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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ007108S
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00:26 The Netherlands or Holland is a small country in Northwestern
00:30 Europe about half the size of Tasmania and Australia 00:34 or about the size of Maryland in the USA. 00:37 But it's packed with world famous icons, 00:41 world-renowned Dutch highlights include tulips, windmills, 00:46 cheese markets, wooden shoes, millions of bicycles, 00:51 and picturesque city canals. 00:54 But the most famous Dutch export and gift to the world 00:57 has been its people and their talents. 01:00 From this small country with the population of only 01:04 seventeen million people have come world-famous athletes, 01:08 explorers, inventors, scientists, writers, 01:12 and artists. 01:13 Today, we're going to follow the footsteps of one of the 01:17 Netherland's most loved and famous citizens whose talents 01:21 and masterpieces have touched the hearts and lives of people 01:25 around the world for centuries. 01:27 And the life and works of this gifted Dutchman will perhaps 01:31 highlight the typical Dutch character, creativity, 01:34 innovation, and inherent capabilities for which they are 01:38 famous. But more importantly, his masterpieces will also 01:43 highlight how we could all find true happiness and inner peace. 01:47 So stay with us because Rembrandt's discovery, 01:52 use and understanding of light, "the light" will change 01:56 your life forever. 02:13 About twenty million people visit the Netherlands each year. 02:17 They are attracted here because although it's only a 02:20 small country, it's packed full of interesting things to see 02:24 and do. Many come here to admire the beauty of Holland's 02:28 flowers and in particular the tulips. 02:31 From mid-March to the end of May the tulips transform 02:36 big parts of the Netherlands into a colorful patchwork quilt. 02:40 The fields are filled with gorgeous color everywhere. 02:44 It seems like the countryside is transformed into a vast 02:49 sea of flowers. 02:55 But it's not just the flowers that attract people, 02:58 the Netherlands has some of the largest and most picturesque 03:01 windmills is all the world. There are over 1,000 windmills 03:06 scattered across the country. 03:08 The five biggest windmills in the world are located in the 03:12 center of Schiedam, the windmills here are over 03:16 40 meters or 130 ' high. 03:19 But when it comes to beauty the 19 polder draining 03:24 windmills of The Kinderdijk win first prize. 03:28 They were built around 1740 and are a masterpiece of 03:33 water management is a typical Dutch landscape. 03:36 At Zaanse Schans you get an idea of life in Holland 03:42 in the 17th and 18th centuries. Back then there were more than 03:46 600 windmills in the area creating the first industrial 03:50 zone, a number of these windmills can still be visited 03:55 today. 03:59 Now, what's more Dutch than a cheese market? 04:02 The Netherlands history of Cheese-making goes way back 04:06 to the time of Julius Cesar, in fact, sometimes it seems as 04:11 the number of dairy cows in Holland may rival the number of 04:15 tulip bulbs in the fields. The Dutch produce about 650 million 04:21 kilos of cheese each year, two-thirds are exported 04:25 which makes Holland the largest cheese exporter in the world. 04:29 No wonder Holland has a world- wide reputation of being at 04:34 cheese country. A lot of the Netherland's cheese is sold at 04:38 cheese markets, thousands visitors from all over the world 04:42 come here to watch the cheese traders at work. 04:45 The Netherlands is a country where bicycles are used a lot 04:53 thanks to its flat landscape, mild climate, short distances, 04:57 and wonderful infrastructure. 04:59 In fact, almost 30% of all travel in Holland is done by 05:04 bicycle and there are over 37,000 kilometers of dedicated 05:09 cycle paths. Another popular means of travel is on the canals 05:15 and a visit to the Netherlands isn't complete without enjoying 05:19 the canals, many Dutch cities were built around canals. 05:23 Amsterdam, the capital has the best-known canals. 05:30 But after Amsterdam, Leiden is the city with the greatest 05:35 number of bridges, canals, and motes, the city has 28 km. 05:40 of waterways and 88 bridges. 05:42 Leiden's canals run through the city and are lined with 05:46 docks on which trees have grown to anchor boats. 05:50 These canals can take you all the way back to the Golden Age 05:56 of the old Dutch Masters. 