The Cross and Crown
Jesus is King. Christians believe Jesus is ruler over heaven and the earth.
The Cross and Crown also symbolizes a Christian’s reward in heaven for being a faithful servant while living on earth.

Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven.
For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
Luke 6:23

When I was very young, I knew Jesus lived in my heart. At Christmas, however, He lived on the mantle in a white porcelain manger surrounded by a lot of people and animals I was not allowed to touch. Everything in that crèche was white. Not just the people, not just the clothes, but the camels and donkey too! I thought my mother’s decorating was so dull. A bunch of white on a piece of gold fabric. Then, at some point, I learned that white is the color of Christmas. It is the color of celebration, joy, and peace in the western world. It represents Christ’s purity. Gold is God’s majesty, and the two together symbolize the greatest work of God in the world, specifically His incarnation into this world at Christmas. I wonder if when Jesus was in the actual manger, He already knew what His purpose was. As an infant, did He know that He would be sacrificed on a cross for the sake of the whole world? When I see the cross, I think of the trials in this life and my Savior’s suffering for me. The crown… that glorious crown assures me that because of Him, I have victory over death and an eternal reward. “Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven.” (Luke 6:23)

Jeni Lorenz