We gathered the whole family—kids, parents, and grandparents—to remember what Christmas is really about: passing on the most important gift of all. Using a simple candy cane, we untangled some traditions to protect the truth. The hook shape points to the shepherds—ordinary people God invited first—and to Jesus who called Himself the Good Shepherd. He came not to be admired as a baby, but to rescue as a Savior. Turn the cane, and it becomes a J: Jesus—Immanuel, God with us. He wasn’t merely a wise man with a special relationship to God; He is God, come near to carry us home.
The hard “rock candy” reminded us that Jesus soothes and heals, and that wise lives are built on Him. Like a house anchored on bedrock, a soul anchored in Christ doesn’t collapse under storm. The mint flavor led us to hyssop—a biblical sign of cleansing—echoing the cross where our deepest stain was addressed. The colors preach: white for Christ’s purity, red for His stripes. He who was pure came down so that we could be made new and brought up.
Then the sweetness: taste and see that the Lord is good. The candy outside becomes something inside, just as Jesus longs to move from being around us to living within us. Christmas is about God’s gift of Himself—received, not earned. You don’t need to clean yourself up first. Come like the shepherds did, start toward Him like the wise men did, and receive the One who came to save. Many prayed, from the youngest to the oldest, trusting Jesus to forgive, lead, and make all things new. That’s a gift worth sharing—on the hills, in our homes, and wherever God places us.
Key Takeaways
- 1. Jesus, our Good Shepherd He came first to ordinary people and still seeks us where we really live. The Good Shepherd lays down His life, so we can learn to recognize His voice and follow it above all others. Real freedom isn’t doing whatever we want; it’s trusting the One who knows the terrain of our hearts and leads us home. [17:15]
- 2. Build on Christ the Rock Storms test foundations, not decorations. Building on Jesus means arranging our choices around His words until they carry weight in our habits, calendars, and desires. When rain, wind, and rising waters come, obedience becomes shelter, and hope becomes durable. [26:25]
- 3. His purity and healing stripes The white reminds us of Christ’s sinless life; the red of His suffering love. He didn’t just sympathize with our pain—He entered it, and through His wounds He makes us whole. Healing is sometimes instant, often gradual, always tethered to the cross that names our deepest need and answers it. [31:33]
- 4. Receive Immanuel’s gift of grace God came near, not to improve our performance, but to rescue our lives. You don’t start with worthiness; you start with willingness—opening empty hands to a full Savior. Grace received becomes grace practiced, and presence welcomed becomes presence shared. [35:47]
- 5. Taste and see God’s goodness Truth is meant to be savored, not just studied. As we take Jesus at His word, the sweetness of trust begins to displace the bitterness of fear and self-reliance. Let simple reminders—a flavor, a song, a verse—pull faith from theory into daily life. [33:02]
Youtube Chapters
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:21] - Family service and candy canes
- [05:19] - The candy cane game rules
- [06:51] - How we use candy canes
- [10:36] - Legend of the secret symbol
- [12:10] - German choir master and hook shape
- [15:22] - Shepherd’s staff: first invited
- [18:46] - Turn it—J is for Jesus
- [22:45] - Hard candy: healer and rock
- [27:31] - Mint, hyssop, and cleansing
- [29:53] - Colors that preach: white and red
- [32:33] - Taste and see His goodness
- [33:58] - Christmas is God’s gift
- [37:34] - Prayer and next steps