05:58 Now the Dutch Golden age was a period in Dutch history 06:03 roughly spanning the 17th century when Amsterdam 06:07 had a huge and unprecedented increase in wealth and 06:11 culture flourished. In particular Dutch art thrived 06:15 during this period. This Golden Age of Dutch art produced famous 06:20 painters such as Vermeer, Hals, Steen, and de Hooch 06:25 but the greatest master of the Golden Age of art and one of the 06:29 greatest artists of all times was Rembrandt van Rijn 06:35 who was born in 1606 in a house beside the beautiful? Canal 06:41 here in Leiden. 06:43 Today, a plaque commemorates where his birth house stood 06:47 Rembrandt was the 9th child of a rich miller who planned 06:51 big things for his son and sent him to the local Latin school. 06:55 But he displayed a special talent for art and when his 06:59 parents saw that's where his heart was, they placed him under 07:03 the Tutelage of Jacob Van Swanenburgh who became his mentor 07:09 teaching him how to draw, paint, and make etchings. 07:12 At the age of 18 Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam 07:17 to work for Pieter Lastman a popular artist and painter. 07:21 Six months later Rembrandt returned to Leiden 07:25 to open his own workshop. 07:27 Back in his hometown, he accepted his first pupils and 07:32 his popularity grew rapidly. 07:35 In 1632 Rembrandt decided to return to the prosperous city 07:40 of Amsterdam and he soon established a reputation 07:43 as one of Amsterdam's leading artists. He created astonishing 07:48 life-like portraits of the city's wealthy merchants, 07:52 shipbuilders and politicians and their families. 07:56 Rembrandt could have lived a comfortable life 08:01 probably progressing probably progressing on to work for 08:03 wealthy aristocrats and even Monarchs. 08:06 But something changed his life and the focus of his art 08:10 his father had been influenced by the teachings and 08:14 Bible beliefs by Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformers. 08:19 He attended the local Protestant church and embraced the new 08:23 ideas of faith, forgiveness, a personal relationship 08:28 with Jesus Christ and the powerful stories of the Bible. 08:31 So Rembrandt grew up in a Bible believing home and the 08:36 Bible became everything to him, it was the backbone of his life, 08:41 and it was the stories and message of the Bible 08:45 that inspired him and became the single major focus 08:49 of his art. In fact over one third of all his paintings 08:53 and sketches are of Bible subjects and stories. 08:57 By his early 20's Rembrandt had one fame and acclaim 09:03 for the way, he used light and shadows to foreground 09:07 in events and figures in his paintings which gave them 09:10 a dramatic and dynamic effect. 09:12 He became known as the painter of light, 09:16 he brings the Bible stories to life and as you look at these 09:21 paintings by his brilliant use of light and shadow 09:24 he draws you and he immerses you in the story 09:28 you can literally feel the emotion, the tension, 09:32 the passion. 09:33 This was clearly seen in one of Rembrandts early famous 09:40 paintings that he produced in 1633 when he was only 26, 09:45 it's called The Storm on the Sea of Galilee. 09:49 The painting depicts the Bible Story of Jesus calming the storm 09:54 on the Sea of Galilee that's described in Mark's Gospel 09:58 it's Rembrandt's first and only seascape. 10:01 The Disciples are out on a boat in Galilee with Jesus 10:07 who is sleeping in the stern, suddenly a storm came, 10:11 panic-stricken disciples struggle against this violent storm 10:16 as a huge wave crashes over the bow the wind and waves 10:21 have forced the boat upwards so that the whole vessel 10:25 is on a dangerous tilt. 10:26 The sails are torn and the lines are broken 10:30 water is flooding into their vessel. 10:33 By remarkable use of lighting and angles Rembrandt 10:37 instantly draws our eyes to the light at the front of the boat 10:41 where the disciples are desperately trying to keep it 10:45 afloat. We can see their panic, desperation and despair 10:49 one is seasick and vomiting over the side of the boat. 10:53 But then, we experience Rembrandt's genius 10:57 as he guides our attention to the contrast from left to right. 11:02 After we have seen the panic and desperation going on 11:06 in the left of the scene, there's a shift to the peace 11:10 and calm on the right of the painting where Jesus is sitting. 11:15 In contrast to those who struggle with the sails on the 11:19 left, others are found lower down in the right 11:23 in a haven of relative calm which is centered on Christ 11:26 lights around His face as He offers Peace and Hope 11:31 in the middle of the storm. 