Christmas – Perspective

A few years ago while visiting family for the holidays, I was asked to share something at our gathering, like maybe reading the Christmas story, you know, the one depicted in every church play and recited by Linus in A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Now maybe it’s just because I’m a guy, or I might have watched too many episodes of Tim the Toolman Taylor souping things up because he wanted “More Power,” but I don’t get stoked over babies, shepherds, and cattle lowing in a manger. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that story and I’m all for it, and cardboard angel wings strapped to a kid for a play are cute, but I’m looking for something more, like a supernatural reality with the power to change things.

While praying about what to share, the Lord brought John chapter 1 to mind and showed me that it’s “the other Christmas story.” It’s the same story viewed from a different perspective.

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The Story Behind The Christmas Story

saint-and-children-300p I expect we’re all aware that Christmas isn’t really about Black Friday sales and going to the mall to see how much stuff you can cram into the trunk of your car to haul home and put under a dead tree in your living room. I trust we all understand that Christmas is really about commemorating the first coming of Christ to earth when he came to be the Savior; the Redeemer; the Atoning Sacrifice; “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

But Jesus came and did all those things long before we started celebrating “Christmas.” So where did Christmas come from? How did it get started and how did it develop into what it is today? And what about this Santa Claus character, what’s up with that?

There is a story behind the celebrating of Christmas, and behind Santa Claus too, and it begins with a fourth century saint – Saint Nicholas. I was recently treated to the telling of that story by one of America’s premier historians, Bill Federer, who was interviewed by my friend and fellow Constitution Party supporter, Cynthia Davis, on her Home Front podcast.

In addition to reading your favorite Bible passages about the Word being made flesh and dwelling among us, and maybe going to a special church service, and, of course, getting together with family on Christmas Day, and eating w-a-a-a-a-y too much, I encourage you to listen to this special message: “Is Santa Claus Real,” and to learn about the origins of the celebration of Christmas. I would hope that reviewing the roots of this holiday might become a habit with us and that it might lead to our emulating Saint Nicholas (Yes, he’s real!) and his acts of Christian charity.

Merry Christmas! May the Blessing of the Lord come upon you and overtake you in the coming year.