The Fish Legend - Weekly Study

Teach children the history of the fish symbol and why it is important to Christians yet today.


You will need;
Bible
Various types of papers, materials
Paint and brushes, markers
*Or opt for suggested field trip

Read Mark 1:17 - "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

Ask children what the above fish symbol means. Ask if they know what it represents, when it started and why it's important. Talk to children and pass on the following legend;

The outline of a fish is a symbol for Christ. In Greek fish is said "ichtys". This fish symbol was a secret for Christians during a time when they were being persecuted. So when two strangers would meet, one would draw an arc on a rock or in the sand with his foot. If the second person completed the fish by drawing other half of the fish, then they knew both were Christians. And since they were then in "good company" they could trust one another.

For more in-depth discussion of ICHTYS; Ichtys means fish in Greek. The fish is a symbol used by followers of Christ since the early days of the church as explained above. Ichtys is an acronym for Jesus Christ God's Son Savior. Here's how it breaks down;

Iota (i) is the first letter of Iēsous (Ἰησοῦς), Greek for Jesus.
Chi (kh) is the first letter of Khristos (Χριστóς), Greek for "Christ" or "anointed".
Theta (th) is the first letter of Theou (Θεοῦ), that means "God's", genitive case of Θεóς, Theos, "God".
Upsilon (u) is the first letter of huios (Υἱός), Greek for Son.
Sigma (s) is the first letter of sōtēr (Σωτήρ), Greek for Saviour.
*anagram details sourced from wikipedia.com


After discussing the symbol and it's importance to Christians yesterday and today, complete the craft or field trip by having children practice drawing, painting or marking the fish symbol on different papers, materials and/or sand. Hands AND feet optional!!


*Field Trip Option; If you are near a sandy location, take a field trip and let children mark the symbol in the sand just as the first Christians did. Also have them write ichtys or Jesus in their fish creations. (If there is snow on the ground, go for it!)

*Road Trip Fun; The Jesus Fish Game is similar to the slug bug game (VW Bug punches), as in if you see a Jesus fish on a vehicle, sign or passer-byer, you get to punch (or preferably high-five)another player in the car.