John 17:6-10

”I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.

In marketing terms your brand says something about who you are. And its more than just a striking logo or a clever catch phrase. It’s part of your identity. For many who follow Jesus that brand can be the cross. For others it can be a flame, or a fish, or many of the other images associated over the ages with Christian faith.

But what is God’s “brand”? Jesus identifies himself with and by those who choose to follow him.

Jesus is God’s “brand”. He is the one who gives us an understanding of God’s identity. He is the one who draws us close to God.

Sometimes we have used the word brand to talk about how cattle are marked to demonstrate ownership. Plenty of old westerns worked with that idea as a key point in the plot! We bear the brand of Jesus. It shows who we belong to. All humans and all creation bears the brand of God in some way. We share some of God’s image and character and Jesus reminds us of that connection. “All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.”