MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET
Today we are starting a new series called Christmas at the movies. For the next 4 weeks leading up to Christmas we are going to be looking at 4 classic Christmas films and asking if there is anything we can learn from them in terms of lining up with the biblical account of the birth of Jesus. As you have already seen, the first film we will be looking at is Miracle on 34th Street.
The movie Miracle on 34th street was released in 1947. It starred Maureen O’Hara and John Payne. The story takes place between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day in New York City. It is about a department store Santa who claims to be the real Santa Claus. It won three Academy Awards and was recently selected for preservation by the Library of Congress for being a film of cultural and historical significance. In 1994 the film was remade by director John Hughes and starred Richard Attenborough
So what can we learn from this film today?
Luke 2:8-14 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.
The shepherds were told that the long awaited Messiah had been born. They are told where He was born and how they could go and see for themselves that everything that they had been told was true. They went and saw baby Jesus and then began to tell others about what had happened. In their mind they had no doubt that what the angel had told them was true. They knew who Jesus was.
In the world today, most people do not know who Jesus is. Most think that He was another historical figure or a religious leader. Many think He was just a hoax, that He never lived at all. Certainly not that He is alive and with us today. Christmas reminds us of 3 things;
1. Jesus is who He claimed to be
In the story, a man named Kris Kringle is shocked to find that the man assigned to play Santa in the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade is intoxicated. When he complains to the event director named Doris, she persuades Kris to take his place. He does such a good job of it that he is hired to be the Santa at the Macy’s store on 34th street. Doris has a neighbor named Fred who is an attorney. When Fred meets Kris he invites him to stay with him. In the following weeks, people see that Kris is different. He is kinder and more generous than others. Eventually people who are jealous try to remove Kris by having him committed to a mental asylum. At a hearing before a judge the District Attorney gets Kris into admitting that he really believes that he is the real Santa. Saying that this proved that he was insane, he rests his case. Fred then argues that Kris is not insane, because he actually is who he claimed to be.
Have you ever had to prove that you were who you said you were? Years ago in Kuwait I left my passport in my pocket and it got washed and destroyed. It was very difficult to replace, but the worst part was that, because it was reported ‘lost’ it made coming in and out of the country more difficult. I had to ‘prove’ that I was the real Steve Sheane every time I went through customs.
I remember hearing a talk show where Rowan Atkinson was being interviewed. He told the story of going to the local garage to have his car worked on. As he was sitting there in the waiting area there was a man that kept looking at him. Finally the man came over and said “has anyone ever told you that you look just like that guy from television called Mr. Bean.” He replied saying that he was in fact Rowan Atkinson, the actor who played that character.
The man just laughed and said “Yes, I bet you WISH you were him! I bet you WISH you were that rich and famous.” The more he tried to convince the man the more the guy just dismissed it as being a joke. At the end the man said “seriously though, you do look a LOT like him. You should hire yourself out as a celebrity double – you know, those people who do birthday parties and that sort of thing. You could make some money out of it.” Here was Rowan Atkinson trying to convince someone that he really was Rowan Atkinson. He really was who he claimed to be.
When Jesus walked the earth he made some crazy claims about himself. It is no wonder that people thought that, like Kris in the movie, Jesus was crazy.
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."
At one point Jesus was in the temple area and the people were pressing him to reveal his true identity;
John 10:24 The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
Jesus responds by making an astounding statement;
John 10:27-30 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."
Jesus was not claiming to be another good rabbi or prophet, He claimed to be God incarnate. It is no wonder the people picked up rocks to stone Him. Think about the things that Jesus said about himself.
He said things like, "I'm God.... I'm perfect ... I'm the only way to heaven ... I'm the Savior of the world... " A lot of people try to make Jesus out to be simply a good teacher but a good teacher would never say things like that. Jesus never claimed to be a good man or great moral leader or teacher. Jesus said that He was God and the only way to heaven.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
If I were to ask people what they thought of me some might say (if I paid them enough!) “Steve is a nice guy” or “he is an ethical person who teaches good moral principles.” You may or may not agree with that. But if one Sunday I stood up here and said, “By the way, I’m God! And the only way you’re ever going to get to heaven is to put your trust in me” would you start feeling a little bit differently about me? It would force you to make a decision.
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. – CS Lewis
Jesus claimed to be God incarnate. Christmas is not just about tradition. It is not about the tree or the lights or the presents. Jesus is not Santa Claus, and Christmas is not about trying to generate believe in something that you know is not really true. Christmas is the celebration of that FACT that 2000 years ago God came and entered the world as a baby. He did it so that He could give His life for us.
Matthew 16:13-16 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 But what about you? he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Ultimately we all have to come to terms with the claims that Jesus made about Himself. Like Peter we have to answer for ourselves who we believe that Jesus was.
2. Jesus is who the scriptures said He would be
In the story, Fred has a hard time figuring out how he is going to prove to the court that Kris is actually the one and only Santa. He calls many witnesses but to no avail. The court insists that he prove that Kris is Santa Claus on the basis of some competent authority. Fred has not idea of what to do. His neighbor Doris has a daughter named Susan who decides to write Kris a letter to encourage him. She addresses the letter to Santa at the New York courthouse. When a mail sorter later sees the letter he suggests that they deliver it to Kris at the courthouse, along with the thousands of other letters that were addressed to Santa and just sitting there taking up space.
On the final day of the hearing, Fred is informed of the letters and asks to enter them as evidence. Thinking it is only a small number the judge asks that the evidence be brought in and put on his table. The 21 bags of letters are then brought in and dumped all over. Fred argues that since the letters were delivered to Kris, therefore the Post Office was acknowledging that he was the one and only Santa. The judge declares that since the Post office, an official branch of the US government, had recognized that Kris was Santa Claus that his court would not dispute it and he dismissed the case.
