"The Angel of Grace"
by Scott Zambelli
The concept for this picture began many months before I actually completed this picture when a co-worker of mine introduced herself to me.
"Hello, are you Scott?" she asked.
"Yes", I replied wondering what she wanted.
She responded, "Hi, I'm Grace. I've been looking for you."
I greeted her and we discussed the project we were working on and she went on her way. This encounter got me thinking. Wow. Grace just found me. Is it that simple to receive God's grace? It just finds you?
I started to focus on grace and what the bible had to say about it. According to John 1:14, Jesus was the Word made flesh. What would Grace look like if God decided to make it into flesh? It was at this point I was inspired to try and "flesh-out" this concept onto paper.
There are many passages that are devoted to Grace. One in particular spoke to me. It is from Zechariah 12:10 and states, "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a Spirit of grace and supplication. They will look to me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son."
This passage captured all of the ideas that were forming within me. Let's look at each portion of this scripture that was written hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, when the Jews returned to Israel from their Babylonian captivity and began to rebuild the temple. 
"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a Spirit of grace and supplication." In this line, Grace is described as being poured out, by God, like water upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. As I focused on this line, I realized there were much deeper meanings behind it. Who is the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem? How am I included in the receiving of Grace? Here is what I've been able to determine.
The first thing I notice is the similarity of this act and the one that is described in 2 Samuel 23:16-17 when David's men risk their lives to bring him a fresh drink of water from a well behind enemy lines. When they hand it to him, he pours out the drink as an offering to the Lord saying, "Far be it from me, O LORD, to drink this! Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" Just as David poured out his drink because it became too precious to keep for himself through the sacrifice of his men, God chooses to pour out his Grace because it too is precious...even more so...through the sacrifice of Jesus.
While God chooses to pour out his Grace, he also chooses whom to pour them on. According to this, it will be upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. When you think of a household, it is a family. Therefore, the house of David is referring to the family of David...or more accurately...the family of Jesus Christ who was in the lineage of David.
Luckily, we do not need to research thousands of years of genealogical charts to find out if we are a member of the house of David. This is because Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:50, "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." Hey, that's me and everyone else who has recognized that Jesus is our Savior who ransomed us from death through the payment of his own flesh and blood. If you are currently not a member of this family, all you need to do is accept him into your life and he will accept you into his. 
The "inhabitants of Jerusalem" fall more into a citizenship category and have legalistic requirements instead of the relational requirements of a "household". The law (in this case the Law of Moses), determines who is a citizen of Jerusalem. This is very different from a household where the head of the family (in this case Jesus), decides who can enter his home and eat at his table based upon his relationship and knowledge of each person.
The second half of this scripture states, "They will look to me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son."
I find this line to be totally fascinating. First, it is one of many scriptures that show the relationship of Jesus and God and how they are one. Remember, this was written at least 400 years before Jesus was born. The words written here are coming from God (the Father) and state that, "they will look to me, the one they have pierced..." By saying this in the first person, God is clearly stating that it is He that will be crucified.
Next, God shifts to the second person saying, "...and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son." Through the use of the second person, God is showing that we, as Christians, will recognize not only that Jesus is our Lord. We will also recognize the sacrifice that will be made by him through his earthly flesh and blood. A recognition that does not come easily. In fact, it is a recognition that hits you as though you are in mourning for a loved one...for a loved one that died to save you.
With all of that said, I came up with this "Angel of Grace". She is my way of illustrating how God chooses to pour out his Grace upon those who enter into His household. This angel arrives when a person comes to realize their state of sin and accepts that they are stained beyond any cleansing they can do alone. It is through this acknowledgement, combined with the acceptance of the sacrifice Jesus offered on their behalf, that this angel arrives and pours out the cleansing waters of Grace over the new member of the household. This person is left fully cleansed with each and every sin- soaked stain removed, wearing robes of white as Jesus opens the door to his Father's house and invites them in. 