In the gable above the central panel is a trefoil shape, within which Christ is shown giving a blessing with his right hand. Here he is Christ the Redeemer, whose death and resurrection saves mankind from sin, suffering and death. In his left hand he holds a book, as a symbol of Christ as the Logos, or the Word made flesh, for as St John said in his gospel:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God... And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth [John 1:1 and 1:14]
The Incarnation, whereby the Son of God becomes man by taking flesh from his human mother, is a fundamental doctrine of Christianity. The position of Christ the Redeemer directly over the central image of the Virgin and Christ Child, emphasises the fundamental Christian beliefs contained in the triptych.
