| Release Date: Nov 2009 Format: Illustrated book Status: In production Studio: Millennial Age Publications Genre: Non-fiction / Historical Official Web Site: Coming 2008 |
| Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Writer |
| ABOUT THE PROJECT: Sketches from the Cradle will examine the story of the birth of Jesus in the light of the surrounding history and culture. This project will examine the necessity of Christ being born of a virgin, the foretelling of the coming of the Messiah in the prophecies of the Old Testament, the dual human and divine natures of the Messiah, and the historical narratives of Jesus' birth as documented in the writings of the apostles Matthew and Luke. The story of the nativity will be told here within its historical and cultural context, drawing from numerous external source material, both ancient and contemporary. The project will also be illustrated throughout with original richly detailed paintings and drawings, bringing the story of the birth of Jesus the Christ to life through an artist's eye. HOW THIS PROJECT CAME ABOUT: My passion for this project was birthed in 1992 when Cornerstone Ministries, the church I attended while living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, hosted The Living Christmas Tree. This was an annual Christmas musical under the direction of Walter Matzke, the church's minister of music. This year, the program was a mixture of music and drama from a cantata titled The Gift, written by Dennis and Nan Allen. Although I was not involved in the musical itself, a number of my friends in the church were either actors or choir members, and I attended a few of the rehearsals and more than a few of the performances. The performance was truly dramatic, with actors in full costume and regalia depicting the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem while the choir, seated in a tiered Christmas tree- like structure sang the hymns and anthems of the Christ child. Needless to say, I was greatly inspired by the performance. In the fall of '93 I read a book titled The Virgin Birth of Christ by J. Gresham Machen, a leading scholar of the 20th Century. Machen expounded on the nativity narratives of Scripture and brought new life to an age old story. I immensely enjoyed the reading the book and was placed in the "Christmas spirit" like never before. While his writing is enjoyable to some, others may find it cumbersome and get bogged down by the weightiness into which he dove in the subject matter. My goal for this project is to tell the nativity story while placing it within the frame of history, lending to the accuracy of the Biblical accounts, and doing so in a manner of writing appealing to the layman. WHY DID CHRIST COME? As it was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “For to us a child is born ... And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” The coming of this child had been anticipated by Israel for many generations, but, now that He had come, many did not see Him for who He was, for they were seeking a deliverer who would strike a mighty blow on their behalf and free them from their oppressors, who, at the time, was the empire of Rome. While they looked to the strong for this Savior to come, this little child was born right in their midst in a quiet hamlet nestled in the hilltops of Judah. His name was Jesus, the Christ (meaning the "Anointed One"), and He did bring peace, not in reconciling men with men or nation with nation, but in reconciling man with God. He freed God's people not from political or social oppression; but rather, from oppression from their own sin. This salvation He provided in His death on the cross was not only salvation from sin, but more so, salvation from the wrath of God for that sin. Mankind, blemished with corruption, could never stand before a holy God except that he become rid of all such blemish, nor could man redeem himself of corruption, for only one with no guilt could pardon the guilty. It was to this end that Jesus, God in the flesh and the Savior of man, presented Himself on our behalf by taking upon Himself the form of man, assuming for Himself all our corruption, and presenting Himself before His Heavenly Father as a substitute for us, bringing the wrath of God upon Him so that we would be made whole and clean, the punishment for our sin being paid and the wrath of God being satisfied for all eternity. In the beginning, we abandoned our Creator, but our Creator did not abandon us. It is my hope that you would take a moment to consider the God who first loved us and sent His Son into this world to die so that we should live. |
| All images in this section, unless otherwise noted, are copyright Michael Sturgulewski. All Rights Reserved. The following properties are copyright-owned as listed and images retating thereto are used by permission. All Rights Reserved. Swamp Fox, Legend of the Storm, Forgotten Kingdoms, and Third Kingdom are copyright Whimsical Entertainment Gnemo game system is copyright 2005 Bawn Shaunts Design Studio; Gnemo story and art are copyright Tom Kidd. |
| This book will deal with the following: PART 1: THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH Chapter 1: The Promise of a Savior The Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of the Christ * What kind of messiah was the Jews expecting? Chapter 2: In the Fullness of Time A primer on Hebrew history, from Abraham to Herod * The social and political structure of Palestine at the time of Jesus' birth * The history of Herod the Great * The Jewish priesthood * Temple sacrifices * Zacharias' vision concerning the coming of John the Baptist PART 2: THE NATIVITY OF JESUS Chapter 3: Mary, Highly Favoured of God A village called Nazareth * The angel's announcement to Mary * Jewish betrothal and the charge of illegitimacy * The Magnificat, the song of Mary * The angel's revelation to Joseph concerning Jesus * A proper understanding of the role of Mary Chapter 4: John, the Herald of the Christ The birth of John the Baptist * His purpose and work Chapter 5: A Little Town Called Bethlehem The census of Caesar * Who was Quirinius, and when was he the governor of Syria? * When was Jesus born? * Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem * The birth of Jesus in a manger Chapter 6: Shepherds Come to Worship The life of a shepherd * The angelic chorus to the shepherds * The rite of circumcision * The name of Jesus Chapter 7: Simeon's Prophecy The splendor of Jerusalem * Jesus' presentation in the temple * The rite of purification * Who were Simeon and Anna? * Simeon's prophetic declaration concerning Jesus and Mary Chapter 8: The Quest of the Magi Who were the Magi? * The star of Bethlehem * The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrhh Chapter 9: Rachel's Sorrow The massacre of the infants by the decree of Herod * Joseph and Mary's flight to Egypt Chapter 10: Jesus' Youth Education in ancient Palestine * Jewish family life * A child's role in the festive Jewish year * Synagogues in ancient Palestine PART 3: THE REASON FOR CHRISTMAS Chapter 11: Why a Virgin Birth? The necessity of Jesus being born of a virgin in order to fulfill His role as the Redeemer of God's people Chapter 12: The Great Mystery: God Become Flesh Of what did the Son of God empty Himself when becoming man? * Were His human and divine natures in harmony or in conflict with each other? PART 4: DEFENDING THE TRUTH Chapter 13: By This We Stand The authority and integrity of the gospels Matthew and Luke * Supporting evidence of the virgin birth in the writings of the apostles John and Paul * Extra-Biblical testimony concerning Jesus * The doctrine of the virgin birth as a core article of faith in the early church * The story of the virgin birth would not have been fabricated by the Jews * The distinctiveness of the birth of Christ against the birth stories of pagan myth and legend Chapter 14: The Gospel accounts of Christ - History, Not Fiction We've taken a close look at the birth of Christ, but what about His miracles, His claims to deity, and His resurrection? Can these really be believed by rational minds? Chapter 15: Copied from Myth? This chapter will take a closer look into various pagan deities who are said to have shared similar biographical characteristics as Jesus, such as virgin birth, crucifixion, and resurrection after being in the grave for three days. Critics of Christianity claim that the Gospel writers merely borrowed from pagan mythology and ancient astrological beliefs when chronicling the life of Jesus. Here, the deceptions of the critics will be met head-on. * * * My hope for the project is that by sharing my own passion for the nativity story, it will spark like passion in the hearts of others and bring them to a newfound appreciation for the story of behind the true meaning of Christmas. |
| Graphic Designer |
| Graphic Designer, Colorist |
| Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Writer |
| Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Writer |
| Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Writer |
| Graphic Designer,Colors, Background Arti |