Advent: Christ Candle
Merry Christmas!
The final candle in an advent wreath is always the Christ candle, so this week we are going to look at Christ, the reason for Christmas.
Though we often use it as such, or think of it as, Christ is not a name. It’s not Jesus’ last name or first name or anything like that. Christ is a title. It is the same title as Messiah. It means Anointed One. It means Savior.
The little baby boy, whose birth in Bethlehem had been prophesied about for thousands of years, whose humble beginning was proclaimed by angels and witnessed by lowly shepherds. This little boy named Jesus, was, and is, the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior.
Incredible circumstances surrounding a birth, prophecy, unusual witnesses, all of this makes for a good story, but if the boy then grows up to be a normal person, lives a normal life, and dies, we wouldn’t continue to remember and celebrate it for thousands of years. Jesus was different. He radically transformed the direction of the world when He was born to Mary and Joseph in that manger.
His importance, His title of Christ, had been prophesied. It had been announced to Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men, Elizabeth, and others, and today I want to look at just one of those others.
In Luke 2:25-32 we read, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.””
There was something amazing about Jesus, something undeniable, something shining and bright. The final candle in the advent wreath is the Christ candle, and just as a candle brightly shines forth to be seen in a dark place, Jesus shone in a dark world.
Simeon had been told that he would see the Christ, but on the day that Mary and Joseph brought Jesus into the temple they weren’t accompanied by angelic hosts or royal fanfare. There weren’t even shepherds running around telling everyone what they knew. It was just a young mother and father bringing their son to the temple to follow the law. Yet, Simeon instantly knew who Jesus was. Here, in his arms, he held a baby, a little boy, who was the Lord’s Christ, salvation, a light. Jesus shone, and it was unmistakable.
On Christmas, 2000 some years ago, a light was ignited, a candle was lit, salvation was born in the presence of all people. God made a way for all to come to Him, not just the Jews, but everyone. This Christmas, open your eyes to the light of Christ, to the gift of love and salvation.
Merry Christmas!
The final candle in an advent wreath is always the Christ candle, so this week we are going to look at Christ, the reason for Christmas.
Though we often use it as such, or think of it as, Christ is not a name. It’s not Jesus’ last name or first name or anything like that. Christ is a title. It is the same title as Messiah. It means Anointed One. It means Savior.
The little baby boy, whose birth in Bethlehem had been prophesied about for thousands of years, whose humble beginning was proclaimed by angels and witnessed by lowly shepherds. This little boy named Jesus, was, and is, the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior.
Incredible circumstances surrounding a birth, prophecy, unusual witnesses, all of this makes for a good story, but if the boy then grows up to be a normal person, lives a normal life, and dies, we wouldn’t continue to remember and celebrate it for thousands of years. Jesus was different. He radically transformed the direction of the world when He was born to Mary and Joseph in that manger.
His importance, His title of Christ, had been prophesied. It had been announced to Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men, Elizabeth, and others, and today I want to look at just one of those others.
In Luke 2:25-32 we read, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.””
There was something amazing about Jesus, something undeniable, something shining and bright. The final candle in the advent wreath is the Christ candle, and just as a candle brightly shines forth to be seen in a dark place, Jesus shone in a dark world.
Simeon had been told that he would see the Christ, but on the day that Mary and Joseph brought Jesus into the temple they weren’t accompanied by angelic hosts or royal fanfare. There weren’t even shepherds running around telling everyone what they knew. It was just a young mother and father bringing their son to the temple to follow the law. Yet, Simeon instantly knew who Jesus was. Here, in his arms, he held a baby, a little boy, who was the Lord’s Christ, salvation, a light. Jesus shone, and it was unmistakable.
On Christmas, 2000 some years ago, a light was ignited, a candle was lit, salvation was born in the presence of all people. God made a way for all to come to Him, not just the Jews, but everyone. This Christmas, open your eyes to the light of Christ, to the gift of love and salvation.
Merry Christmas!
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