Long ago, the earliest followers of Jesus were persecuted and forced to worship in hidden locations. Often these believers would scratch the secret symbol of a fish on the ground to help them identify other Christians. Fish was also a common food of the day, often used and referenced by Jesus during His ministry. In addition, the fish symbol relates to Mark 1:17 "Come after Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."

The Greek spelling for the word fish is "ICHTHUS" (pronounced ikh-thoos) and was incorporated into the meaning of the fish symbol. ICHTHUS is an acronym coming from the first letters of the Greek phrase "Iesous, Christos, Theou, Uios, Soter" which spell out a secret message about our Lord. The individual letters ΙΧΘΥΣ are the first letters of five Greek words each of which means "Jesus Christ, God, Son and Savior".

 Ι  - Iota, the first letter in the Greek word Iesous, meaning Jesus
Χ - Chi, the first letter in the Greek word Christos, meaning Christ
Θ - Theta, the first letter in the Greek word Theou, meaning God
Υ - Upsilon, the first letter in the Greek word Uios, meaning Son
Σ - Sigma, the first letter in the Greek word Soter, meaning Savior

Today Christians still use the fish as a symbol of their Christianity and to help spread the message of Jesus Christ. It transcends differences in cultures and denominations. Throughout generations the fish symbol continues to identify the true followers of Jesus Christ. The name of Jesus brings the power of life and salvation. In a word, the name of Jesus captures the central message of the Christian faith. Together with the symbol of the fish, this emblem reminds the world that our faith isn't about religion, but a relationship with the Living God through Jesus Christ.