Christmas carries many wonderful customs, but none should drown out the clear song of Scripture. When truth gets tangled, even good things lose their meaning, so let love for tradition serve love for God’s Word, not replace it. Pass the message more than the moment: the season centers on the gift of God giving Himself. Hold the candy cane lightly, and hold the gospel tightly. Let the season’s joy flow from the simple, sturdy truth that Christ the Lord has come [03:08].
Luke 2:11 — Today, in David’s city, a Rescuer has been born for you; He is the Anointed One, the Lord.
Reflection: Which Christmas habit in your home tends to crowd out the simple announcement that a Savior has been born, and how will you adjust it this week to spotlight Jesus?
The hook shape points to shepherds—the first invited—and to Jesus, the Good Shepherd who came not to be admired as a baby but to lay down His life. You are safe with Him; He knows your name and leads with a recognizable voice. In a world of noise, slow down and listen for His guidance that protects, corrects, and comforts. Let the shepherd’s staff remind you that ordinary people are still invited close. Lean into His care and follow His voice today [17:15].
John 10:11,14 — I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. I know my own, and my own know me.
Reflection: Where, specifically, do you sense the Shepherd calling you to trust Him—at work, at home, or in a relationship—and what small step will you take to respond?
Flip the hook and you see a J—Jesus at the center of Christmas. His name means He saves, and His title Immanuel means God with us, here and now. Christmas is not about what we give or get; it’s about who came near and stayed near. Whisper His name in the ordinary: over dishes, during your commute, and in your worries. Welcome Him as God with you in each moment you face today [20:53].
Matthew 1:21–23 — She will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will rescue his people from their sins. All this fulfilled what God promised: they will call him Immanuel—which means “God with us.”
Reflection: What is one moment today when you will consciously welcome Jesus as “God with you,” and how will that change your words or tone?
The candy’s hardness points to something stronger: Christ the Rock. Lives anchored to Him stand when the wind rises and the rain beats down. Hearing His words and putting them into practice forms a foundation that storms cannot steal. Start small: choose obedience in one practical place today. Build on the rock that holds when lesser ground gives way [25:54].
Matthew 7:24–25 — Everyone who hears my words and lives them out is like a wise builder who set a house on bedrock; the rain poured, the rivers swelled, the winds struck, but it did not collapse because its foundation was on the rock.
Reflection: What daily practice will you put in place to anchor you on the Rock during an approaching “storm” you can name right now?
The colors preach: white for His purity, red for His wounds—by His stripes we are healed. Even the mint reminds us of cleansing, like hyssop’s ancient picture of being made clean. But the truest lesson is tasted: take in His goodness, not just as an idea but as nourishment for your soul. Let gratitude and trust be the sweetness that lingers. Taste and see His goodness in a real, ordinary moment today [33:02].
Psalm 34:8 — Try for yourself and see that the Lord is good; those who take refuge in Him find a deep, settled joy.
Reflection: What concrete action will help you “taste” His goodness—confessing a sin, thanking Him out loud, or serving someone quietly—and when will you do it?
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.
Now you know that the candy cane, it's not in the Bible.The closer it gets to being in the Bible is if you do that.It doesn't talk about candy canes in the Bible.But the first thing we're going to look at with the candy cane, to learn about the message, the hidden message that's in the cane, is revealed by the shape of the cane.
[00:14:41]
(38 seconds)
#HiddenCandyMessage
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