Symbols and symbolism portrayed within the design:

 

INRI:

John 19:19 records, “Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS”. John 19:20 continues, “Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.” Today, many times when the cross of Jesus is displayed, the letters INRI are placed on the sign above the cross. In Latin, the text “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS” would have been written, “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum”. Abbreviated, this phrase results in “INRI”.(2) 

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Light Body of Christ:

The glowing vertical and horizontal beams represent the Light Body of Christ (the structure of light from a higher dimension or higher consciousness).

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Crown of Thorns:

After Jesus’ sham trials and subsequent flogging, and before He was crucified, the Roman soldiers “twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt in front of Him and mocked Him. ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ they said” (Matthew 27:29; see also John 19:2-5). While a crown of thorns would be exceedingly painful, the crown of thorns was more about mockery than it was about pain. Here was the “King of the Jews” being beaten, spit upon, and insulted by presumably low-level Roman soldiers. The crown of thorns was the finalizing of their mockery, taking a symbol of royalty and majesty, a crown, and turning it into something painful and degrading. (3)

The Three Nails:

Jesus said that our following Him would involve a cross of our own: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23, emphasis mine). In life, there are certain "crosses" to bear -- certain hardships, conflicts and limitations. There is a big difference, however, between carrying a cross and being crucified on one, and the difference can be summed up in one word - nails.

 

In order to live to God and His purposes, I must first die to myself and my own. In order to be crucified with Christ, three "nails" must pierce my soul to the point of death.(4)

1. The Nail of Forgiveness

2. The Nail of Mystery

3. The Nail of Surrender

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Read more on the Three Nails here...​

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α and Ω:

Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the “Alpha and Omega” in Revelation 1:8; 21:6; and 22:13. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Among the Jewish rabbis, it was common to use the first and the last letters of the Hebrew alphabet to denote the whole of anything, from beginning to end. Jesus as the beginning and end of all things is a reference to no one but the true God. This statement of eternality could apply only to God. It is seen especially in Revelation 22:13, where Jesus proclaims that He is “the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End”.(5)

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IC XC NI KA:

IC XC NIKA means "Jesus Christ Conquers".   ​The IC and XC are the first and last letters in the Greek words for Jesus and Christ, respectively. NI KA is connected to the word for victory, which we know from Greek mythology.(6) 

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Sacred Heart:

The Sacred Heart (also known as the Sacred Heart of Jesus) has one of the deepest meanings in the Roman Catholic practice. The symbol represents Jesus Christ’s actual heart as His love for all of humanity. The Sacred Heart can be depicted a few different ways. The most common depiction is of the heart has a circle of thorns that represent the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus’ head. It also may have a cross, which represents the Crucifixion. Other symbols may have a flame or light surrounding it, which signifies the divine light of love. You will mostly see the Sacred Heart in a portrait of Jesus Christ.(7)

 

IHS:

IHS is an example of a Christogram, an abbreviation of the name of Christ. It is a Latinized version of the Greek letters ΙΗΣ (iota-eta-sigma), the first three letters of the name “Jesus” in Greek. So, the IHS symbol means “Jesus”. Other Christograms include ICXC (the first and last letters of the name “Jesus Christ” in Greek) and a superimposed X and P (the first two letters of “Christ” in Greek).

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Through the centuries, this Christogram has had other meanings attached to it. One is that it is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase Iesus Hominum Salvator (“Jesus, the Savior of Men”). Other appended meanings of IHS include Iesum Habemus Socium (“We Have Jesus as Our Companion”) and Iesus Humilis Societas (“Humble Society of Jesus”). According to legend, Constantine the Great saw a vision of a cross and the Latin words In Hoc Signo Vinces (“In This Sign You Will Conquer”). Some have taken the first three words of the command to Constantine and given IHS another meaning. And some have skipped Latin altogether, tacking on a purely English meaning: “In His Service”. Originally, however, IHS simply meant “Jesus”.(8)

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Christian Fish:

The Christian fish symbol is one of the most ubiquitous symbols of Christianity.  the fish symbol is based on a Greek acronym for the phrase Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior. In Greek, the phrase is Ίησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ. When we take the first letter from each word in that phrase, we have ΙΧΘΥΣ, which happens to be the Greek word for “fish” (ixthus or icthus—the spelling can vary in English). Some versions of the Christian fish symbol contain the Greek letters inside or underneath the symbol itself.(9)

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Background Colors:

• Purple - is associated with Lent, the religious period of fasting and prayer that begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts 40 days as it leads up to Easter. The symbolism of the color purple in this context has to do with penitence, remembrance, royalty, and spiritual wealth.

• Red - represents the blood of Jesus Christ, which, in the context of Easter, is shed for the sake of humanity. It signifies love, suffering, and ultimate sacrifice.

• Gold / Yellow - during the Easter season, glimmering gold represents glory and triumph, specifically Jesus' resurrection and triumph over death, which is celebrated during the Easter season.(10)

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