The Story

The Birth of the Messiah
The scene depicted in the top petal represents a popular conflation of the infancy narratives from the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. According to Luke, Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem, “because there was no place for them in the inn” (2:7) and was there adored by local shepherds who had been the first to be told of his birth by an angelic host (2:10). According to Matthew, the toddler Jesus was worshipped by visiting magi (--most likely Persian astrologers, but popularly portrayed as kings, based upon Psalm 72:10-11: “May the kings of Sheba and Saba bring gifts; may all kings pay him homage”--) who were led on their pilgrimage by a sacred star which announced his birth (2:10, 11).

Jesus’ Baptism by John
The baptism of Jesus marked his commissioning and empowerment by God to begin his earthly ministry. “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn right apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased’ (Mark 1:9-11). After that event Jesus began ‘proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’”

The Loaves and Fishes
The loaves and fishes represent one of the many deeds of power performed by Jesus during his ministry as recorded in the Gospel accounts. Each deed was an enactment of the good news which he proclaimed, a demonstration that God’s reign was entering the world in him. The loaves and fishes recall this Gospel story; “And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd (of five thousand). And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces” (Luke 9:16, 17)

The Last Supper
The lowest petal depicts the last meal which Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion, and during which he gave new meaning to the symbols of the bread and cup. “While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘Take; this is my body.’ The he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many’” (Mark 14:22-23). It was after this that one of his disciples arranged for his arrest. Can you find him in the window?

The Crucifixion
The next day Jesus was crucified between two bandits. According to Matthew, “From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon” (27-45). When Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last, “the earth shook, and the rocks were split” (27:51). Those who were keeping watch over Jesus were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son” (27:54). All creation mourned the death of “Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

Emmaus
At the heart of the Christian gospel is the belief that on the third day God raised Jesus from the dead and made him the eternal Lord over all of life and death. Following his resurrection Jesus made many appearances to his followers, including a visit with Clops and another who were heading home to Emmaus from Jerusalem on the first Easter evening. As they walked together, the mysterious stranger who had joined them interpreted to them the meaning of the messiah’s death from the Hebrew Scriptures. He remained unknown to them until – “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them…Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight”: (Luke 24:30, 31). They returned to Jerusalem and told the disciples what had happened on the road, “and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread” (24:35)

The Symbols
(From the top, clockwise)

The Lamb of God
Out of the Hebrew sacrificial system, Christian application is made of the lamb as a symbol of Jesus Christ. John the Baptist said of him, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Similar reference is made in the book of Revelation and in many of the hymns and prayers of the church. The lamb carries a pennant with a cross on a cruciform standard. The pennant represents the body of Christ, which is attached to the cruciform staff, representing the cross on which the Lamb of God died and through which the risen Christ saves the world.

The Wheat
The wheat, a symbol often associated with the bread of the Lord’s Supper, is reminiscent of Jesus who said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51). The image also brings to mind Jesus’ parabolic saying which speaks of his death and resurrection: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24)

The Grapes
The grapes recall the wine of the Lord’s Supper a symbol of the blood of Christ shed upon the cross for the life of the world. At the Last Supper Jesus said to his disciples, “Drink of it, all of you: for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom”: (Matthew 26:28, 29).

The Lily
The Easter lily represents the resurrected Christ who was raised from the dead on the first Easter Sunday. The Easter lily has long been associated with Easter because it blooms at that time. The lily also is a symbol of the humility and purity of Jesus. “I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys” (Song of Solomon 2:1)

Iota Eta Sigma (IHS)
IHS represents the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek (IHSOYS) and became a symbolic abbreviation. (The “H” (eta) has the sound of the long “a” in English.) The IHS appears also at the very center of the altar cross in many churches, a reminder that the central meaning of the cross is that God’s suffering love for humanity is revealed in Jesus Christ on the cross.

The Fish
The Greek word for fish (pronounced ichthus) is formed by using the first letter of each of the words in Greek (pronounced, but not spelled, Yasous Christos Theou Hyos Soter), which means, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.” Thus the fish became and underground confession of faith used by early Christians facing persecution for their faith: it was precious because it was difficult for the uninitiated to understand.

Jerusalem Cross
The Jerusalem Cross, also known as the Five-Fold Cross and the Crusader’s Cross, is composed of four Tau crosses which meet at the center. For small crosses appear in the four corners. Originally the Five-Fold Cross represented the five wounds of Jesus’ crucifixion. Sometimes the four small crosses indicate the four corners of the earth to which missionaries of the cross have carried the gospel since the days of the original church in Jerusalem, represented by the large cross. The Jerusalem Cross was the coat of arms of the first ruler of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.

The Crown of Thorns
The crown of thorns is a symbol of the passion of Jesus, who, after he was condemned to death in Pilate’s court, was mocked by the soldiers before being led to his crucifixion. “And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him. ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” (Mark 15:17, 18)

The Chi Rho with the Alpha and Omega (Center)
The Chi Rho is an ancient monogram of Christ which has been in Christian use for at least 1600 years. The most usual form consists of the P (“rho,” the Greek equivalent to “R”) within the X (“chi,” the Greek equivalent of “CH”). The symbol is derived from the first two letters of the Greek word XPISTOS (pronounced “Christos”) which is the Greek word for “Christ.” “Christ” in turn is a translation of the Hebrew word for Messiah, which means, “The Anointed One.” The letters PX thus abbreviate the name of Christ, the Anointed One.

Appearing with the PX are the alpha and the omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. The significance of the letters is derived from the book of Revelation in which the risen Christ, speaking as the coming Judge, declares to the prophet, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (22:13).

Thus appearing together, the Chi Rho and the Alpha and Omega mean: “Christ, the Anointed One, the beginning and the end of all things.”