human eyes. Like Jesus, we should look for the least among us who may just be waiting for someone to show them love.