Zechariah: branches out of stumps

As the Old Testament ends, in the neighborhood of books called the minor prophets, a theme spoken earlier gets louder and clearer: a messiah is coming. Zechariah draws on pictures familiar to Israel, old stumps and new branches, olive branches and a kingly crown; a king and a priest in one person, Messiah.The old gives birth to the new, and places of loss become places where hope springs.
The altar piece captures the multiple themes and images of Zechariah and the longings for "Messiah" that stirred deeply in the hearts of the people of Israel, and in our hearts today. "Come Lord Jesus!"