Sevan’s Khachkar: A Witness of Faith

At the ancient Sevan Monastery in Armenia stands a remarkable khachkar—a cross-stone unlike any other. Most Armenian cross-stones don’t depict Christ on the cross because our faith doesn’t stop at the crucifixion. We don’t dwell on the suffering; we celebrate the victory! We proclaim the risen Christ, the triumphant King! But this one, dating back to the 13th century*, is different.

Carved into this stone, we see Jesus crucified. And at the bottom, we see the harrowing of hell—the moment when Christ, in His power and glory, descends to set the captives free! This is a reminder, my friend, that even in what looks like defeat, God is working a victory!

But there’s something else—something truly unique. The face of Christ on this cross doesn’t look like the traditional images we are used to. Instead, He resembles the Mongol people of that time, with long braided hair, just like the Mongol warriors who invaded Armenia in the 13th century. Historians tell us that this hairstyle came from China’s Khitans, a style called Kunfa.

Why would they carve a cross like this? Why portray Jesus in this way? Because, my friends, our ancestors weren’t just preserving their faith; they weren’t hiding in fear; they were proclaiming the Gospel! They used this cross-stone as a tool to share Jesus with the Mongols in a way they could see themselves in Jesus. They wanted their conquerors to know: This Jesus Christ is your Savior, too!

Today, we call this inculturation—when Jesus is depicted in different cultural forms, as Armenian, African, Asian, Indian. But think about it—our ancestors were doing this in the 13th century! This is the heart of our faith. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” That’s what our ancestors were doing. They didn’t wait for the Mongols to come to Christ—they brought Christ to the Mongols!

*In 1653, an inscription was added, dedicating the older khachkar to Archbishop Hayrapet. It’s evident, however, that this wasn’t done by the original carver.