As a child, I was instructed, usually around Christmas time, to never take “Christ” out of “Christmas.” This meant that I should never employ the term “Xmas.” This teaching took root in my soul, shaping my conviction that “Xmas” was a godless, heathen way to recall my Savior’s birth. Never would I employ Xmas, I thought! Looking back, however, I realize that my zeal outweighed my knowledge. While taking classes at my beloved Dallas Seminary, I learned that my formal dislike of Xmas was incorrect, since the Greek term for “Christ” was Χριστός. Notice the first letter. It’s an “X.”
A few decades after the New Testament era, we see the rise of the ΙΧΘΥΣ symbol (commonly rendered in English as icthus and often depicted within a fish symbol). Early believers used the ΙΧΘΥΣ to designate themselves as Christians. The ΙΧΘΥΣ means: “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.” Once again: notice the second letter of the ΙΧΘΥΣ. It’s an X.
My appreciation for the power of X deepened when I encountered the story of Emperor Constantine’s victory over paganism. During one battle, Constantine (272–337 AD) had a vision in which Christ promised him victory if he bore His sign. In response, Constantine adopted the Labarum, ☧, a combination of the first two letters of Χριστός. Constantine, as the story goes, ultimately triumphed under the banner of Χριστός.
Long before Twitter became X, Christians exalted Christ using this letter. Alongside the cross, X remains a powerful emblem of our faith. Understand it. Use it. Reclaim it. Lift high the banner of Χριστός, our King!
Pastor Chance Sumner
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