The Lesson from the Candy Cane

 

The history of the candy cane: Some believe it started when a choirmaster at a church in 17^th century Germany used sugar sticks shaped like a shepherd’s hook to keep the children quiet during church. He had them made in the shape of a shepherd’s hook to remind the children of the shepherds on the 1^st Christmas day.

Luke 2:8-14 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the fields keeping watch over their flocks by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”

He also used the white of the sugar sticks to teach the children how Jesus was perfect and sinless.

1 John 3:5 You know that He appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.

Later, legend has it that a candymaker wanted to use the candy cane to point local children to the gospel. So He crafted it into the candy cane we have today (although it may not have had the peppermint flavor yet).

The Candy Cane has been said to represent many things, including the following:

 

The shape of the “J” for Jesus

Matthew 1:21 "She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

And then, if you turn it upside down it becomes a shepherd’s staff, to represent both Jesus who is our Good Shepherd and to represent the shepherds on the 1^st Christmas day

John 10:11 "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."

The white represents the virgin birth and represents that Jesus is sinless

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

The Red stripes represent Christ’s blood spilled for us on the cross

 Isaiah 53:5 "But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed."

The candy is hard to represent that God is our solid rock and foundation

Psalm 18:2 "The LORD is my rock . . ."

Some say the 3 smaller red stripes represent both the stripes Jesus received when He was scourged and also the Trinity – God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, 3 in 1.

2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Although we do not know if all of these symbols were truly the reason when they were first created, we do know that the Gospel truths behind them are true!

We know that Jesus is our Good and Faithful Shepherd. We are little, weak, and helpless sheep. But Christ cares for us, protects us, keeps us, watches over us, and leads us.

We know that Jesus shed His blood for our sins so that He might pay the punishment we deserve and credit His righteousness to us.

We know that Jesus was born of a virgin, proving that He is both the Son of God and the Son of Man.

We know that God is our rock; our solid foundation. He is the only thing that always has and always will remain constant.

And we know that God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit are 3 persons in 1. Although our finite minds can't fully comprehend it, we know that these 3 unique, individual persons are one God. The God of the universe!

May you celebrate the Gospel this Christmas season! And whenever you look at the candy cane, may you be reminded of the simple, yet profound meanings behind them.

Remember God's amazing love!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!