There is so much fun and beautiful sentiment regarding the jolly fat man…the essence of Christmas giving. There is nothing like watching a kid’s face light up at the prospect of a loving figure coming to bring them happiness through gifts. The magical flying reindeer, elves, the workshop, the ability to get to every house in one night and down chimneys (or through locked doors when a chimney isn’t available) – all of these add to the allure of Santa. The fact that someone would work so hard to know your name, and keep up with your likes and dislikes enough to offer the perfect gift is its own special gift all.

So where does this wonderful holiday fella jump the track? After all, the fact that Santa wants everyone to be good and kind, is a good thing. It’s a good thing that with Santa, misfits are equally special. The derailment comes with the fact that He rewards only good behavior. He works on a point system. It is a nice affirmation to get gifts when you are doing what you are supposed to do anyway, or when you go above and beyond to love and serve. Don’t forget that Santa also gives consequences for bad behavior. In Santaland if you find yourself on the naughty list, you can expect one thing. Coal. No lovely gifts to make you smile as you revel in trophies for your goodness.

With Santa’s accounting, it can make us ponder where the line is between naughty and nice. Is it something inside you? Is it a formal list? What about the gray area? If you talk to 4 different people, you are likely to get 4 differing ideas on what is considered naughty. For example: consider the thought of running a stop sign. You can get perspectives such as:

1. You must stop, period.
2. Or, just slow down and look around. If no one is coming, no need to stop.
3. Or, “That stop sign shouldn’t be there in the first place because there is never anyone there.”
4. Or, “What stop sign?”

Which are naughty and which are nice? We could argue that number 1 is nice and number 4 is naughty. But what about 2 and 3? Other people were considered. The stop sign was recognized. Action would surely be taken if other cars/people were present…

And so it is with everything in life. There are rarely absolutes.

Maybe this is why we say MERRY Christmas! Jesus, the guy whose birthday we celebrate, cleared up the confusion. Trust in Him – receive the gift of eternal life. It’s the absolute. Trusting in Him means recognizing we are sinners. We deserve punishment. Again, Jesus came through for us. He gave His life for us. Every (and every means EVERY) gray area and naughty thought, word, or deed – our sins – are paid for. Covered by His blood. No question. Wahoo!!

There is definitely a naughty list with Jesus, too. Refuse to accept Jesus’s gift and we have no payment for all of our sins. The good things we do earn us nothing because there is still the problem of our sin. Cue the coal. The actionability of coal is a clue, but that is for another blog.

Stacking these two Christmas icons together, we have Jesus v. Santa:

a) Jesus created us. He knows us by name and what we need better than we know ourselves! Santa goes by what we ask for – what WE think we need. (Isaiah 43:1, John 10:3)

b) He gives good gifts to His children that last forever. Santa’s gifts will lose value over time. (Matthew 7:11, 6:19)

c) There is NOTHING we can do to earn His love, or our salvation. There is no ambiguity. We freely receive. Grace = an undeserved gift. Santa uses a point system/grading scale with no defining line between naughty and nice.

“For by GRACE you have been saved through FAITH. And this is not YOUR own doing; it is the GIFT of God, not a result of WORKS, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (emphases mine)

d) Nothing can separate us from Jesus’s love! Advantage: JESUS!

“Neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

Santa is a wonderful concept but works-based. Be good and he’ll be good to us. Jesus is millions of times better than Santa! He is grace-based. We can’t be good enough. He knows this and loves us anyway. He offers us the free gift of His love and His life, and therefore salvation, and eternity with Him. But we gotta take the gift. Don’t let it sit unwrapped this year. Discover the greatest gift ever given, just for you and me. It is the gift that keeps on giving.

Merry Christmas to all!