Icon Description

This icon depicts Our Lord Jesus Christ after his resurrection from the dead when God the Father “highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.” (Philippians 2: 9) The icon is intended to reveal the person of Christ as Lord and Savior, and to strengthen our faith and hope in Him. Christ looks directly at the viewer; his gaze is not scrutinizing, but is an invitation to trust.

His right hand is raised in blessing: two fingers are extended to symbolize his two natures, human and divine; three fingers are joined to symbolize the Trinity. The glorious wound of his saving passion, the mark of victory over suffering and death, is clearly visible in this same hand.

In his left hand, Our Lord holds the book of the Gospels adorned with a laurel branch, an ancient symbol of victory. The good news of life and hope is reaffirmed by the open book which shows a verse from the Gospel of John (11:25).

The colors of the icon also signify the future life. The white tunic of Christ represents his glorified humanity. White is the color of the resurrection, characterized by purity and radiance. The outer cloak of Jesus is deep blue, a mysterious and spiritual color which here represents his divinity. The gold background represents divine light, and is used in icons to invite the viewer to transcend the terrestrial plane, so as to partake of the glorious light of heaven. The particular style of halo used here is called the “cross nimbus” (nimbus means rain cloud in Latin). The halo is inscribed with the cross in colors of white and green, symbols of resurrection and hope. The Greek letters ΙC and ΧC at the top left and right are abbreviations of the name “Jesus Christ.”