Student Ministry - December 2021
Dear Church Family,
Christmas is my favorite time of year! I actually enjoy many of the external Christmassy things that we do as a culture. I love Christmas music and movies (the classics), decorating and gift exchanging. It brings me joy to consider what to buy for my family and how I can surprise them. It brings me joy to think about all of the fun and meaningful things we will do as a church family during this season. And above all it brings me joy to teach people about the advent and incarnation of our Savior and Lord.
One of the ways that my family likes to keep the gospel at the forefront of our minds and the glory of God as our motivation during the Christmas season is by observing the Advent Wreath. The Advent Wreath is just one of many ways to teach about the biblical history and meaning of Christmas. All you need are five candles (three purple, one pink, and one white) and a wreath to put around the five candles. Each candle stands for a specific aspect of Christ’s advent. So each week leading up to Christmas Day you are to light one of the candles and read certain scriptures that expound on that aspect. Then on Christmas Day you light the last candle along with the others that you have previously observed, which culminates with the gospel, the whole purpose of the incarnation.
This has been such a memorable and meaningful practice for keeping the gospel at the forefront of my Christmas celebrations. I never wonder what the meaning of Christmas is and rarely feel a sense of disappointment or discouragement because of the season. In fact because of this, Christmas often acts like a reset to my motivation for living out the Christian life. I don’t know what kind of holiday traditions you and your family have. But I highly suggest doing something like this. So if you’re interested in how to do the Advent Wreath, here are the things you will need to know. It can vary in practice, but the main elements are as follows:
The first candle is The Candle of Hope- Prophets’ Candle. This is one of the purple candles and it represents the prophetic hope of the coming Messiah. Some scriptures to read with the lighting of this candle are Isaiah 7:10-14, Isaiah 9:5-7, 2 Samuel 7:12-14, and Isaiah 11:1-5.
The next candle is The Candle of Preparation- Bethlehem Candle. This is also a purple candle and it represents the way in which God prepared the world for Christ’s incarnation. Some scripture to go along with this one are Micah 5:2-4, Isaiah 40:3-5, and Luke 3:2-6.
The Candle of Joy- Shepherds Candle is third and it is the last purple candle in the wreath. It represents the joy that Christ brings into the world, and accompanying scriptures are Luke 2:8-14, 15-20, and Matthew 2:1-6, 7-12.
The fourth candle is the pink candle. It is The Candle of Love- Mary’s Candle. Some scripture to read with this candle are Luke 1:26-38, 46-56, Luke 2:19, 51, and 1 John 4:9-10,19. This represents the love of God for the world and the love and devotion of Mary for the Lord.
Finally, and most importantly, is The Candle of Salvation- Christ’s Candle. This candle represents the fact that Jesus is the Messiah who came to take away the sins of the world and bring salvation to all who believe! This is what Christmas is all about. It is the reason for the incarnation. It is the cause of the hope, readiness, joy, and love we have in God. Some scripture to go along with this are Luke 2:25-27,28-32,33-35, 36-38, John 1:29.
There are many more texts of scripture that you could include in these devotions, but these will suffice as a good start. And there are some great online resources on the Advent Wreath. So go do some research and make it your own. But no matter how you do it, be sure it is steeped in the Word of God. I hope this is helpful and encouraging to you and your family. And Merry Christmas!