A Christmas Choice

On Christmas Day, we are faced with a choice that has existed since the beginning of humanity. We must choose between our Creator’s way or our created way. Our Creator says, “Dwell with Me,” but He does not force us to.

Christmas Past, Present, & Future

In 221, Sextus Julius Africanus was the first person to publicly recognize December 25 as Jesus’ birthday. By the fourth century, church officials instituted Christmas as a holiday. It is commonly believed that this late December date was partly chosen to repurpose pagan winter celebrations and help facilitate the spread of Christianity (Hillerbrand, 2020). While this was not suggested until the 12th century, early Christian writers (e.g. Augustine) indicate this date was chosen because Jesus' conception and death occurred on the same day, which was March 25th in the Roman solar calendar (DeYoung, 2020). In any case, by the Middle Ages, Christmas was globally recognized as the miraculous birth of Jesus. However, due to the continuance of pagan winter celebrations, the holiday became a mixing pot of different man-made traditions for many people (History.com, 2009). Certain English and American leaders even banned Christmas and discouraged its celebration for a short period of time in the 17th century because they believed the pagan influence promoted decadence. In spite of all this, the spirit of Christmas eventually found its resurgence under seemingly pure intentions and became a United States’ federal holiday in 1870 (Hillerbrand, 2020).

Today, Christmas is perhaps the most exciting holiday of the year. Most people would say it serves as a time of jolly, goodwill, and family communion. But if we pull back the curtains and carefully examine our Christmas celebrations, is this what we will find?

Instead of going through the motions, perhaps we should take a deeper look at how we celebrate Christmas. This exploration may reveal uncomfortable truths that we would rather ignore, but if we face what is true and choose what is good, we can discover something beautiful beyond our imagination.

Jesus vs. Santa

Imagine having a birthday party, and everyone shows up to celebrate someone else. Now imagine that someone else does not even exist.

Even though the celebration of Christmas has been influenced by secular and pagan traditions, if Jesus Christ -- the only begotten Son of God-the-Father, and the Old Testament’s prophesied Messiah -- was not born around 2-3 B.C., Christmas would not exist. God’s Spirit entered our reality as a man to exemplify perfect living, to forgive and purify us of our sinful nature, and to grant us eternal life free from pain, suffering, and evil. We cannot celebrate Him enough.

But is this what some of us really celebrate on Christmas Day?

Before the birth of Jesus, people in ancient Germany carried a mid-winter holiday to honor Odin, a pagan god who flew in the night sky to observe “his people” and decide who would “prosper or perish” (Wigington, 2018). Germans were afraid of this white bearded god and often stayed inside to avoid his judgement (History.com, 2009). During the wintertime, German children filled their boots with carrots or straw and left them near the chimney as a gift for Sleipnir, Odin’s 8-legged flying horse. The children were told that Odin would leave gifts in their boots, rewarding them for their “good” behavior. (Wigington, 2018)

In the fourth century, a Turkish bishop laid aside his wealth in order to serve the poor, prostitutes, and children. Over time, he became a symbol of generosity. (Wigington, 2018)

In 1823, Clement C. Moore's poem, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, skillfully and beautifully integrated the attributes of Odin and Saint Nicholas to create an old, white bearded figure who brought gifts and joy to all during the Christmas season. This fictitious character became the enduring image of “Santa Claus.” (Wigington, 2018)

Today, Santa has stolen the show across the globe on Christmas Day. How many Christmas movies or songs are centered around Santa compared to Jesus? How many homes glorify Santa over Jesus? Which figure has more presence within our cities, retail stores, and neighborhoods? Jesus -- a real Man -- the morally perfect Being and Son of God is being overshadowed on His birthday by Santa, a fictional character based off a saint and false god.

Who or what are you celebrating this Christmas? Does it even matter?

Truth vs. Lie

Multiple credible individuals documented Jesus’ existence in the first century. These eyewitness accounts & biographies claim that Jesus had divine power over nature and death, lived a morally perfect life, and is humanity’s Savior. According to the New Testament, Jesus fulfilled 200+ prophesies outlined in the Old Testament that speak of a Messiah – Someone that would reveal our Creator’s eternal plan for humanity.

No historian seriously disputes the existence of Jesus. There is more historical evidence for Jesus than Socrates, Pontius Pilate, Buddha, Saint Nicholas, and many other well-known, historic figures. There are more reliable written accounts about Jesus’ life than the most powerful man alive at the time: Tiberius Caesar of Rome (McDowell, 2020). Throughout human history, only a tiny fraction of people have biographies written about them, even amongst the minority of people who spent a tremendous portion of their lives pushing for admirable causes. There is no way the most impactful biographies in human history represent someone that didn't exist.

