31 Days to Christmas Day 25: The Candy Cane

It had to be special to be a gift for the King of Kings, thought the humble candy maker from Indiana.  Not just any piece of candy would do.  It had to be hard candy because the church is built on solid rock and God's promises are a firm foundation.  It would be formed in the shape of the Good Shepherd's staff.  A "J" that would also stand for the precious name of Jesus.  But it had to say more.  White stripes would symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Christ.  Three small red stripes would represent the scourging Jesus suffered on His way to the cross.  One large red stripe would remind those with eyes to see and ears to hear of the blood Jesus shed as payment for our sins.  It would be a gift of love that would tell His story - the greatest story ever told.  

The 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 firmness of the promises of God.   

The candy maker 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 Shepherd 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 for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.

This story is a legend and is probably false.  However, it is still a great way to keep Christ in Christmas.  Use the sweet candy cane to teach your children (or remind yourself) of the sweet little baby that came to earth to die for you this Christmas.  

Isaiah 53:1-6

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Source: http://justforkidsmagazine.com/candycanelegend.html