Candy Canes: A Sweet Story
A Candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the Birth, Ministry and Death of Jesus Christ.
He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the Foundation of the Church and the firmness of the promises of God.
He made the candy in the form of a “J†to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the “Good Shepard†with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.
Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.
Unfortunately, the candy became known as a candy cane; a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But he meaning is still there for those who “have eyes to see and ears to hear.†I pray that this symbol will again be used to witness to the Wonder of Jesus and His Great Love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominate force in the universe today.
There is one Christmas Carol that seems silly. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each
element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
And finally, I can not let a Christmas pass without this:
Is It Rain or Snow?
A Russian couple were walking down the street in Moscow one night when the man felt a drop hit his nose. “I think it is raining,†he said to his wife. “No, that felt more like snow to me,†said the woman. “No, I’m sure it was just rain,†he said. Well, as these things go, they were about to have a major argument about the silly thing of whether it was rain or snow. Just then they saw a Communist Party Official walking towards them. The man said, “Let’s ask Comrade Rudolph whether it is officially raining or snowing.†As the official approached, the man said, “Tell us, Comrade Rudolph, is it officially raining or snowing?†“It’s raining, of course,†he replied and walked on. But the woman insisted, “I know that felt like snow!†To which the man quietly replid, “Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear!â€
A Candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the Birth, Ministry and Death of Jesus Christ.
He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the Foundation of the Church and the firmness of the promises of God.
He made the candy in the form of a “J†to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the “Good Shepard†with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.
Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.
Unfortunately, the candy became known as a candy cane; a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But he meaning is still there for those who “have eyes to see and ears to hear.†I pray that this symbol will again be used to witness to the Wonder of Jesus and His Great Love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominate force in the universe today.
There is one Christmas Carol that seems silly. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each
element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
And finally, I can not let a Christmas pass without this:
Is It Rain or Snow?
A Russian couple were walking down the street in Moscow one night when the man felt a drop hit his nose. “I think it is raining,†he said to his wife. “No, that felt more like snow to me,†said the woman. “No, I’m sure it was just rain,†he said. Well, as these things go, they were about to have a major argument about the silly thing of whether it was rain or snow. Just then they saw a Communist Party Official walking towards them. The man said, “Let’s ask Comrade Rudolph whether it is officially raining or snowing.†As the official approached, the man said, “Tell us, Comrade Rudolph, is it officially raining or snowing?†“It’s raining, of course,†he replied and walked on. But the woman insisted, “I know that felt like snow!†To which the man quietly replid, “Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear!â€