11:32 The face of Jesus is lit not by the sun hitting it 11:36 but from the inner light of God, the light that came 11:40 to bring peace and hope. 11:42 In the Bible, it says in John 1: 4, 5... 11:56 Rembrandt, the painter of light uses light in his painting 12:02 to focus our attention on the true light Jesus, 12:06 the Light of the world who brings peace and hope. 12:09 But perhaps the most moving and evocative part of 12:13 this painting is Rembrandt himself. 12:15 If you look closely at this painting you'll see 14 figures, 12:20 there are 12 disciples and Jesus that makes 13, 12:24 so, who is the 14th person? 12:27 Well, at the front of the boat and along the center line 12:31 of the canvas, there is a figure dressed in bright blue 12:35 he stares out at us, this is Rembrandt himself. 12:39 Now it wasn't unusual for an artist to paint himself as 12:44 an onlooker at some event but here Rembrandt is a participant 12:49 in the drama, he too is in the boat. 12:53 He's staring out of the painting at you and me 12:56 and looking at us is such a way as to invite us into 13:00 the scene as well. It's as if he's asking us to 13:03 take a look at the disciples and their reactions to the storm. 13:07 And then he asks us directly which of the disciples 13:12 are you like when you face the storms of life? 13:15 Where do you run to? 13:17 Are we like the disciples fighting with the sails 13:21 in rigging, trying to fix everything ourselves? 13:24 Or are we like the one hanging over the edge of the boat 13:28 sick and anxious with worry? 13:30 You know, as I look at this painting, in a sense, 13:34 I find myself in each of the sailors, I often try to 13:39 fix things myself and solve my own problems. 13:41 Other times I feel overwhelmed with stress and anxious 13:46 thoughts, other times I am reminded of my need 13:50 to hurry to Jesus. 13:52 Rembrandt is looking directly at us and saying 13:55 when the waves come and the winds blow, 13:58 then run to Jesus. 14:00 That's where you will find peace and safety. 14:03 He's reminding us to trust God in the middle of our storms. 14:08 Rembrandt is speaking to us from experience. 14:13 he faced many storms and challenges in life, 14:17 about the time of this painting he married the love of his life 14:21 Saskia van Uylenburgh, Rembrandt's career took off 14:26 and they were prosperous and happy, they had four children 14:30 but then tragedy struck. 14:32 Sadly, three of the children died young, 14:36 then his dear Saskia passed away in her early 30's 14:41 and Rembrandt's many debts forced him to sell his house 14:45 and his possessions. 14:46 A few years later he lost his close friend and companion 14:50 Hendrickje Stoffel's and his remaining son Titus as well. 14:55 And then to add to his sorrows and burdens, he was bankrupt 15:00 and lost everything he owned and ended up penniless. 15:04 But after all the tragedies and challenges 15:08 his legacy is one of someone who in the middle of the storm 15:12 after losing everything and all those close to him 15:16 he points us to Jesus. 15:18 He reminds us that when we are going through a storm 15:22 God is not distant apathetic or uninvolved, no, He's right there 15:29 with you and He'll get you through the storm. 15:31 Stressful situations often feel like they are out of control 15:36 but they are not out of God's control. 15:39 When we're battered by a storm we don't need to tell God 15:44 how big the storm is, rather, we need to tell the storm 15:48 and ourselves how big God is. 15:52 We need to let our faith set the sails of our lives 15:57 when our world feels out of control, 16:00 you can't control the wind but you can control the direction 16:05 you set your sail. Set your sail by choosing to focus 16:09 on Jesus in the middle of the storm. 16:12 I love the fact that Jesus didn't stand on the shore 16:16 and shout out the instructions to the disciples. 16:19 When you are in the storm, you don't need advice 16:22 you need a miracle, you need somebody right there with you 16:27 and that's exactly where Jesus is, He's right there with 16:31 the disciples in the storm. 16:34 This is the Gospel, the Good News, 16:38 God doesn't stand on the shore- line telling you what to do, 16:42 instead, He's right there with you in your own storm, 16:45 in your pain, in your fear, in your depression, 16:49 and discouragement. He's right there with you. 16:52 You may feel abandoned right now but you're not, 16:57 the Bible say in John 14: 18... 17:07 Jesus is right there with you and that's what Rembrandt 17:12 is telling us in this masterpiece. 