Merry & Bright
“But it's such a magical time of year!” shouted Billy. There are presents! And visiting relatives! And decorations!” My six-year-old was reading a library book, and I was disgusted.
“Let me guess,” I said to her, “There will be no mention of the birth of Jesus Christ in this book, right?”
“No,” she said cautiously, sensing that I was about to rant, and she was right. My baby knows me so well. “What if, on your birthday, April 19th, everything was merry and bright, and everyone got excited about the magic of springtime? They exchanged gifts, decorated, and spent time with family and friends, but never once acknowledged your birthday. How would that make you feel?”
“It would make me feel sad,” she said.
“I wonder how it makes Jesus feel?”
The other day, another mom asked me if my daughter still believes in Santa. “No,” I answered, “She has never believed in Santa. It is only by the grace of God that she has anything that she has, and I would be remiss to allow her to believe a lie. All glory belongs to God, and she has always known that, but unfortunately, some kids do not even know Christmas is in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ. I wonder how that makes Jesus feel?”
“For I have known him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord...” (Genesis 18:19). Abraham was a friend of God. God trusted him to keep His commandments and teach his children about the LORD, and because Abraham was faithful in leading his children in the way of God, God fulfilled all He promised Abraham.
We do not have to actively teach our children about Santa. The enemy will do whatever it takes to turn their attention away from Christ, even when it seems innocent. I have often heard adults ask children, “What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?” They do not mean any harm, but such a question is indeed harmful. The fantastic lie of Santa Claus is, in fact, dangerous and a trick of the devil.
Satan is a thief and a liar (John 8:44). He has hijacked many of the characteristics of God and assigned them to this false idol, Santa. He has convinced people to lie to their children about his existence to steal glory from God. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Satan wants to distract you from doing what God wants you to do. He does not care who you give the glory to as long as it is not God.
Does Santa know when you are sleeping and awake? It sounds like he is omniscient and all-knowing (Heb. 4:12-13). They say he can be anywhere anytime, making him omnipresent (Ps. 139: 7-10). He has not succumbed to diabetes or heart disease from all those cookies, so he must be invincible. Eternal existence is part of the deity of Christ, and since Santa never dies, he must have an everlasting existence; immortality makes him a deity (Jn. 1, Rev. 1:8). Santa is a god, and by singing his praises each year, we worship him and teach our children to do the same.
Children know the truth of Jesus; they just do not know it is about Jesus! Jesus has angels, Santa has elves (Heb. 1:14). Jesus can fly, Santa can fly (Acts 1:9). God is rich, Santa has got to be rich to do what people claim he does (Rev. 21:18). And who do we know with white hair and a beard white as snow, clad in red garments? It is jolly old Saint Nick, right? No, actually, it is Jesus. Jesus is described this way in Isaiah and Revelation. Still, we do not know this because we do not read the Bible and never take a second to consider that the con artist Satan commandeered yet another trait from Jesus Christ and gave it to Kris Kringle (Isa. 50:6, 63:2, Rev. 1:14, 19:13, 15).
And where does Santa live? Why, in the North Pole, of course. Much like the home of Jesus Christ. Psalm 48:2 and Isaiah 14:13 use the phrase “the farthest sides of the north” to refer to heaven. How original for Santa’s home to claim the location where God is enthroned. And do not forget that Santa can make reindeer fly, but Jesus can make donkeys talk. How does every Christian kid know that Santa’s reindeer can fly, but they do not know about Balaam’s talking donkey or Elijah’s Chariot of Fire (Num. 22:22-40, 2 Kgs 2:11)?
Jesus is the only One with the power and authority to make a list and check it twice, to judge the naughty and nice things we do (Matt. 12:36, Rev. 20:12). In Matthew 19:14, parents brought their children to Jesus to be blessed. Contemporary parents stand in long lines to bring their children to Santa, kicking and screaming. But if a kid does not want to go to church or read their Bible, the parents do not push back; after all, kids should be allowed to choose their own path. There is joy in a child’s eyes when you tell them Santa is coming! I wonder how they would feel if they knew Jesus is coming (Matt. 24:44, Rev. 22:20)?
What if Christian parents were such good friends with God that they devoted their lives to teaching their children the ways of the LORD like Abraham? What if believers approached the subject of Jesus with the same excitement and enthusiasm as Santa Claus? “Hey, little girl, what are you trusting Jesus for this year?” When you know better, you do better. This year, make the season Merry and Bright, not by promoting fanfare but by teaching your children about Jesus Christ.
