THE
FISH The fish was used as a secret sign
by early-persecuted Christians to indicate
they were believers in Jesus and to
point to places where they were gathering
for worship or to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. (Fish
with bread) The
first letters of the Greek words for “Jesus
Christ, God’s Son, Savior” spell
the Greek word for fish.
ROSE A white
rose was used as a symbol of the nativity and
of the promise of the Messiah. Sometimes other
flowers such as the daisy, lily, dogwood, anemone or
crocus became symbols for Christ, depending on various
translations.
SHEPHERD’S CROOK Our
Savior, “I am the good shepherd.” John
10:11; or the shepherds at the manger.
STARS
Four
Points – Star Cross,
close relationship between birth and death of
our Savior.
Five Points -
Epiphany star. Numbers 24:17 and manifestation
of Jesus to the Gentiles. Matthew
1:1-2.
Six Points – Creator’s
star. The
Father; Six days of creation. Star
of David.
Seven Points – Gifts
of the Holy Spirit. Revelation
5:12.
Eight Points – Holy baptism, regeneration. 1
Peter 3:20-21.
Multi-pointed Stars – Heaven
MONOGRAMS
XP
or CHI RHO In Greek
the first letters of the word the Christ
or Messiah. The
letters may be superimposed on each
other.
IHC or HIS Based
on the Greek word for Jesus - Iota
Eta Sigma
INRI Latin superscription on cross. Jesus
of Nazareth King of the Jews. John
19:19
ALPHA and OMEGA First
and last. Revelation
22:13
|
The Chrismon Tree
St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church
Medford, Wisconsin
Chrismons
tell the message of our Lord Jesus Christ through the use of
symbols. The word Chrismon is made from the two words,
Christ and monogram.
The
first Chrismon Tree was begun in the Lutheran Church of the
Ascension in Danville, Virginia, in 1957. From there the
idea has been used by Christians all over the world.
In
December of 1966, St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church had its
first “Chrismon Tree”. An article in the Star
News invited the people in the community to view the tree.
Our
church women made ornaments that included twenty-eight different
symbols. Now, more than thirty years later, we still decorate
our tree with these Christian symbols. Recently old ornaments
have been repaired and new symbols added, but the message stays
the same. God in his love sent his son, Jesus Christ,
to our earth to save us.
|
Symbols and Their Meanings
The
evergreen tree, with branches always green symbolizes the
eternal life our Lord Jesus has won for us. The tiny white lights
on the tree remind us that He is the light of the world.
The
Chrismons (CHRIS + MONogram) proclaim the Name,
the Life, and the saving Acts of our Lord, Jesus the
Christ.
Colors – White
and Gold are used as the colors for all the Chrismons. White
is the liturgical color for Christmas. In the
Bible white is often used to portray purity and completeness. Is.
1:18, Mark 9:3, Revelation 6:11, Revelation 7:13. Gold
is used to show the majesty and glory of God. Exodus
25:11, Revelation 1:13-16; 21:18-21.
THE CROSS
The
cross reminds us of our Savior’s sacrifice
for our sins. Different
forms of the cross help us think about various
aspects of his redeeming work.
LATIN
CROSS This
is the most widely used form of the cross
today. The
empty cross reminds us that Jesus rose from
the dead.
GREEK CROSS All parts of the Greek cross
are equal. This design was used by
the early Greek Christians.
ST. ANDREW’S
CROSS Tradition says
that the apostle Andrew died on this form
of cross. He
asked to be crucified on a cross unlike
that of his Lord.
TAU CROSS This resembles
the Greek letter T and suggests Moses’s
staff and the promise of a Messiah. If
it has a bronzed serpent on it, it is the
staff Moses used to save Israel. Numbers
21:9 and John 3:14.
CROSS WITH ORB The
world is united through Christ. The
triumph of the Gospel in all the world. The
cross of victory
.THE ANCHOR CROSS Also called
the cross of hope. The
anchor was used as a disguised form of the
cross by early Christians in the catacombs. Hebrews
6:19-20 |
CROSS AND
CROWN A
symbol of the reward of the faithful in
life after death to those who believe in the crucified
Savior. Revelation 2:10.
THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS The
prophet Malachi compared
the Messiah to the sun. The Chrismon
with the Christ monogram on it reminds us
of that prophecy. Malachi 4:2
CIRCLE A
reminder of eternity, without beginning and without end.
TRIANGLE OR THREE CIRCLES OR THREE ARCS Symbols
of the Trinity in which three figures or parts combine
to make one complete form.
BUTTERFLY Symbol of the
resurrection and eternal life. As
the butterfly changes form a pupa or chrysalis to a w inged
adult, so we through Christ will be raised from the dead
and have new lives. 1 Corinthians
15:20-23.
SHELL WITH THREE DROPS OF WATER The
shell symbolizes the baptism of Jesus
and our baptism in the name of the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew
28:19. The eight-pointed star represents regeneration.
LAMB
WITH BANNER OF VICTORY The “Angus
Dei” or Lamb of God, no longer wounded
but standing victorious. The banner
represents the church, the staff - the cross
on which he was slain for the sins of the world.
THE
DOVE The descending
dove signifies the HolySpirit at our
Lord’s baptism,
and the presence of God hovering over the
water at Creation. Mark
1:10.
CORNERSTONE The cornerstone
with abbreviations of words for Jesus
Christ symbolizes Him who was declared to
be the “chief cornerstone.” Ephesians
2:20; Mark 12:10. |