Virtually everyone acknowledges Jesus was a good and wise man because of His reputation and teachings. Jesus exemplified and preached of trustworthiness, truth, humility, repentance, kindness, forgiveness, selflessness, sacrifice, generosity, kindness, justice, courage, patience, mercy, peace, joy ... Love. Through eloquent and memorable parables, He illustrated timeless truths contrasting diligence vs. laziness, humility vs. pride, sacrificial love vs. preferential treatment, mercy vs. wrath, forgiveness vs. vengeance, purity vs. immorality, and other aspects of what is good vs. evil. When religious and political leaders tried to challenge Him, they found no contradictions in Him.

Jesus claimed to be eternal and divine. He claimed to be sent by God. He claimed to be the Son of God. He claimed to be the Old Testament’s Messiah -- the Savior of humanity. Given His divine right and mission, He claimed to have the power to cleanse anyone of their sins and provide eternal life if he or she is willing to be humble, reasonable, and repentant. He claimed to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This is why He was crucified – because of who He claimed to be.

Since Jesus embodied truth and goodness, He must be who He claimed to be. If we do not believe Him, then we are accusing Him of being a liar or a lunatic. Since a liar could not maintain a perfect reputation and a lunatic could not carry profound wisdom, we are left with no other choice than to believe Him.

The written accounts of Jesus also claim He rose from the dead, as He promised He would. Nearly all critical scholars (whether liberal, skeptical, agnostic, or even atheist) concede to some minimal facts regarding Jesus’ resurrection because they are “virtually undeniable” (Habermas, 2018). After careful consideration to the minimal facts and the rest of the evidence, there is no better explanation for (1) the multiple testimonies of Jesus’ appearances after His death, (2) the emergence of the Church, (3) and the Sabbath moving from Saturday to Sunday -- than Jesus' bodily resurrection.

The truth behind why the name of Jesus carries so much weight is found in the most reliable documents about His existence: The New Testament. Jesus’ miraculous birth, perfect life, sacrificial death, and resurrection are the reasons for the largest movement in the world, two of the biggest holidays celebrated by humanity, and why we designate this year 2020. Moreover, in conjunction with the Old Testament, Jesus most adequately explains humanity’s moral awareness, our good and bad tendencies, and the undeniable evidence for a realm outside of the universe.

When we focus Christmas on Jesus, we challenge ourselves to be curious about history and evidence. We can also encourage children’s questions about Jesus because He is real and wants to be found (Prov. 8:17). The honest and endless exploration of Jesus builds reasonable faith in what is true.

Santa, on the other hand, takes us on a different journey. If we dig into his origins, we find a false god and a Christian. Rather than teaching about Greek mythology or Jesus, many of us prefer to describe Santa as the magical character from Clement C. Moore’s poem. But because Santa is magical and non-evidential, children are discouraged from questioning his validity. Some of us tell children that Santa only appears when they are asleep, so they cannot pursue him when they are awake -- We tell them to believe in Santa, but not to seek him. When we talk about Santa, we turn off our curiosity and reason because his false nature ensures that he cannot be explored.

Furthermore, when children are given a deceptive narrative of Santa, they will one day discover that they were lied to. Some of us might justify our deceit by the excitement and joy it brings children. But if children justify their deceit later on in life because of the example we set, do not we partly share the blame? Children count on adults to make sense of the world around them. If we lie to them about Santa, how are they to believe we are telling the truth about Jesus?

When we prioritize Santa during Christmas, we put ourselves in a fantasy world that keeps us from considering history, human nature, and the most reasonable explanation for the meaning of life. The lie of Santa numbs our minds when we should be exploring truth. It deprives us of historical facts. It generates angst and causes distrust. It is a short conversation unless we want to continue making things up.

Does the figure we celebrate this Christmas promote reasonable faith or blind belief? Does focusing on Santa keep us from exploring what we believe? Are we prioritizing truth? If we gloss over the reality of Jesus and present Santa as a real figure, what type of impact is this having on children?

Real vs. Fake

Some of us inform children that Santa is “not” real, yet still surround them with his stories, songs, and decorations. We explain that Santa is fictional, and Jesus is literal, and we believe they will understand the difference. However, before the age of six, children can hardly distinguish between reality and fantasy (Davies, 2018, p. 48).

