Tuesday, November 29, 2005
John 8:12 "I am the light of the world."
THE ADVENT WREATH
We have now entered the initial season of the church year, Advent . . . a good time to be reminded of the significance of the Advent wreath.
Being in the shape of a circle, the wreath stands for eternity. The evergreen boughs symbolize Jesus' everlasting love and that through faith in Him we have eternal life.
The three purple candles remind us of Advent's emphasis on repentance. "Repent!" is the cry of John the Baptizer and the Old Testament prophets that came before him, calling God's people, then and now, to change our hearts and lives in preparation for meeting our Lord.
The pink "Rejoice Candle" stands for our joy in our Lord's forgiveness.
The white "Christ candle" pictures the purity of Jesus who came to wash away our sins.
Even the action of lighting the candles has meaning. It reminds us of our Savior's words in John 8:12: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Each time a candle is lit we can think of how dark life would be without Him and the growing light of salvation through His coming at the first Christmas.
