The Santa Clause - Christmas At The Movies Series

Show film clip from “Santa Clause” - Where Tim Allen is in the Doctor’s Office receiving a check up and complains about the changes that have taken place in his life – about an hour into the movie)

OPEN: A couple of nights ago, my daughter came downstairs in tears. Her brother had informed her - in no uncertain terms – that there was no such person as Santa Claus. She was crushed. She wanted me to tell her that her brother was wrong. She wanted me to tell here there WAS a Santa Claus. But, of course, I couldn’t do that. But I also didn’t want to hurt her anymore than she already was. So I told her that there while there wasn’t any real person named Santa Claus – there had once been a REAL Christian by the name of Nicholas, who was very kind and he would often disguise himself and go out to give gifts to poor children. Over time, people made up stories about him until eventually - we got the jolly old elf living at the North Pole.

ALL kinds of stories have been told about Santa Claus

The poet, Clement More gave him a red nose and eight tiny reindeer.

Thomas Nast, the cartoonist, made him big and fat and gave him a red suit trimmed with fur.

And of course, the cowboy singer Gene Autry gave him Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer

But one story line I’ve noticed a lot lately is one that tries to answer the question: How does one go about replacing Santa Claus if he decides to retire, or if he dies. And one of the cleverest movies to explore that theme was the one you just saw a clip from. Tim Allen becomes Santa by mistake because he didn’t read the fine print. And he put on the Santa suit and thus bound himself to a legal contract known as the “Santa Clause.”

The rest of the movie deals with the changes that take place in Tim Allen’s life:

Changes in his body fat and facial hair

– After he shaves, the beard just pops back out

– He tries dying his gray hair black only to have it change back again

– And no matter how much he exercises he can’t get rid of his belly

Changes in his attitudes – he finds himself going “ho ho ho” a lot

And changes in how and where he lives.

Once he put on the suit, his life was never the same.

I. The Bible talks about us putting on something too - it says we put on Jesus

AND once we put on Jesus – our lives are never the same either.

 We now become children of God

 We have a new home and a new set of relationships

 The Bible tells us that Jesus puts on us “white robes” without spot or blemish

And once we put on those clothes… Our lives are never the same again.

When Tim Allen put on the Santa Suit - it changed

 how he looked and

 how he thought and

 how he acted.

It changed everything about him.

And that is what should happen to us when we “put on” Jesus. That single act should change the way we look and think and act.

Look with me at Ephesians 4:22-24. Paul wrote:

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Paul goes on to tell us “putting on Christ” means that our behavior changes.

• We should prefer truth to lying

• We should prefer a “G” rated way of talking as opposed to surrounding ourselves with the filthy language we find in the books, TV and other forms of entertainment that surrounds us.

• We should not allow anger to so overcome us that it destroys our relationships.

• We should work with our hands and giving to the poor – rather than looking for handouts.

• We need to be kind and compassionate to others

• Forgiving others as God in Christ forgave us.

In short – when people are around us… they should be able to see what we’ve put on. They should be able to see Jesus in us.

When we don’t behave that way… people will sense that something isn’t right.

ILLUS: Back in 1999, the Indianapolis Star carried a story about a Department Store Santa Claus that didn’t behave like Santa ought to have. Apparently, a mother had placed her 1 1/2 year old child in Santa’s lap only to have the child begin to cry. The mother suggested to “Santa” that he the child might quiet down if he put his arm around him, and at that, Santa Claus got a little belligerent with her.