Introduction: At one time I faxed information about our worship service to the local newspaper on a weekly basis, and it was printed each Saturday. Once an editor from the Chattanooga Times called me to ask about the spelling of "Chrismon," thinking I meant "Christmas." So the term "Chrismon Tree" is unfamiliar to many. What is a Chrismon Tree?

I. Some history: The practice of having a “Chrismon Tree” began with a Lutheran pastor, Mr. George Pass, in 1940. He began making decorations for his own Christmas tree that were symbols about Jesus Christ, and the meaning of Christmas, instead of the usual pretty but meaningless shiny balls, Santa Clauses and reindeer. The practice soon caught on with other Christians and many churches, and today the Chrismon Tree is a common sight all over the United States. I recently saw one at Alexian Village, and another one at Signalcrest UMC here in Signal Mountain. “Chrismon” is a combination of two words, “Christ,” and “monogram.” Monogram, of course, means initials, or symbols for a particular person. The Chrismon tree bears symbols or monograms about Jesus our Savior.

II. The first Chrismon made was the “chi” “rho,” two letters of the Greek alphabet, the first two letters in “cristos,” as found in the Greek New Testament. "Christ" is Greek for the Old Testament Hebrew word, "Messiah." Messiah literally means "annointed One." God promised the Jews hundreds of years before Jesus was born that someday a Savior would come. For example in the book of Isaiah we read many prophecies of the coming Messiah. Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; 53:3-6. 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 ¶ Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. In Psalm 22, David describes the crucifixion of Jesus 1000 years beforehand. The first prophecy was given to Adam and Eve, right after the fall, in Genesis 3:15. God promised to send Someone who would conquer Satan. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

III. The five-pointed star is also on our Chrismon tree, and reminds us of the star that announced the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem (see Matthew 2:1-11). 1 ¶ After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 6 "‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’" 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." 9 ¶ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. The star was a sign visible in the sky from other nations besides Israel, and reminds us that Jesus was not only born King of the Jews, but is the Savior of the entire world. There is not one religion for this nation, and another for that, as some would have you believe. There is only one God, and he wants all mankind to worship His only Son, Jesus Christ.

IV. The triangle, which comes in many varieties, is a symbol of the Triune God, the Trinity. There is only one God, yet He exists as three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in the Great Commission to baptize converts "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. He was born a mere human baby in Bethlehem, yet is truly the almighty God at the same time (John 1:1-3). 1 ¶ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

V. The fish is a very interesting symbol of Jesus, seen on many a car bumper. The Greek word for fish is "icthus." The Greek letters are which are the first letters of Greek words: Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior. Some think that the fish symbol was used by early persecuted Christians as a secret sign to indicate their faith to other Christians, and to mark places where worship would take place. It is a reminder to us that Jesus died for our sins, and that many of our brothers and sisters around the world today are dying or being persecuted for their faith, and must even keep their faith secret. When we see the fish, let's pray for them.

VI. The cross collection includes NINE crosses. There is a large central cross, and each arm of this cross is made into another cross. The cross is at the heart of Christianity. It was on the cross that Jesus made an atonement for our sins. It was on the cross that He paid for our eternal salvation. The world sees the cross as offensive or foolish. We see the cross as something to cherish, and as revealing the deep wisdom of God. 17 ¶ For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. (I Cor. 1:17-25)

VII. The globe surmounted by the cross. One of my favorite hymns is "Jesus Shall Reign." It goes like this: "Jesus shall reign where'er the sun Does His successive journeys run; His kingdom spread from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no more." (# 231 in "The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration) The Bible foretells the universal reign of Jesus (Revelation 11:15-17). 15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." 16 And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped God, 17 saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. At this present time God is extending His Kingdom through the preaching of the Gospel. Men are free to accept or reject the message. But this age will eventually come to an end, and Jesus shall reign in person and in power, and every knee shall bow to Him on earth, and beneath the earth, and above the earth, and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and every earthly government or kingdom shall acknowledge His authority and His law.

Conclusion: So, this tree at the front of the church is not a Christmas tree with shiny balls, and reindeer and Santa Clauses, but it is a Chrismon tree, and every ornament on the tree is a symbol, or a monogram of Jesus, and we place it here in His honor. May we all acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord, and may this Christmas season be Christ-centered, and not the commercial secular blast of the world!