Bible Reading: John 3:16-18

“Can we have a candy cane?” asked Josh as he looked at the striped candy canes hanging on the Christmas tree.

“Yeah, can we? Please?” echoed his sisters, Adriane and Nicole.

“All right,” Mom said. “But as you eat them, I want you to think about how they remind us of the reason we celebrate Christmas.”

Each of the kids quickly selected a red-and-white-striped candy cane from the tree. Nicole held her candy at arm’s length and stared at it. “I don’t really see what candy canes have to do with Christmas, except that it’s the time of year when you always see lots of them. Or maybe it’s because there’s red on them–Christmas colors are red and green.”

“Nah. That’s not a good enough reason,” said Josh. He stared at his candy cane too. “Hey!” he exclaimed. “Part of our Sunday school verse last week said, ‘By His stripes we are healed,’ so the stripes can remind us of how they whipped Jesus.”

“That’s part of the Easter story,” said Adriane. “It doesn’t have anything to do with Christmas.”

“Oh, but it does,” said Mom. “It has to do with why Jesus came to earth. He came to suffer and die and take the punishment for our sins so those who trust in Him could be saved.”

“So maybe the red stripe on the candy cane can stand for the blood Jesus shed for us when He died on the cross,” said Nicole.

“And the white can stand for having our sins washed away when we trust in Jesus,” added Adriane.

Josh nodded. “And look,” he said, holding his candy cane upside down. “When you hold it this way, it’s a J–a J for Josh.” He grinned as his sisters started to protest. “Just kidding,” he said. “It’s a J for Jesus.”

“Excellent thinking,” said Mom. “Those are all great ways candy canes remind us of the real reason we celebrate Christmas–Jesus being born into the world so He could die for us on the cross. I hope these candy canes will help you remember that–not only at Christmas, but all year long.”

–Jean A. Burns

How About You?
Do you get excited about Christmas and all the food, parties, and presents that go along with it? Those are all good things, but don’t forget the real reason we celebrate Christmas–Jesus being born so He could die to save us from our sin. This Christmas, receive the best gift of all–eternal life with Jesus. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.)

Today’s Key Verse:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. (NKJV) (1 Timothy 1:15)

Today’s Key Thought:
Jesus was born to save you