Why is the fish the symbol for Jesus?

Question

I've been a Christian my whole life and I've always wondered about this. Please only reply if you know the answer. Any stupid answers like "Because Jesus ate fish," or "Jesus is really a mermaid" will be reported to Yahoo.

Answer 1

The Bible relates a number of accounts where fish were a significant aspect of Jesus' ministry. On one occasion (Matthew 14:19), Jesus served several thousand families with a meal of bread and fish. On another occasion (Matthew 4:19), Jesus called Peter and Andrew, saying, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Many early Christians were persecuted and forced to worship secretly. The fish symbol served as a secret form of communication. Often the persecuted Christians would scratch this symbol on the ground to identify themselves to fellow believers. Soon, Christians began to attach meaning to the word "fish" itself. The Greek letters for ichthus (meaning "fish", pronounced "ICK-THOOS") became an acronym: I=Jesus; X=Christ; O=God's; Y=Son; E=Savior. Today, the person who displays the fish symbol has accepted the same New Testament teaching that these early Christians accepted: that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior. By a decision of faith, this person has entered into a personal relationship with God and knows the reality of God's forgiveness. "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9, NIV).

http://www.pdhsc.com/sign_of_the_fish.htm

Answer 2

Question: "What does the Christian fish symbol mean (ixthus / icthus)?"

Answer: The Greek word for fish is "ixthus" or "icthus." The Christian fish symbol that many Christians place on their car is known as the “ixthus.” Five Greek letters form the word “ixthus,” and those letters inside the fish form an acrostic which is a message that Christians clearly identified with. The first letter represented the word Jesus. The second letter represented the word Christ, the next two, God Son, and the final letter represented the word Savior. This adds up to “Jesus Christ is God’s Son, the Savior.” During early Christianity, Christians were often put to death for practicing their faith, so they worshiped in secret places. A fish painted on the outside door of a house let other Christians know that they would be safe and welcome inside. The Christian fish symbol is now often used to identify Christians and/or Christian businesses.

Answer 3

The Greek word for fish is "ixthus" or "icthus." The Christian fish symbol that many Christians place on their car is known as the “ixthus.” Five Greek letters form the word “ixthus,” and those letters inside the fish form an acrostic which is a message that Christians clearly identified with. The first letter represented the word Jesus. The second letter represented the word Christ, the next two, God Son, and the final letter represented the word Savior. This adds up to “Jesus Christ is God’s Son, the Savior.” During early Christianity, Christians were often put to death for practicing their faith, so they worshiped in secret places. A fish painted on the outside door of a house let other Christians know that they would be safe and welcome inside. The Christian fish symbol is now often used to identify Christians and/or Christian businesses.

Answer 4

I agree with the 'Fishers of Men' comments already given...

also, in the time after Jesus' death/resurrection, believers would be persecuted and even put to death... so when they would meet people on the road, they would make an arch (top 1/2 of the fish) and if that person they met was a believer of Christ and His teachings, they would complete the 'fish' by drawing another arch as the bottom 1/2 of the fish

Answer 5

It was an early Christian code-word. The first letters of the phrase "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior" in Greek spelled the word which is translated as "fish" (ἰχθύς).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthys

Rumor has it that during severe persecution, the Christians used the fish as a sign or mark to indicate meeting places.

Answer 6

I just read this in biology (class Osteichyces, fish group)!

The word for fish in Greek stood for the first letter of each word in a sentence like "Jesus Christ God's Son Saviour". The early martyrs of the catacombs scripted it on the walls and gravestones. Only when Rome outlawed crucifixion did the cross replace the fish.

Answer 7

If you read the story in the Bible about how He took a small amount of fish & bread, and fed the 5000 is part of the answer. The other part, just like Carol said in the first answer, He is a fisher of men... He's trying to get/catch us.

Answer 8

It was already a pagan religious symbol and just carried over. If you point the "fish" up it is the symbol for the goddess of fertility. A womb up top and an "opening" down below. That is why the back of the tail is not finished.

After it carried over it was used as a secret way to identify, that is correct, but this is why it is the fish.

Answer 9

In the early church when they were persecuting Christians, Christians used a number of symbols to notify other believers of who and where was a safe place to meet. Kinda like a secret coding system. The fish was just one.

Answer 10

In the early church, when christianity was against the roman law, they had to meet in secret. The early christians would draw the sign of a fish outside the home of where the church would meet (early church met in homes - had no buildings).

The sign of a fish representing Christ because "Jesus Christ, Son of Man, Savior" (JCSMS) in GREEK spelled out the greek word for "FISH"