Perhaps if the Christmas story were not a miraculous one, it would be easier for children to make a distinction between Jesus and Santa. But as we know, Jesus did not have an ordinary existence. He is the only man to be born of a virgin, to display uncapped power over sickness and nature, and to raise Himself from the dead. Jesus’ miracles defy the fixed laws of physics. If we casually mix the real, unique miracles of Jesus with the fake, magical power of Santa, are we sure younger children will be able to recognize the difference between the two? If children are surrounded by the magic of Santa, how do we believe they will perceive Jesus as they get older? No matter how much evidence or logic verifies the divinity of Jesus, many adults still turn the other way because their worldview does not allow them to believe in miracles.

Could the ever-present, fantastical world of Christmas be distorting children’s understanding of reality?

Given vs. Earned

Christmas should be a reminder that Jesus is a gift we did not earn. God created humanity to expand His family (amongst other things). However, since His holy essence can only be with goodness, our selfish and prideful decisions disqualified us from dwelling within His presence. But His plan all along was to do what was necessary to give us another chance while leaving our free will intact. At the perfectly appointed time in human history, He intervened with the gift of His Son so that every human could obtain redemption and everlasting life. Because Jesus is an infinite Being, He was qualified to pay the price for infinite sinful decisions. Because of His 33 years, death, and resurrection, we do not carry the impossible burden of saving ourselves. Because His sacrifice purifies us from our sins, the Spirit of God can now live inside us so that we can pursue goodness without guilt. There is no gift more compassionate, beautiful, and undeserving than Jesus.

Unfortunately, one of our traditions taken from the myth of Odin might skew this message for children. On a day in which children should celebrate a gift undeserved, this tradition teaches them they must be good if they want gifts. The “Naughty or Nice List" suggests gifts are earned by good behavior. It presents a moral standard with no saving grace available for them when they fall short. It indicates to children that they can be perfect on their own. The “Naughty or Nice List" carries a message that is contrary to the reason behind Christmas. Jesus did not come to reward us for our moral uprightness -- He gave His life to save us from our moral corruption. We cannot be perfect on our own, but we can become perfect in our Creator’s sight with humble acceptance of Jesus’ atonement and the Holy Spirit’s assistance. And as we pursue goodness, our Savior keeps us connected to our Creator even when we fail. Our good behavior should be an outflow of the freedom experienced in Jesus coupled with the work of the Holy Spirit; otherwise, our attempts to be good leave us feeling incompetent, guilty, and ashamed.

If we are going to give children gifts as a reminder of the gift of Jesus, should we bring in the “Naughty or Nice List"? Since Jesus’ birth was a generous gift that was in no way contingent on our good behavior, should not the gifts to children be offered in a similar fashion?

Perhaps we should reconsider our practice of gift giving altogether ...

Generosity vs. Presents

Given humanity’s predicament and helplessness before Jesus, we should have unending appreciation for the gift of His life. The truth is, if we have a roof over our heads and adequate food every day, then we have everything we need. And the gift of Jesus is more than we could ever ask for. But if we look at Scripture, we see that it is not enough to just be grateful and appreciative for what our Creator gives us. Throughout the Old and New Testament, we are encouraged to help those in need (Duet. 15:7-11; Eph. 4:28; Matt. 6:1-4; 1 John 3:17, James 2:14-17), just as Jesus did. Jesus served those who were in need throughout His entire ministry and even said that we store treasures in heaven when we sell what we own and give to the poor (Mark 10:21; Matt. 19:21; Luke 12:33). Solomon also repeatedly speaks of how blessed it is to give to the less fortunate (Prov. 19:17, 22:9, 28:27). When we focus on the reason for the season, we are reminded that we have plenty, and we feel motivated to help those who need the most.

Our modern-day tradition of gift giving, however, looks a little different than this. It often promotes self-indulgence and favoritism. The idea of “Santa’s Wish List” teaches children to think about what they want for themselves. Furthermore, the display of multiple presents around the tree centers their attention on getting something new versus appreciating what they have already been given. Even though many of us experience joy when we spoil children, it might come at the cost of feeding their selfishness. Some of us also use the bulk of our Christmas budget to buy presents for our family and dearest friends even if they have plenty. Consequently, we are left with little or nothing to give to those who need the most.

We all want to spoil children, but do not we spoil them most when we illustrate gratitude and giving? We all want to give to those who are close to us, but are there no other ways to give than just buying presents? Rather than spending most of our Christmas money on those who have, should not we give the most to those who need?

