Tree of Life (2017) Oil Painting

Name: Tree of Life
Artist: Michael J.D. Linsner
Size: 8 in. × 10 in.
Date: November 11, 2017
Medium: oil paint on canvas

Summary

Tree of Life (2017) was created in response to a message given at the Trinity College Fall Christian Ministries Retreat on November 11, 2017. The original painting was done on an 8×10 canvas and took about four hours to complete.

The entire piece represents the relationship between Christ and the church.

The trunk represents Christ—marked by the knot in his “wrist”. His loving hand stretches out toward the branches and leaves, which represent you and I. We are the leaves and branches gaining life and nourishment from the trunk, each represented by the different seasons of life that we go through. The various fruits symbolize the diversity of the church and how we have each been grafted into the tree. Though different, we are all united in Christ—the trunk. The roots of the tree are exposed in order to show how, beneath the surface, the life of every believer comes from being rooted in the Word of God, which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.