Jesus the Good Shepherd
“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth His life for His sheep”. (John 10:11)
The top symbol is the Chalice, Latin word for Cup. The Communion Cup represents Faith and Trust and is representative of the cup used at the Last Supper. The cup depicted is similar to the actual cup used by Jesus. The lower symbol is the Pelican, sometimes referred to as the Pelican in her Piety. In times of famine, the pelican tears open her breast and feeds her young with her own life blood. This has come to symbolize the atonement of sacrificial love. The lamb is an emblem of Christ. As in the Old Testament a lamb was sacrificed, so in the New Testament Christ was the sacrificial victim — the lamb. In iconography (symbolic representation) a lamb depicted as lying down denotes the suffering and burden-bearing Christ on whom the Lord laid “the iniquity of us all”; standing, the suggestion is given that the Lamb of God is triumphant, risen. Sheep represent a Christian believer, a member of Christ’s flock. Water is a symbol of baptism.
Given In memory of Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Watkins by their children