Eternal vs. Temporal

Our Creator is the eternal Source of truth, goodness, and beauty. His essence is a perfect relationship between Father and Son, and the expression of their love is the Holy Spirit. Since our Creator is personal, He desired to make creatures in His image – in His likeness – so that they could relate with Him. Unlike the rest of His Creation, God created humanity to consider Him, to understand Him, and to choose Him. He loves humanity and desires to be with us in mutual affection. He has endless goodness to express, endless power to express it, and endless wisdom to express it best. If we continually choose Him, we discover an endless fountain of goodness, power, and wisdom that is to be conveyed through our lives. Aligning our hearts toward our Creator is the only sustainable and eternal way to fulfillment and happiness. When we make a concerted effort to prioritize Jesus on His birthday, we hitch our happiness and hope to something real – something that is available today, tomorrow, and after we die – something that cannot be taken away.

However, our man-made icons and festivities may steer us towards something else. Rather than praying to, meditating on, and discussing our Creator, some of us tend to glorify fantasy and tradition. Unfortunately, when we surround ourselves with Santa, flying reindeer, elves, and magic, many of our exciting, happy, and heart-warming moments are sparked by something that is not real. Even traditions like eating our favorite foods, playing games, and giving gifts cannot serve as permanent sources of joy. How many times have you heard someone say that Christmas is not the same anymore because something out of their control ceased to exist? Everything that we truly want in life – relationships, peace, hope, joy, purpose, happy moments – are found in our Creator. When we seek Him first and foremost, these good things will be added to our lives (Matt. 6:33). We do not need to be devastated if we must say goodbye to good things because one day they will be returned in greater fashion (Phi. 1:21; Rev. 21:3-4). If we properly recognize fantasy as less important and good family traditions as temporary blessings, we can appreciate and cherish the special feelings they bring without getting hopelessly obsessed with them.

Fantasy can stimulate our minds and touch are hearts in desirable ways, but should not we censor how much attention we give them? And while traditions can deliver precious and savoring moments, would not it be wise to remind ourselves that they are not the Source of happiness? Do we want children to grow up looking for ways to escape reality because they believe that true happiness is found in something unreal or fleeting? Should not our traditions emerge and evolve as we focus on what is most important?

Absolute vs. Relative

God and goodness are eternally interlocked – you cannot have one without the other. Moreover, God’s good attributes (like generosity) are best displayed in the life of Jesus because Jesus is God incarnate. We can choose a life that blinds us to the conscience God instilled in us (Rom. 2:15), but we cannot disassociate goodness from Jesus any more than we can thinking from the mind. When we point to Jesus as the perfect example of goodness, we rightly indicate that goodness is absolute and eternal. We suggest that, regardless of our circumstances, we must submit to the immovable standard of goodness we see in His life.

Unfortunately, some of us exclude the goodness of Jesus from our Christmas’ conversations altogether. Instead, we reference Santa or Saint Nicholas as perfect examples of good behavior. However, since our Creator is the Source of goodness, these references undermine the significance -- and hinder children’s understanding -- of goodness. When we present a fantasy or a mere human as the best models of generosity, joy, and selflessness, we indicate that these good attributes are associated with a man-made standard. And if goodness is simply a mental construct confined to this decaying universe, then once all is said and done, it will not matter what was said and done. In other words, this relative idea of morality teaches that goodness is something that can be disregarded if not convenient.

Do our examples of goodness exclude Jesus? If so, what course of action do we think children will choose when choosing goodness becomes a difficult road? Should not we reference the Source and best example of good behavior when teaching children about good behavior? Does not it make most sense to establish firm moral values in children by giving credit where credit is due on Christmas Day?

Facing the Facts

When we consider our Christmas celebrations, what do they tell us? What do they glorify? How do they impact our lives and the lives of others?

On a holiday that is supposed to worship our Creator, the one true God, should we celebrate a fictional character that is partly based off a false god? On a holiday that is founded on truth, should we exemplify lying? On a holiday that represents something real, should we focus most our attention on what is fake? On a holiday that celebrates the only gift that can provide lasting peace and joy, should we look for -- and teach children to look for --happiness in fantasy or fleeting moments? On a holiday that is rooted in the Source of all goodness, should we point to man-made and temporal ideas to exemplify ultimate goodness?

The history of Christmas beholds an undeniable truth: When we pursue our created way rather than our Creator's way, our celebrations and traditions stand against the principles they seemingly exist to uphold.

