A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would remind people of the true meaning of Christmas; so he made the candy cane to incorporate several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy - white to symbolize the virgin birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the solid rock, the foundation of the Church, and the firmness of the promises of God.
The candy maker then shaped his cane into the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to the earth as Savior. Turned upside down, it could also represent the staff of the "Good Shepherd" with which He reaches down to reclaim the fallen lambs who, like sheep, have gone astray.
Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.
Unfortunately, the candy became known as a candy cane—a meaningless Christmas decoration. But the meaning may be there for those who have “eyes to see and ears to hear.” Every time you see a candy cane, remember the wonder of Jesus and His Great Love that came down at Christmas, and that His Love remains the ultimate and dominant force in the universe today.
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