Symbols in Church Series Part V: Candles
Light in this World
This world is a very dark place. We know it. The Lord knows it, too. In order to dispel the darkness, Light from Light, true God from true God (Nicene Creed), entered our world. He is the Strong Word that cleaved the darkness at creation. The Strong Word that cleaved the darkness at his incarnation as God took on human flesh in the darkness of Mary’s womb. The Strong Word that cleaved the darkness of Satan’s temptations, the Pharisees murderous threats and Pontius Pilate’s cowardice. The Strong Word that cleaved the darkness that shrouded the Judean countryside on Good Friday. The Strong Word that cleaved the darkness when he burst forth from the tomb on Easter dawn. The Strong Word that now bespeaks you righteous and forgiven and gives you life. And no ordinary life, but his own life, the life of Christ. A new life that professes, “I want to live as a child of light” (Christian Worship Supplement #771).
Jesus taught in a portion of his Sermon on the Mount: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).
Recently, one of my public high school students was assigned to write a paper for his class. While other students wrote about bullying or cheating, he chose to write about abortion. I read the paper. It was very strong. He rightly called abortion a sin and murder of the unborn. He is Christ’s salt in an environment that needs preservation and purity (Matthew 5:13).
The grandmother of another high school student was dying and his family had determined to turn off the life support. He was adamant that wasn’t right so he called me to discuss what God had to say. His mom told me later that her son was a man that day. He was the light of Christ in a place overtaken by the shadow of death (Matthew 5:14).
These young men are no different from us. Except that maybe they have the courage to speak out.
They, like you, have been given an incredible honor and purpose in life. You are salt and light. Jesus is teaching that your life is not pointless or useless. You are not a child of God standing on the corner waiting for the bus to heaven. You are the living, breathing example of the Gospel. You are not living on the defensive, just trying to survive. You are on the offensive against Satan. Your good works are like salt on that satanic slug. Your good words are like light that scatters his demonic cockroaches.
This world is full of the deep darkness of sin. There is no way that we could ever find our way out of the darkness. So the Light of the world entered our darkness. He sought us out – not because we deserved it, but because of his mercy and grace.
Jesus is the Light that shatters the darkness of death. He chases away the shadows of sin. He removes the gloom of our guilt. He rescues us from the eclipse of our evil.
Jesus promised, “As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world” (John 9:5). We celebrate this light as with the candles of light on and around our altars for worship.
In the Old Testament, when worship was held in the Tabernacle, lamps were lit before the Lord, as the Lord himself ordained (Exodus 40:25). The New Testament church followed the example of the Old Testament and lit candles for worship. The Book of Acts mentions the lighting of many lamps during worship in homes (Acts 20:8).
The early Christian church carried lamps for their evening worship. We recall this as we sing this ancient hymn in our present-day Vespers: “O gracious Light, Lord Jesus Christ, In you, the Father’s glory shone. Immortal, holy, blest is he, And blest are you, his only Son. Now sunset comes, but light shines forth; The lamps are lit to pierce the night. Praise Father, Son, and Spirit: God Who dwells in the eternal light.”
Today, churches have candle stands upon their altars with various numbers of candles in them. These candles symbolize that Christ is the Light of the world and he has called us to be lights in the world. These candles are lit for every worship service.
In addition to these candle stands, there are often two other single candles on either side of the altar. These two candles symbolize the two natures of Christ – that he is both divine and human (1 Timothy 3:16). These candles upon the altar are only lit for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. It is in the Sacrament of the Altar, that is set upon the altar, where Christ comes to his people in his two natures of both God and Man (1 Corinthians 10:16). When lit, the worshipers know they will be celebrating Holy Communion in that service.
Some churches have a special candle called the Christ Candle. Or they might have a lamp that has an eternal flame in it. The Christ Candle and/or the Eternal Flame are always lit for every worship service. These symbolize the never-ending presence of God among his people (Exodus 27:20).
The Paschal Candle is a special candle that stands beside the baptismal font. It is directly connected to Christ’s resurrection. The word “Paschal” means “passing over,” as the Lord “passed over” the Israelites with the last and final plague (Exodus 12:23). The Paschal Candle is lit only during the season of Easter, for baptisms and for funerals. We are baptized into Christ’s death; we rise to a new life in Christ’s resurrection, and in death, we are assured of life eternal based on Christ’s death and resurrection.
As Christian parents, Christian citizens and members of the Christian Church, we are called to be a part of a counterculture which works hard to shine the light of Christ into the shadowy corners of the world and the dark recesses of people’s souls. You are light, shining the Light of Christ. You are the moon, reflecting the greater light of the Son.
This is your identity. This is your calling. It is part and parcel of who Christ made you to be. No one else has this calling – only children of God in Christ Jesus. Because the Holy Spirit has enlightened you in Christ, you are to be whom Christ has created you to be. Let your light shine and “live such good lives among the pagans that … they may see your good deeds and glorify God” (1 Peter 2:12).
When you see the various candles in your church giving off light, remember they are there to remind you to be lights in the world reflecting the Light of the world.
Michael Zarling
For the first 8 years of my ministry, I served at Faith Lutheran Church, an exploratory congregation in Radcliff, KY. I presently serve at Epiphany Lutheran Church and Wisconsin Lutheran School (WLS) in Racine, WI. I am also very involved with our youth as the WLS head soccer coach and the head counselor for WELS Training Camp, a youth camp for 3rd – 9th graders. I have been married to Shelley for 20 years. Together we have 4 beautiful daughters – Abigail, Miriam, Lydia and Gabrielle. We also have 2 dogs – Messi and Mia – named after Lionel Messi and Mia Hamm (the Zarling family really likes soccer!)
