BRANDING – it’s a word used a lot these days in the advertising trade. A brand tells consumers about a company and what it represents.  It can have a positive effect by encouraging people to buy a product or it can be negatively used against you. A brand defines the product as well as the company it represents. Brands are used on cattle to identify where they came from. It also gives a stamp of approval. A logo or brand, if marketed correctly, is a reminder of quality, integrity and recognition.

People get tattoos to set themselves apart from others. The fact that inking has become so popular shows how identity can be hidden in many ways. I wonder what happens to folks that get tattooed once they are old.  Do the tats wind up around your waist or ankles along with all the other crepey skin?  Seriously though, when I was young, people with tattoos were often considered unsavory, but today everyone seems to have at least one.

Jesus was also branded. Luke 23:38 says, “There was a written notice above Him which read, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” It was placed there to add to the humiliation.  He was battered, scorned and nailed to an ugly cross, along with the sin of the world. He was branded for our sake.

Jesus was King of the Jews but that was just part of His title.  He is King of Creation, King of Kings, King of grace, mercy and love. As Christians, we proudly wear that brand and should be letting others know who we are. He died so we could live.  He conquered death so that we will live forever in paradise.  In a time when Christianity is getting a bum rap in many parts of the world – it’s time to stand tall and let others know why we’re proud to wear His name. May His brand be placed on our hearts as a constant reminder of what He did for us and identify us as His children.

On my heart imprint Thine image,
Blessed Jesus, King of Grace,
That life’s riches, cares, and pleasures
Have no power Thee to efface.
This the superscription be:
Jesus, crucified for me,
Is my life, my hope’s Foundation,
And my Glory and Salvation.

THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR ANOTHER DAY!