Sunday, December 6
The Lighting of The Bethlehem Candle—(purple) the candle of peace—Luke 3:4-6
As we re-light the first purple candle, we remember the meaning of the word “advent” is “coming” or “visit”! We are preparing for the Advent of Christ at Christmas; walking through those historical steps and taking our time so we can understand and cherish every memory of them.
o We remember Israel’s hope for the coming of God’s Messiah to save, forgive and to restore.
o We remember our own need for a Savior to save us from our sins and to restore our broken relationship with God.
o We are reminded of our hope for the second coming of Christ, and to prepare our hearts for His soon return.
By lighting one candle each week, we pause to think upon the birth of Christ, event by event. Last week we focused upon the prophecies regarding His coming; how many of those prophecies were fulfilled in His birth, His life His death and His resurrection, and how the rest of them will be fulfilled when He returns. Seeing how God kept His promise to the people of Israel encourages us to believe God will keep His promises to us.
Today we focus on the coming of Christ who brings us peace.
As we light the Bethlehem candle, and read the Holy Scriptures, may our joy over our Lord’s first coming overflow our hearts, and may our anticipation for Christ’s second coming re renewed.
o Read Psalm 130:1-8
o Read Jeremiah 31-31-34
o Read Luke 1:68-79
We light this candle because, like God’s people centuries ago, we also need a Savior who will forgive our sins, the purple color reminds us of seriousness of our sin and our great need for God’s forgiveness.
Prayer of Hope:
Dear God, as we light this candle, we recognize our sin and our need for a savior. We wait for your forgiveness in Christ. We long to be purified so that we might present ourselves to You in righteousness. Come, Our Savior!
Amen!