Christmas: Is Santa For Real?

Christmas: Is Santa for Real?

Matthew 2:11; 6:1-4

One of the best aspects about Christmas, frankly, is going into stores or watching a parade and…as it gets near the end - there he is! It’s an odd looking fellow dressed in a red suit! His name, of course, is “Santa Claus” and, frankly, we love getting our picture taken with him and hoping that, somehow, some way, he will - on Christmas Eve - bring us all kinds of goodies and toys and such as that!

In fact, it is impossible to talk about Christmas and not have to include this matter of Santa Claus. So, let’s talk about him! I want us to talk about this very real part of the Christmas celebrations - for a number of reasons:

1. Because Santa is very central to ALL of the Christmas decorations!

He’s in the stores; he’s in the parades; he is - to be quite frank - the CENTER of how the world celebrates Christmas!

2. Because there is so much mis-information about Santa Claus!

So much so that, at least one Christmas carol ascribes to him properties which are God-like.

It goes like this: “he sees you when you’re sleeping; he knows when you’re awake; he knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness’ sake…” All of that precluded with this, that: “You better watch out; you better not cry; you better not pout - I’m telling you why…”

And why? Because “Santa Claus is coming to town!” There is much MIS-information surrounding this jovial fellow. It is not only misinformation; it is an outright LIE and it is an attack on the God of the Bible who ALONE knows that sort of thing!

3. Because this is something that we HAVE to deal with with our children!

We can try, but I would suggest that we cannot get away from having to deal with “Santa” as we talk to our children about Christmas.

At this season of the year, they cannot go to a friend without hearing about him; they cannot go into a store without hearing about him! They cannot see a Christmas card without seeing him! For us to act like he doesn’t exist is, in the broadest sense, to try and escape reality! There’s a fourth reason…

4. Because Satan has used the idea of “Santa” to replace and even deny the reality of Jesus!

If there is someone else who can “know when we’re sleeping, or good or bad,” then he must be equal in power and knowledge to Jesus Christ! And that, of course, is a blatant lie!

Some atheists groups have gone so far as to equate Santa with Jesus to declare that BOTH of them are just mythical figures that have no place in a real world! And that, dear friend, is a lie of the first order! There’s a fifth reason; it is this…

5. Our children deserve to know the TRUTH about Santa!

He was a very real person who, in fact, loved Jesus Christ and secretly gave gifts to others in the name of serving the Lord! That is VERY important!

Our children do not need to be “opted out” of the idea of Santa Claus; he was a real person - and he loved the Lord Jesus! I know of families who just absolutely refuse to have any dealings whatsoever with any idea of “Santa Claus.” That, of course, is their prerogative! But it certainly is difficult to do, AND…it actually puts the child in a difficult position. Here’s what I mean:

That child is going to hear about, and see, Santa Claus all over the place - there is no avoiding it! Even if the parents refuse to even recognize it, that child is going to see Santa Clause somewhere - in the mall, in the parade, in the shopping centers, on posters, on lawns - to completely disregard him is actually quite impossible! So, the better thing to do, I believe, is to hit the matter head on!

Beyond that, it’s always been interesting to me that the very parents who - TODAY - want to disregard the idea of Santa Claus altogether, are parents who, when they were children, had quite a wonderful time thinking about and anticipating the “jolly old man in the red suit!” Now, somehow, they want to deny that fun to their own children! All, I might add, for very good reasons, but I would suggest that totally eliminating any talk or reference to Santa Claus is a lost cause; you cannot logically do it!

They know about him; other kids are talking about him, and - to try and eliminate that is not only impossible, it puts your children at a decided disadvantage as they are having to explain why they DON’T talk about Santa and are, frankly, too young to try and give that kind of a defense!