17:15 In the same year that Rembrandt painted this masterpiece 17:19 about the storm on the Sea of Galilee, 17:21 he completed another famous painting that focused on the 17:25 Crucifixion of Christ, a familiar theme in Rembrandt's 17:29 artwork. In 1633 he painted The Raising of the Cross. 17:35 In this painting the Roman soldiers are lifting the cross 17:40 to stand it upright, Christ is front and center 17:44 nailed to the cross. 17:45 Many hands are pushing and pulling the cross 17:48 into its place, a ray of light coming from the top of the image 17:54 illuminates Jesus whose face is contorted in suffering... 17:58 Crucifixion is probably the most brutal and tortuous 18:02 death penalty ever devised by man. 18:05 It was specifically designed to cause excruciating pain 18:10 and this ray of light captures this cruel reality. 18:14 The same ray of light continues on and shines on a man 18:19 in the blue beret who's standing at Jesus' feet 18:22 helping to lift the cross. 18:24 Obviously, this man is not from the first century 18:28 and yet, there he stands playing a major role 18:32 in lifting the cross with the others, so who is it? 18:37 Well indeed its Rembrandt himself, again he's included 18:43 himself in his painting. 18:45 Now, why would Rembrandt place himself at the feet of Jesus? 18:50 As He's being hoisted up and crucified? 18:53 Well for no other reason than to tell the world about Rembrandt 18:58 had made serious mistakes and had done wrong things 19:01 in his life. You see Rembrandt was tremendously influenced 19:06 by the Bible and the Protestant faith, he understood the gospel 19:11 of the Bible and the Reformers that were all sinners 19:15 who found forgiveness, grace, mercy and righteousness 19:19 at the cross of Christ. 19:20 He understood the weight of his sin and the power of the cross, 19:25 God's compassion and mercy profoundly affected him. 19:29 by placing himself here in the painting is Rembrandt's way 19:33 of saying "I'm a sinner, I was there too." 19:37 I'm guilty, I helped crucify Christ, my sins and mistakes 19:43 crucified Him. 19:44 Now, what's also interesting is the fact that Rembrandt 19:48 not only painted himself as the one raising the cross 19:52 into its place but he's also the commander on the horse 19:56 behind in charge of over- seeing the death of Christ. 20:00 And what's striking is the Commander isn't looking at those 20:05 carrying out the punishment, rather, he's staring out 20:08 from the canvas straight at you and me pulling us 20:12 into the scene. It's as if he's saying don't forget 20:16 you were there too, none of us are innocent. 20:20 Rembrandt's reminding me that I'm guilty too 20:24 I was also there, my sin crucified Christ 20:28 by human mistakes, my pride, my greed, my sins caused 20:34 Jesus to suffer and die. 20:36 So, what does all this mean? 20:38 Well simply this, we've all sinned and made mistakes 20:43 and deserve punishment but Jesus took our place 20:47 and paid the penalty for us. 20:49 When Jesus died on the cross, He paid for all your sins 20:54 the ones in your past, present, and future. 20:57 Through the cross, everything that you've done wrong 21:01 was wiped out, forgiven, cleansed, purified, 21:05 eliminated and forgotten. 21:07 That's what Rembrandt's telling us and that's the best news 21:12 ever. Rembrandt had flaws in his life, he made mistakes 21:17 but he experienced the freedom of forgiveness 21:20 and the inner peace of a close relationship with God 21:24 and this is the message that permeated much of Rembrandt's 21:28 artwork right up to the end. 21:31 In fact, it's most clearly seen in his very last major painting 21:36 shortly before his death in 1669, Rembrandt completed 21:41 what many believe to be the greatest picture ever painted 21:45 he painted a life-size depiction of Jesus timeless parable 21:50 of the return of the prodigal son also known as the lost son. 21:55 It's a famous story Jesus told to the Pharisee's about 22:00 a rich man and his two sons. 22:02 The story describes how one day the youngest son 22:06 comes to his father and says Dad, I am leaving, 22:10 I want my half of the family inheritance right now 22:14 so I can leave immediately. So he takes half of the family 22:18 inheritance and moves to a foreign country, 22:21 he then wastes his life and fortune on wild living. 