On Christmas Eve, the candle in the middle of the wreath, the CHRIST candle, is lit.
"Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of darkness, to guide our feet into the path of peace" ~ Luke 1: 78-79
"For unto YOU is born this day, in the city of David, a SAVIOR which is Christ the Lord" ~ Luke 2:11
When we light the Christ candle we remember that CHRIST was born as a baby in Bethlehem to save us from our sins.
The wait is over; the tree is decorated, the presents are bought and wrapped, all the fixings are ready to be prepared for Christmas dinner. Christmas is finally here! But in all this excitement, we can't forget why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Christ came as a baby to be the go between from God to us, he died on the cross so that we may have eternal life. This is why we celebrate today!
Jesus came as a light in the darkness, and that is what the Christ candle symbolizes - that we are to be that light today. The candles, the light, should not just remain in the church.
Every year, at the end of our Christmas Eve service, the church I grew up in lights the Christ candle, and from that candle, passes this light to each member of the congregation who has their own candle. Once all the candles are lit, the congregation processes out of the church, singing "Silent Night", letting our lights light the dark streets. This is the truest example of what we are supposed to do - take the light of Christ into the world.
Not just at Christmas but all year round.
I hope that you and your family have a very Merry Christmas. That you enjoy all of the hope, peace, joy, and love that comes from this season. But most importantly, you remember that Christ is the reason for all of this and you take his light into the world.
Merry Christmas! <3
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