Scrooge/Santa/Saviour
Matt 1:21
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins.”
Luke 2:10
“And the angel said unto them, fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”
For many Christmas can either mean Scrooge, Santa, or Saviour. To some it is totally confusing, and to others it is perfectly clear.
To some in the Scrooge outlook;
1. Folks resent spending and sharing
2. They complain about decorating and cooking
3. They remember cards sent which brought no response
4. Presents given without equal value received
To such people Christmas is a waste of time and trouble!
The shouts of excitement of little children make them crabby and cantankerous.
Carols and lights mean commercialism and good will and charity are marks of hypocrisy.
To others Christmas is Santa Claus
1. It is a chance to go out on the town
2. It is credit buying to the limit
3. It is an excuse for parties
4. It is myth/legend/ and tradition
5. It is secrecy and plotting
6. It is white lies and a little bit of sneakiness
7. It is kissing and hugging
8. It is the hope for a season of bonuses and company gifts
9. It is dolls and toys for the young, and perfume and jewelry for the grown-ups
To these people, Christmas is an intoxicating time of the year that Saint Nicholas rules!
The foot sore clerk behind the counter should never show a sign of weariness.
The police officer must ignore the overtime parking.
Everybody is expected to urge the customer to sign the will pay later form.
And package wrappers are meanies if they do not add an extra bow.
But that is not the real Christmas!
You see the real Christmas centers around the Saviour!!!
However; He does not arrive by parade on 5th Ave. He is not sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, He is not escorted to a throne of tinsel by stars of Hollywood, no cash registers rolling in sales pour out their profits to Him, no knees are bowed to Him in liquor stores, NO, not even a place was set for Him at the dinner table for Christmas dinner.
But you must understand:
There can be no Christmas without Christ,
For without Him all you have is either a Scrooge or a Santa.
Only Christ brings reality, and Christ brings Christmas into your life and soul.
Jesus brings into your life the freshness and expectancy of little children. It is the kind of gladness and joy you cannot find in a bottle or an expense account.
Yes--- Jesus gives meaning to your life!!
Christmas is more than a calendar date or a special time of year, it is or should be an experience!!!
It means opening your life to Christ, and then He decorates your soul, fills your life with gifts, and brings you to the greatest place of peace and happiness that no man has ever known.
Don’t be a Scrooge and pretend to let a Santa Claus fill a void in your life that only a Saviour can fill.
Invite the Christ of Christmas into your life and you will not run out of joy.
Celebrate Christmas now and everyday of the year, and don’t let the little Timmy’s of this world haunt you because you “know to do good and doeth it not”.
James 4:17
We have wandered around about the trees and wreathes, plum pudding and candies, packages and parades looking for the King!!
We need some direction today as the wise men and shepherds of old. We need to know where to find the Christ!!!
Be sure of this very thing, you will not find Him behind a fur trimmed coat, black patent leather boots, and white whiskers.
But you can find Him in the church, between the covers of this very Book. If you search diligently you can find Him, for He is not very far from any one of us.
It is sad that so many today are unable to find the real Christ in Christmas, the true gift that God has given to us.
In Conclusion;
I wonder if there might be one today that would like to find the true Christ of Christmas.
Anyone here tired of the Santa Claus conspiracy??
Anybody want to be rid of that Scrooge spirit??
Find the true meaning of Christmas in Christ!!!
Luke 1:14
“And thou shall have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at His birth.”
