Scripture: Luke 1:68-79 Call to Worship: It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, Almighty God, for into the nothingness of chaos, you break forth with the light of new creation. Though we choose to embrace the darkness of sin, Still you come to us with good news of your love When we forget the good way of your truth You remember us and look upon us with favor by sending prophets, unexpected angels and even your own Child Jesus. Therefore with Mary and Elizabeth and all the other hosts of heaven we stand in awe before you to join their chorus of praise. (Eucharist Prayer for Presbyterian Church) Songs: 89/800 Silent Night (124/842 new songbook) 86/156 O Little Town of Bethlehem (118/136 new songbook) 77/153 Away in a Manger (102/497 new songbook) Benediction: Thank you, Lord, that you come to us in the ordinary stuff of this world to nurture us with your presence. Now may we live in unity, watching for your coming among us for that we may praise you in all we do, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Eucharist Prayer for Presbyterian Church) HallelujahBreakdown.com 1
Advent Reading: The history of the candy cane is steeped in anecdotal legend. These stories say that the candy cane first became associated with Christmas when a German choirmaster was looking for a way to keep the children of the church quiet during the annual Nativity scene. The choirmaster sought out a candy maker and requested that the plain white sugar sticks be bent to have a crook to be used as a teaching tool. The choirmaster decided that the candy's pure white color would represent the purity of Christ. The crook would serve as a way for the children to remember the story of the shepherds who came to visit the baby Jesus. The shepherds carried staffs or canes, and with the hook at the top of the stick, the candy now looked like a cane. In later years a red stripe would be added by candy makers along with the candy cane s signature peppermint flavor. Now we use the candy cane to show the symbolism of Jesus Christ. The white represents His purity, the red His blood shed on the cross. The hook as the staff of the Good Shepherd and when turned upside down, a J for Jesus. Whatever the true origins of the candy cane, they have come to be an essential part of the Christmas tradition. When we see these sweet treats hitting the shelves of stores across the country, we know that Christmas is on its way. They are the tasty heralds announcing the arrival of the coming season HallelujahBreakdown.com 2
Advent Reading: Before the arrival of Jesus, another announcement was made the greatest of all time. Luke writes: In the sixth month of Elizabeth s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, Greeting, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end. How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin? The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail. I am the Lord s servant, Mary answered. May your word be fulfilled. Then the angle left her. The angel Gabriel announced the long awaited arrival of the Messiah. The one who would be the Prince of Peace was coming into the world through a young girl. When Mary could have been worried and fearful, the words of the angel brought her peace. As we light the candle of Peace, let us meditate on the peace that only God can give, and gives us so abundantly through His Son Light the second candle. HallelujahBreakdown.com 3
Sermon Outline Title: Candy Cane Christians Announcing the Prince of Peace Scripture Reference: Luke 1:67-79 Introduction: Look at the Candy Cane and what do you see? Stripes that are red like the blood shed for me. White for my Savior who is sinless and pure. J is for Jesus, my Lord, that s for sure. Turn it around and a staff you will see Jesus my Shepherd is coming for me. - Author Unknown Point 1: The Crook (v.67-75) Explanation (WHAT is happening in the Scripture?): Zechariah had received the unexpected blessing of a son. On top of that, his son was going to be the one to announce the Messiah. Zechariah praised God with his first words after months of silence. In a song that is often called the Benedictus after the first words in the Latin translation of the passage, Zechariah prophesied the coming of a Savior who would redeem his people and predicted that his son John would prepare the Messiah s way. All the Old Testament prophecies were coming true no wonder Zechariah praised God! The Messiah would come in Zechariah s lifetime, and his son had been chosen to pave the way. (Life Application Study Bible) Argument (WHY is it important?): The prophecies were coming true right before their eyes. The long awaited time had come. Zechariah goes back and establishes the lineage of the Messiah. He uses the terminology horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. He also reminds the hearers of the covenant that God swore to Abraham. Zechariah is reminding everyone of the need for a Savior as a fulfillment of the promises of God. His son, John, was going to be the one to show the Messiah to others, to let them know the Son of God was coming. He was to show them their need for the Savior. HallelujahBreakdown.com 4
Sermon Outline Application (HOW does it apply to their lives?): As Zechariah prophesied that John would be the one to show Christ to the world, we also should be symbols of the coming Christ. As we hear in the legend of the candy cane, it was given its signature shape in an attempt to not only be easier to hang on the Christmas tree, but to symbolically show the first letter of the name of Jesus as well as his title of the Good Shepherd. John was announcing the arrival of the Messiah. Are you announcing the world s need for a Savior in how you are living your life? We are to show the world that Jesus is the Messiah through our lives and our actions. As John showed the way to Jesus, we should be the crook of the cane and show Jesus as well. Transition: St. Francis of Assisi is often quoted as saying, Preach the gospel always, and if necessary, use words. Point 2: The Colors (v. 76-79) Explanation (WHAT is happening in the Scripture?): Zechariah continues his song of praise and prophecy by claiming that John will be called a prophet of the Most High and go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him. He says that John will give the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of sins because of the mercy of God. Zechariah had just recalled hundreds of years of God s sovereign work in history, beginning with Abraham and going on into eternity. Then, in tender contrast, he personalized the story. His son had been chosen for a key role in the drama of the ages. Although God has unlimited power, he chooses to work through frail humans who begin as helpless babies. (Life Application Study Bible) HallelujahBreakdown.com 5
Sermon Outline Argument (WHY is it important?): The Israelites needed a Savior. The world needed a Savior. And John was the one that was going to prepare the way, to make the grand announcement that the Savior had finally arrived. Ephesians 2:1-5 says, As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions it is by grace you have been saved. The world today needs a Savior just as much as it did back then. John was to bring the message of the need of salvation, the need for a Savior. Application (HOW does it apply to their lives?): The colors of the candy cane are iconic. When you see the red and white striped candy you know what you are getting a peppermint flavored holiday treat. Today you can find along the shelves many different flavors and colors of candy canes, but the traditional candy cane remains the most popular and the top seller. The legend of the candy cane tells us that the white is for the purity of Jesus. This purity, the sinlessness, gave him the authority to take our sins upon himself for our salvation. The red stripe of the candy cane symbolizes the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross so that everyone could receive salvation through him. As Christians, we believe that we are purchased, redeemed, by that blood. We have a need for a Savior, and God, through his tender mercy, provided Jesus for that need. Ephesians 2:8-10 says, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. As Candy Cane Christians, people should be able to see our colors from far off and to know what they are getting. We should be living our lives in a way that exemplifies the purity of Jesus and the purity of life with the Holy Spirit. The world should be able to see that we are blood bought by Christ as we live our lives for the Kingdom of God. We should carry with us the aroma of God as the candy canes carry the smell and flavor of the peppermint that is infused into each treat. HallelujahBreakdown.com 6
Sermon Outline Recap/Summary/Closing: The red and white candy canes announce the arrival of the Christmas season. Upon the birth of John, Zechariah announced the coming of the Messiah and the privilege his son would have of announcing the need for the Savior. As Candy Cane Christians we should also be living announcements of the need for the Savior and that Jesus Christ is the one who meets that need. Altar Call/Time of Commitment: (Have traditional candy canes available on the altar or holiness table.) Have you ever found a candy cane left over from a previous Christmas and decided to try it? It probably was not as much of a tasty treat as it had been when it was purchased. Its colors may have been dingy or the crook may have been broken off from the straight piece. This morning as we reflect on the annunciation of the work of the Messiah, I encourage you to consider the effectiveness of your witness. What kind of candy cane are you? Are you a broken candy cane, in pieces, or missing your crook? Have you been so wrapped up in the busy-ness of the season that you have forgotten not only your need for a Savior, but the obligation to tell others of their need? As Christians it is our responsibility to point others in the direction of Christ. To show them the need for a Savior and to guide them towards Jesus as John did as the preparer of the way. Are you a flavorless candy cane? Are you riding on the coattails of previous Advent seasons? Are you leftover from another year? Don t lose the flavor of Christ. Be what others expect you to be. Christ calls us to be salt and light dare I say, peppermint to the world. We can only do that by living a life worthy of the calling he has given us. The Scripture in Ephesians reminds us of the old live we were saved from the life of the flesh. Flavorful Candy Cane Christians are alive with Christ through the gift of God. This morning I invite you to come to the altar and take a candy cane. If you hang it on your tree, may it be a reminder every time you see it to be a Candy Cane Christian. To announce to others about the season we are celebrating the need for a Savior and Jesus Christ as that Savior. If you eat your candy cane, may the peppermint flavor and the crook shape remind you that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares for his sheep the ones in need of saving and of his purity and selfless sacrifice. Take some time to pray and reflect and may we all step out during this season as Candy Cane Christians announcing to the world that there is one who will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace. (Luke 1:78-79) HallelujahBreakdown.com 7
Children s Sermon/Object Lesson Before the lesson, attach Candy Cane Christians cards to candy canes with ribbon for each of the children. Lesson: Look at the Candy Cane and what do you see? Stripes that are red like the blood shed for me. White for my Savior who is sinless and pure. J is for Jesus, my Lord, that s for sure. Turn it around and a staff you will see Jesus my Shepherd is coming for me. - Author Unknown A baby named John was born to a woman named Elizabeth and a man named Zechariah. Zechariah was so happy when John was born he started praising God. Zechariah knew that John was a special baby and he also knew that John was going to get to be the one that announced that Jesus was coming as the Savior. The world needed a Savior back then, just as we need one now. God loves us and wanted to provide that Savior for us, so He sent Jesus. The candy cane reminds us about Jesus and also helps to remind us to be Candy Cane Christians. The crook, or bent part, of the candy cane shows us that we need a Savior. Sometimes Jesus is called the Good Shepherd. If he is the Good Shepherd, then we are his sheep, the people who need his help. When you turn the candy cane over it makes a J shape to tell us that Jesus is the Savior that we need. The white part of the candy cane reminds us that Jesus was pure. He did not sin or do anything wrong during his life. This made it possible for him to take away our sins on the cross. The red part of the candy cane reminds us that Jesus shed his blood as a sacrifice for our sins. Because of this, we can be forgiven by God and be saved as Christians. Candy canes let us know that Christmas is coming. As Candy Cane Christians we should show others in the world that they need a Savior, that Jesus is that Savior, and that he is coming back for us. John s job was to announce to the world that they needed Jesus and that he was coming. As Candy Cane Christians our job is to announce to the world through how we live our lives that they need Jesus and that he is coming. HallelujahBreakdown.com 8