Evangelists' Cross



Evangelists' Cross

Evangelists' Cross

The four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are depicted on this symbol as a winged man, an eagle, a winged lion and a winged ox (or calf). They are derived from the priest Ezekiel's prophecy after seeing a vision of four living creatures¹.

Putting aside the claims by UFOlogists that Ezekiel witnessed flying saucers, we can imagine the prophet believed he was seeing a vision of God being served by Cherubim angels - winged creatures ready to fly out swiftly at God's command to do His work. In particular, this involved spreading the news of salvation, also known as 'Gospel'. This cross can therefore also be called the Gospel Cross. (See also Mission Cross.)

These four winged creatures have been associated with the four Evangelists and depicted in Christian art since the 2nd century. They have also been likened to Jesus' journey on Earth where he was born as a man, was sacrificed as a calf, was reborn as a lion in his resurrection, and soared like an eagle in his Ascension.

Matthew is represented (top left) as a Winged Man because he began his gospel with the human Jesus, tracing a lineage to David. (In some drawings the Winged Man holds a sword and scales, representing the Archangel Michael.)

John is represented (top right) as an Eagle because of his "soaring" witness to Jesus' divine nature. The eagle soars at high altitudes, it is quick and sharp-sighted, and it has a rich symbolic history. An early legend held that the eagle would periodically renew its youth by flying near the sun and then plunging into a lake or fountain. On this basis the eagle became a symbol for the Resurrection. In addition, since the eagle soars upward, it became a symbol for Christ's Ascension. Eagles also represent Christians who have died and risen again².

Mark is represented (bottom left) as a Lion because a lion is strong and bold³. The wings emphasize Mark's proclamation of Jesus' resurrection⁴. Because lion cubs are born small and immobile with their eyes shut for the first few days, there is a myth that lion cubs are born dead but come to life after three days. This reminds Christians of the Resurrection. (Thanks to Walt Disney, however, we know from "Lion King" that this isn't so. But the movie does teach us a thing or two about resurrection.) Another idea is that lions sleep with their eyes open, making them symbols of watchfulness. In fact, lions close their eyes when they go to sleep. Like other felidea, their sleep lasts on average 14 hours a day, so their eyes do open and close as they drift through various levels of sleep. (Observe your cat.) And yes, lions don't have wings. But hey! this is about symbology; not zoology.⁵

Finally, we introduce Luke (bottom right) as an Ox or calf because their strength, diligence and patience, and unwearied discharge of the work to be done. As a sacrificial animal, the calf emphasizes Jesus' sacrificial atonement.

...or at least, that is the interpretation suggested by St. Jerome. Other great theologians and developers of Western Christianity had different views, as shown by one of our contributors: