Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship December 24, 2019
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Tucson, AZ
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THE ANCHOR CROSS represents our certain hope of salvation anchored in Christ. THE BUDDED CROSS with its trefoil ends emphasizes the Trinity.
THE CELTIC CROSS has a circle in the middle symbolizing eternity. Because it has ancient ties to Christians in Ireland, Iona, and Scotland, it is also called the Irish or Iona Cross. THE CROSS WITH ORB symbolizes the world united under Christ, as the Lord cares for heaven and earth. THE GREEK CROSS has four arms of equal length. Early Greek artists used this cross. IHS is the acrostic of the first three letters of Jesus’ name in Greek ( . Various meanings have been attached to each letter. The horizontal line that forms the cross is the sign for an abbreviation. THE IOTA CROSS is the first letter of “Jesus” in Greek ( =IOTA) combined with the first letter of “Christ” in Greek ( =CHI). THE JERUSALEM CROSS (also known as the CRUSADER’S CROSS) represents the city of peace. The 5 crosses represent the 5 wounds of our Lord. The 4 smaller crosses are also said to represent the spread of the gospel to the 4 corners of the earth. THE MALTESE CROSS is comprised of 4 arms shaped like spear-heads. Each points to the center, with the broad end having 2 points. The 8 points in all represent the beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-10). This is the emblem of John the Baptist. The cross was the emblem of the Knights of St. John, who were driven from Rhodes to the island of Malta by the Turks. Malta is the island where St. Paul was shipwrecked. THE ROMAN CROSS consists of the Latin Cross and the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, the alpha ( ) and omega ( ) symbolizing Jesus as the Eternal One: the ‘First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.’ Though he died on the cross, he reigns in glory forever. THE STAR (NATAL) CROSS reminds us of the star that marked our Savior’s birth.
THE TAU CROSS, shaped like the Greek letter (tau), depicts the type of cross Moses is believed to have raised in the desert with the serpent on it. It is also the traditional sign that Israelites made with lamb's blood on their doorposts in Egypt on the night of Passover. Therefore this is the cross of penitence and prophecy.
CHALICE AND WAFER represent the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.
THREE INTERLACING CIRCLES represent the three distinct persons of the Holy Trinity, yet just one God. THE DESCENDING DOVE symbolizes the Holy Spirit, remembering the baptism of Jesus when he descended in the form of a dove. THE TABLET OF STONE is a symbol of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai. THE BUTTERFLY brings to mind our Lord’s resurrection from the dead and reminds us that all believers in Christ will also rise to eternal life. The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, the alpha ( ) and omega ( ) are sometimes added to signify the eternal life enjoyed by those who die in the Lord. THE CROSS CROWN is a symbol of the Kingship of our Lord, reminding us that he is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. It also reminds us of the crown of life given to believers for their lives of faith.
THE CHI-RHO is a monogram consisting of the first two Greek letters of ‘Christ’,
and .
THE FISH is the most ancient symbol of Christ. Christians drew the image of the fish to identify each other in times of persecution. The Greek word for fish is (ichthus). The acrostic represents this meaning: =Jesus =Christ =God’s =Son =Savior.
THE 5-POINTED STAR/EPIPHANY STAR represents the star of Bethlehem and is shaped roughly like a human being representing Christ’s incarnation. THE 6-POINTED STAR/CREATOR’S STAR/STAR OF DAVID symbolizes creation. Each point refers to a day of God’s creating work.
THE TREFOIL AND TRIANGLE is a symbol of the Holy Trinity showing both the unity of the Godhead as well as the diversity of the Persons.