During this time of year our family watches Christmas movies, and many of them are either about Santa or include him. Santa is almost always a good character that encourages people to behave better with the promise of reward. Christmas movies always turn out happy with a good focus on family and giving to others. For the most part then, watching Santa movies are happy times with the family, but I want to point out that while Santa may be fun, Jesus is an even better focus for the CHRISTmas holiday. If we compare the two, we will discover that Jesus beats Santa in every category.
Santa gives gifts to good boys and girls on Christmas. James 1:17 says that all good gifts come down from the Father of heavenly lights, and John 3:16 tells us that Jesus is the gift of the Father to the world so that those who believe in Him might have everlasting life. All good gifts are ultimately from God and for those who believe, we get to experience His goodness for eternity.
Santa seems to have quite a bit of knowledge of our activities since he knows when we are sleeping and when we are awake, and when we've been good and bad. Psalm 139 tells us that God knows us intimately and that there is no place where we can go that he is not there, and Psalm 147:5 says that God's knowledge is infinite, so God has more knowledge than even Santa.
Santa wants people to be good, not bad, but he seems to be kind of a legalist with your reward depending exclusively upon how good or bad you are. Some of the stories seem to indicate that if you are bad, you might only get coal for a present! God wants us to be good and gave us His law for our own good (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). Furthermore, Jesus tells us that if we love Him, we will do what He commands (John 14:15). But He also recognizes that on our own we cannot love Him, so He came to redeem us even when we were bad and still His enemies (Romans 5:8). Even our ability to be good after He has redeemed us comes from Him. He gives us His Spirit and changes our hearts so that we learn to love what is good. Then we can be good because we have new desires and the power of the Holy Spirit working in us (study Romans 6-8).
Finally, while Santa is fun fairy tale to encourage us during the Christmas season, Jesus is really God incarnate who came to earth to show us God's love for us. He not just a fairy tale, but a real man, who lived, died, and rose again, so that we can know His love at all times and during all seasons. During the Christmas season it's okay to have fun with your family, give gifts to one another, and watch holiday movies, but it is most important to remember and put a focus on the one for whom the holiday is named. Christ is not just the reason for this season, but rather this season should help us remember that Jesus should be our reason to live and love well during all times of the year.
John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Finally, while Santa is fun fairy tale to encourage us during the Christmas season, Jesus is really God incarnate who came to earth to show us God's love for us. He not just a fairy tale, but a real man, who lived, died, and rose again, so that we can know His love at all times and during all seasons. During the Christmas season it's okay to have fun with your family, give gifts to one another, and watch holiday movies, but it is most important to remember and put a focus on the one for whom the holiday is named. Christ is not just the reason for this season, but rather this season should help us remember that Jesus should be our reason to live and love well during all times of the year.
John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
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