Knox

Acrylic on illustration board, 22” x 30”

"When John Knox went upstairs to plead with God for Scotland, it was the greatest event in Scottish history."

- Charles H. Spurgeon



"John Knox (c.1514 – 1572), the great thundering Reformer of Scotland, the man who once was a slave in a French galley but rose to stand against powerful queens, was a small man, often ill, and frequently filled with fears and doubts. How did one so weak in body and mind accomplish so much?

"The answer is that Knox was strong in the Spirit, for he was submissive to the will of God and cared more for the glory of Christ than his own. God strengthened him in his submission to do far more than he could have accomplished in his own power. 

"For those who see themselves as too weak, too small, too timid, or simply too ordinary for service in God's kingdom, Knox's life offers a powerful message of hope the biblical truth that God often delights to work most powerfully through people who are most weak in themselves but most strong in Him."

- from the dust jacket of “The Mighty Weakness of John Knox” by Douglas Bond


This piece was done in anticipation of Knox’s 500th anniversary, though its usage is still currently up for grabs. The buildings in the background are St. Giles Cathedral where Knox served as pastor and Edinburgh Castle where he confronted Mary, Queen of Scots symbolizing the conflicts he endured with both Church and State. The Claymore that Knox holds has literal and figurative interpretations. Before becoming a minister of the gospel himself, Knox did actually carry a broadsword when he served as a bodyguard for preacher George Wishart but the sword also represents the sword of the Spirit, the combative nature of his ministry and his willingness to resist tyranny “even with power.” The lightning alludes to the thundering style of Knox’s preaching as well as the wrath God poured out on the corruption and idolatry of the Scottish Church during the Reformation.