Firmly Anchored
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure”.
Hebrews 6:19
Do you know what the earliest Christian symbol was?
You might guess the cross. That would certainly be the most popular answer.
Yet that’s not the case. Early on, believers were hesitant to display it publicly lest they be persecuted for their faith, so the cross was downplayed.
In fact, it wasn’t until the Roman emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in the 4th century that the cross was elevated to symbolic status.
Your second guess for the earliest symbol might be the fish. The Greek word for fish is "ichthys."
As early as the first century, Christians made an acrostic from this word: Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter, which means Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.
The fish has plenty of other theological overtones as well. Jesus fed the 5000 with five loaves and two fish. He called his disciples "fishers of men."
The fish also had the benefit of being a bit more enigmatic. Tradition has it that when a believer approached a stranger and wondered if they were part of the “family” an arc was drawn in the dust with the foot. If the other party shared the faith, the arc was crossed with another, forming a crude fish.
However, both of these were predated by, of all things, an anchor.
The anchor became a key Christian symbol during the period of Roman persecution that took the lives of both Peter and Paul.
Once again, it was sufficiently vague so as to confuse the uninitiated observer. But there was more to it than that.
As Michael Card observes, "If I'm a 1st century Christian and I'm hiding in the catacombs and three of my best friends have just been thrown to the lions or burned at the stake or crucified or set ablaze as torches at one of [Emperor] Nero's garden parties, the symbol that most encourages me in my faith is the anchor. When I see it, I'm reminded that Jesus is my anchor.”
Is it any wonder that epitaphs on believers' tombs dating as far back as the end of the first century frequently displayed anchors? The message of hope etched there echoed the words of Hebrews 6:19:
"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."
While the symbol of the cross eventually became and still remains the symbol that reminds us of how Jesus died for us, we would do well to remember the anchor also.
It reflects the challenge that we are to go out into the sea of humanity seeking to save the lost, least, and last. And when the winds of adversity blow, and the waves of hardship rise, we can know that there is One who will see us through the storm.
The anchor reflects the challenge that we are to go out into the sea of humanity seeking to save the lost, least, and last. When the winds of adversity blow and the waves of hardship rise, we know there is One who will see us through.
When you stop to think about it, it really doesn’t cost anything to wear a cross. But if you see your role as a disciple to not only remember what Jesus did for you but also as a challenge to rise to what Jesus wants from you, you’re going to need an anchor!
Fortunately, we have one.
Prayer
Lord, while I revel in what you did for me, all too often that’s all the further my discipleship goes. Help me to move from passive gratitude to active pursuit. And when the going gets tough, help me to remember that I have an anchor that I can depend upon.
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