Messiah's Stained Glass Windows
The windows were constructed along with the present church building in 1950 and made by the studio of Giannini and Hilgart.
Explanations of each window can be found below..
Chancel Window Above the Altar
The chancel window typifies Christ as the Messiah which is very fitting to be the focus of Messiah Lutheran Church. The center window shows Christ the Messiah as King. The left window illustrates Christ the Messiah as Prophet. The right window shows Christ the Messiah as Priest.
Center Window
Christ the King is shown in the rich robes of His Kingly office with a crown upon His head, holding the orb of the world in His hands, surmounted by the cross significant of the fact that His rule is always a rule of love and sacrifice. Flanking each side of the King are the Greek letters Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. A medallion of a lion symbolizes Jesus as the Lion of Judah, embodying the qualities of protector and ruler.
Left Panel
Christ the Prophet is depicted in a medallion of the Sermon on the Mount with a suggestion of the message of that sermon by a three-fold repetition of the word “Blessed”.
Right Panel
Christ the Priest is illustrated in a rich medallion of the crucifixion and the words “It is finished.” Beneath is an emblem depicting the chalice of the Eucharist.
Top Chancel
Above the head of Christ is the inscription INRI “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” which is traditionally thought to have been placed on top of the cross of crucifixion. Above that is the symbol of the Agnus Dei (the Lamb of God carrying a red cross on a white flag, representing the Resurrection). At the very top, are emblems signifying the other parts of the Trinity: God the Father (hand of the Creator) and God the Holy Spirit (dove).
Messiah Rose
In the section above the front door is the symbol of Messiah congregation. The five lobed Messianic Rose is the symbol of the promised Messiah, our congregation’s name sake.
Messiah Rose closeup
The burning candlestick, casting out its rays of light, indicates prophecy and fulfillment. Together, it shows that Christ, the Light of the World, is the realization of the Old Testament promise. It illustrates the purpose of our congregation, namely to witness that Christ truly is the Messiah, “the Light of the World”, as the rays of light emanate from the candle, fulfilling the Old Testament promise of God.
Abraham
The first pair of windows farthest from the chancel contains the emblems of Abraham, the father of the faithful and bearer of the promise of the Messiah symbolized in the stars (Gen. 22:17 “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky”),
Moses
and Moses, as a type of Christ because of his liberation of the children of Israel for Egypt and because of the giving of the Law (symbolized in the tablets of the Ten Commandments) which Christ afterward came to fulfill so perfectly
King David
The next pair of windows depict the emblems of David, the righteous king and sweet singer (the harp illustrating his writing of many Psalms) of Israel,
King Solomon
and Solomon, the wise king (scepter) and ruler during the peaceful days of Israel.
Elijah
In the next window appears the emblem for Elijah, God’s most fiery proclaimer and defender in the Old Testament (the fiery chariot illustrating Elijah’s entry into heaven).
Isaiah
Beside him is Isaiah, the great prophet of the virgin birth (the gem represents Christ) and the suffering servant of Jehovah.
Simeon
In the last set of windows closest to the chancel are the figures of the two who actually saw our Lord and recognized Him: Simeon, who held the Lord in his arms, Simeon is symbolized by a sword which was once a constant reminder of the sin of Simeon (Old Testament) but is now finally the sign of his redemption through the circumcision of Jesus
John the Baptist
and John the Baptist, who proclaimed Christ as “the Lamb of God”. John the Baptist is symbolized by the coat of camel’s hair showing his simple life.
St. Matthew
On the west side of the church, running down from the chancel, there are a series of ten windows (5 pairs) which depict the way of the Gospel in the World. The first pair of windows contain the emblems of the first two evangelists of the New Testament: St. Matthew (depicted as a human)
St. Mark
St. Mark (depicted as a winged lion).
St. Luke
The second pair of windows depicts the third and fourth evangelists, St. Luke (depicted as a bull) and
St. John
and St. John (depicted as an eagle). The symbols used for the four gospel writers come from a reference in Revelations 4:7 “The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like a bull, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.” This reference has traditionally been associated with the four evangelists.
Peter
The third pair of windows show the famous brothers, Peter and Andrew - Peter because of his great confession and his natural leadership and Andrew because he was the first to be called to become a missionary and bring others to Christ.
Andrew
The symbols for Peter include the Keys of Heaven and the upside down cross, depicting his death. For Andrew, the fish represent his calling by Jesus to be a fisher of men.
Paul
The next pair of windows are the emblems of Paul and Barnabas, the great missionaries and evangelists who went out into all the world proclaiming the Gospel of Christ despite the darkness of the Gentiles. Spiritus Gladius is a Latin phrase translated as “Sword of the Spirit” which is a reference to Ephesians 6:17 where Paul writes “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Barnabas
The emblem for Barnabas depicts the Holy Scriptures as being shared throughout his ministry to the Gentiles.
St. Athanasius
The last pair of windows in the nave under the balcony, directly opposite the entrance to the nave show the emblems for St. Athanasius (depicted with pillars of the church perhaps symbolizing the words of the Athanasian Creed), the great confessor of the Deity of Christ
Martin Luther
and of Dr. Martin Luther (depicted with Luther’s Seal), the great modern defender and reformer of the church
LCMS
In the Narthex along the north side of the church are a series of additional windows. The first window to the West shows the seal of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (established in 1847) emphasizing the cardinal teachings of “Grace Alone”, “Faith Alone”, and “Scripture Alone”.
Parable of the Wheat
The two windows in the center of the Narthex, which people face as they leave the sanctuary, show emblems for the parable of the tares among the wheat as a reminder to be watchful lest the evil one come and sow an evil seed among the good received here in the House of God.
Catch of Fish
The other window contains an emblem depicting the catch of fish as a reminder that we are to be busy as fishers of men, bringing others into the Kingdom.
Concordia Symbol
The last window on the far right side of the north end contains a symbol for Harmony and Cooperation, commonly known as the Concordia Symbol. It signifies not only the fact that our pastors and teachers are trained in schools named after our confessional writings, but that the entire congregation’s life and policies are based on those confessions as well (Book of Concord).
Church Office (previously Pastor's office)
Finally, on the south wall (parking lot side) in the pastor’s study, there are two additional windows which contain appropriate symbols for the holy ministry - the crowing cock as a symbol of the warning note, and...
Church Office (previously Pastor's office)
The Incenser with rising smoke as a symbol of words in the evening service, “Let my prayers be set forth before Thee as incense.”
Rose Window
Behind the organ pipes on the North Wall and only visible from the outside, is the Rose Window. This window represents the eternity for which a Christian is prepared as he/she leaves the House of God. The center contains a circle of stars with a crown richly jeweled. In the eight foils above the crown and the stars, the four evangelists alternate with the symbols of the four basic elements - fire, air, water, and earth - so that we have the eternal Word mingled in with the ordinary things of everyday life in order to lift us above them and give us life eternal.
Four Evangelists in the Rose Window
Matthew
Four Evangelists in the Rose Window
Mark
Four Evangelists in the Rose Window
Luke
Four Evangelists in the Rose Window
John
Four Basic Elements
Fire
Four Basic Elements
Air
Four Basic Elements
Water
Four Basic Elements
Earth