So What or What Now?

So where will we go from here? If some of our Christmas celebrations contrast the essence of our Creator – the reason for the holiday – are we willing to make changes?

Europeans in the first couple centuries thought they could use Jesus’ birthday to repurpose their pagan winter celebrations. However, this posed challenges because they continued to embrace traditions that were not focused on their Creator. Perhaps we can adopt their ingenuity and avoid their pitfall:

• Rather than baking cookies for Santa, perhaps we should bake a cake for Jesus’ birthday.

• Rather than creating a “Naughty or Nice List", perhaps we should talk about how everyone is both "Nice and Naughty." (1) We reference a couple of our children’s “nice” behaviors over the past year and explain that this is in line with how we were created to be. (2) We remind them, however, that there were also moments when they chose to be “naughty,” as everyone does at times. And because we don’t always do as we ought, we need our Creator’s forgiveness and help to be better. (3) We explain that our eternal Creator came as the Man Jesus to live a perfectly good life and pay the price we deserved for our bad decisions and cleanse us of our naughtiness. We should elaborate if there are questions. (4) We explain that if we accept Jesus’ perfect and sacrificial life, the Spirit of our Creator will enter into our hearts and help us become like Jesus if we ask Him to. We should not shy away from questions. If we do not have the answers, we should humbly admit it -- This means we should do more digging (1Thess. 5:21). (5) At this point, perhaps we offer a gift to each child as a reminder that even though we are naughty at times, our Creator still offers us the gift of forgiveness, the help of the Holy Spirit, and eternity if we allow Jesus’ perfect and sacrificial life to cover our sins and ask for His help moving forward. We can point out that our Creator gave us a gift of perfection and eternal life even though we did not deserve it -- Therefore, we should be charitable to others even if they are not charitable to us.

• Rather than buying children and other loved ones multiple gifts when they have plenty, perhaps we should give more of our money to the homeless -- or – to organizations that are helping those who need the most: Christian Aid Mission, Elic, and Wycliff Associates. If we want to give something to our loved ones on Christmas Day, perhaps we can be creative and think of more meaningful gifts than something store-bought.

• Rather than watching movies and listening to songs about Santa, perhaps we should watch cinema and listen to songs related to the truth of Jesus Christ.

• Rather than just watching feel-good movies, perhaps we should identify and watch movies that carry a good moral lesson. Afterwards, we can have a discussion with our loved ones about how the moral lesson expressed in the movie is best exemplified in the life of Jesus Christ – the Source of all goodness.

• Rather than having our children search for the “Elf on the Shelf”, perhaps we should have them search for the “Star from Afar.”

• Starting December 1st, 2021, rather than dedicating our time to Santa and other things, perhaps we should gather our family together each morning or evening and read one chapter of Luke every day until Christmas. Since there are 24 chapters in the Gospel of Luke, we can read at least one of the multiple accounts of Jesus’ existence by Christmas Day.

In Scripture, we are told that humanity’s number one priority is to love our Creator with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:36-37; Mark 12:29-30; Luke 10:25-27).

Our Creator desires a relationship with us, so He grants us the free will to choose Him. Choosing our Creator is not a one-time decision. It is a daily decision (Luke 9:23). Every day, we must choose between what is true and good or what is false and evil. Our responses to these choices either bring us closer to something everlasting and fulfilling or something temporary and empty. But regardless of where we are today, our Creator is loving, merciful, and patient. When we move away from Him, He graciously waits for us to return.

Let us choose to move towards our Creator. On Christmas, and every day, let us love Him so that we can experience His unending goodness, truth, power, and beauty.

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References

Davies, S. (2019). The Montessori toddler: A parent's guide to raising a curious and responsible human being. New York: Workman Publishing. doi:9781523506897

DeYoung, K. (2020). Is christmas a pagan rip-off? Retrieved from https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/is-christmas-a-pagan-rip-off/

Habermas, G. (2018). Minimal facts on the resurrection that even skeptics accept. Retrieved from https://ses.edu/minimal-facts-on-the-resurrection-that-even-skeptics-accept/

Hillerbrand, H. J. (2020). Christmas. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christmas

History.com Editors (2009). History of Christmas. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

McDowell, S. (2020). The historical evidence for jesus vs. tiberius caesar. Retrieved from https://seanmcdowell.org/blog/the-historical-evidence-for-jesus-is-greater-than-for-caesar

Wigington, P. (2018). The Pagan Origins of Santa Claus. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/the-origins-of-santa-claus-2562993