22:26 After some time he squandered everything he has 22:30 his inheritance is gone all wasted and misused 22:35 there's nothing left and he experiences hardship 22:38 and falls on difficult times, he ends up on a farm 22:42 feeding pigs. One day when he's flat on his back 22:47 he comes to his senses and asks himself 22:50 what am I doing here? I know I blew it 22:54 I've really messed up and its all my own fault 22:57 but the people back home who work for my father as servants 23:01 live better than this. So he decides to return home 23:06 and tell his father, Dad! I know I've messed up 23:09 and made a huge mistake, I've wasted half the family 23:13 inheritance, I don't deserve to be called your son anymore 23:18 but just hire me as a servant and I'll work for you 23:22 for the rest of my life because your servants live better 23:26 then I'm living now. 23:28 So, he got up and went home yet the father was both loving 23:34 and gracious to him. He saw his son when he was still 23:37 a long way off and rushed out to meet him, 23:40 he threw his arms around him and embraced him. 23:43 The father was so happy and overjoyed to have his son 23:47 back home that he threw a huge party for him. 23:50 The older son, however, is not so happy, 23:54 while his younger brother was squandering the 23:57 family inheritance he has continued to work hard 24:00 for the father's business and has never gotten such a 24:04 big party, the father tells the oldest son that 24:07 everything he has is his but on this day he celebrates 24:12 the return of his younger son. 24:15 The story of the Prodigal Son is a picture of God's love 24:20 for his children. God's love doesn't depend on our 24:24 faithfulness, it's unconditional He loved us while we were 24:28 still rebellious and disobedient though we are demanding 24:32 and do not remain faithful God still loves us 24:36 and wants to be with us, He is still our faithful and 24:40 loving Father. 24:42 Rembrandt could relate to this profound concept 24:46 he had personally experienced 24:48 this heavenly love and forgiveness 24:50 that brought him peace and he wanted to share it. 24:54 He depicts this story as though this is his spiritual 24:57 testament to the world as if it's his final statement. 25:01 All of his experience, wisdom, genius and talent are 25:07 encapsulated and summed up in this one final masterpiece. 25:11 It's a depiction of overwhelming love and forgiveness 25:15 by a brilliant use of light and darkness, Rembrandt 25:20 helps us feel the impact of the event and brings the story 25:24 to life from a deliberately dark background the 25:28 three spotlighted men immediately attract 25:31 our attention. An arch of light runs from the feet of the 25:35 prodigal son up through his ragged clothes, 25:38 and unshaven downcast head into the arms of the father 25:42 the light swells to the sense to the father's illuminated face 25:47 across his brow and then shoots like an arrow across 25:51 the picture to the other son, the older brother who remained 25:55 at home. But the brighter section at the arch of light 25:59 focuses on the father's tender embrace of his 26:03 returned son. The son leans into the father and then finds 26:08 mercy, acceptance, forgiveness, and love. 26:12 The prodigal's father is like your heavenly Father 26:16 no matter what you've done when you come home to God 26:20 He wraps you in His love, He gives you His best and says 26:24 all is forgiven, go get the robe, go get the shoes, 26:29 let's have a feast, My child has returned to Me. 26:34 If you're tired of living away from God and want to get back 26:39 to Him and experience His unconditional love, 26:43 and the inner peace and happiness it brings, 26:45 then I'd like to recommend the free gift we have 26:48 for all our Incredible Journey viewers today. 26:52 It's the popular booklet Amazing Grace, 26:55 this booklet is our gift to you and is absolutely free, 27:00 I guarantee there are no costs or obligations whatsoever, 27:04 so make the most of this wonderful opportunity 27:08 to receive the gift we have for you today. 27:11 Phone of text 0436.333.555 in Australia or 020.422.2042 27:21 in New Zealand or 770.800.0266 in the United States, 27:28 or visit our website tij.tv or simply scan the QR Code 27:34 on your screen and we'll send you today's free offer 27:38 totally free of charge and with no obligations. 27:41 You can also write to us at the address's on your screen 27:44 or email us at info@tij.tv, don't delay call or text us now. 27:52 Heavenly Father, We know that we haven't 27:56 always been living the way You want us to 27:59 even though we know the right thing to do. 28:02 We've turned away from Yyou and chosen the things that 28:06 have hurt Your heart. Thank You that You've never 28:10 turned away from us, You've never left us or changed 28:13 how You feel about us. Thank You for loving us still 28:17 we pray in Jesus' name. Amen! |
Revised 2024-11-14