A higher authority was used to identify the person. In the bible, we know that Jesus was the messiah not just because he claimed to be the messiah, but because of what the Old Testament says.
There are more than 200 prophecies in the Old Testament that were fulfilled by the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Though written hundreds of years before, they speak of Jesus’ life in amazing detail. Dr. Peter Stoner, professor of science at Westmont College once wrote a book entitled Science Speaks. He talks about the law of Compound Probability. He calculated that for any 1 person in history to fulfil any 8 of these prophecies would be one in a trillion.
To fulfil just 50 (one quarter) of the prophecies the number becomes staggering, it would be a chance in 1 in 10 to the power of 157 (a one with 157 zeros behind it)
The prophecies said that Jesus would be a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, From the line of Judah, from the house of David, born in Bethlehem to a virgin. The babies would be slaughtered, He would escape to Egypt, he would live in Galilee, He would be rejected, He would enter Jerusalem on a Donkey, He would be betrayed by a friend for 30 pieces of silver. That He would be crucified with sinners, he would be mocked and given gall and vinegar to drink, He would be pierced with a spear, his bones would not be broken and that soldiers would cast lots for His clothing. He would be buried in a rich man’s tomb and that He would raise to life again.
In addition to what the bible says, there are many extra-biblical writings and historical discoveries that prove that Jesus did in fact live and die on a cross and rose again. Dr. Gary Habermas wrote a book The Historical Jesus that looks at 39 ancient historical sources that corroborate more than 100 facts concerning the life, teaching, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
Like in the movie, the judge demanded that there be some competent authority to show that Kris was Santa Claus. There is clear historical proof that shows that Jesus is who He claimed to be.
Two weeks ago I talked about the fact that one of the central messages of the Gospel is the amazing truth that God loves us. I gave the story of the theologian that was asked what the greatest truth he had ever heard was, “Jesus loves me this I KNOW..” How can we know that for certain? Because the Bible tells us so. There is clear competent authority showing that Jesus was who He claimed to be.
Jesus is who He said He was. Jesus is who the scriptures said He would be. Lastly;
3. Jesus does what He said He would do
The courtroom scene ends with Kris being declared to be Santa Claus, but that does not really mean that he was. After all, just because the post office delivered mail to him does not really prove anything. You are left with the idea that maybe he is, or maybe he is not.
In the story, at one point Doris’ daughter Susan comes to the realization that Kris is the real Santa and goes to him and asks for something for Christmas. Doris had been divorced, so Susan no longer had a daddy. Susan sees that her mother and Fred like each other and so she asks Kris for a new house that they can all live in together as a family. She describes the house in great detail. Kris reluctantly promises to do his best. On Christmas morning, Susan is disappointed that Kris could not give her the house she wanted. Fred and Doris take Susan for a drive along a route that Kris had suggested to avoid traffic. Along the way Susan sees her dream house for sale.
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In the end, Susan gets exactly what she asked for. Even though it seemed like an impossible request, in the end she got the home and family she was looking for. The cane in the corner shows that it was really Kris who made it all happen. This proves that he is the real Santa, because only he could have done this miracle.
How do we know that Jesus is who he claimed to be? Because Jesus did what He said He would do. Ultimately, the resurrection proves that Jesus was exactly who he claimed to be.
One day Jesus cleared the money changers out of the temple. They had turned the temple into a flea market. He went in and drove them all out. They said to Jesus, "What right do you have to do this?" In other words they said to Him “Just who do you think you are!”
John 2:18 Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this ?" 19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." 20 The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
Jesus said He had the right because He was God. They said, "Prove it!" He said, "I will. After you kill me, I'm going to come back to life three days later." He claimed to be God and His resurrection backs up what He claimed to be.
It rests on the time-line of history like a compelling diamond. Its tragedy summons all sufferers. Its absurdity attracts all cynics. Its hope lures all searchers. History has idolized and despised it, gold-plated and burned it, worn and trashed it. History has done everything but ignore it. How could you ignore such a piece of lumber? Suspended on its beams is the greatest claim in history. A crucified carpenter claiming to be God on earth. Divine. Eternal. The death-slayer. Never has timber been regarded so sacred. No wonder the apostle Paul called the cross event the core of the gospel. It's bottom line sobering: if the account is true, it is history's hinge. Period. If not, the cross is history's hoax – Max Lucado
Mark 10:33 "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."
The cross and everything that happened to Jesus was no surprise. It was all part of God's plan.
Think about the people who put Jesus to death? You publicly execute Him in front of thousands of witnesses, you have Him buried, a huge stone put over it, sealed and a 24-hour guard. Three days later He is up and walking around the city again. Hundreds of people see Him and are eye witnesses to the fact. What do you say if you meet Him on the sidewalk?
Matt 28:5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.”
Jesus did what He said he would. He kept His promised. He proved He was who He claimed to be by doing something that only He could do.
There is one part of the movie that also deserves mention. At one point, Susan goes up to Santa in the store and meets Kris. He says to her, “Well hello there, and what is your name?” She says “Susan Walker, what’s yours?” Chuckling a little, Santa says, “Well I’m Kris Kringle, I’m Santa Claus….oh…but you don’t believe that do you?” Susan responds, “No, you see my mother is Mrs. Walker, the lady who hired you…but I must say you’re the best looking one I’ve ever seen. Your beard doesn’t have one of those things that goes around your ears.” Kris replies, “Well that’s because it’s real, just like I’m really Santa Claus…oh, go ahead, pull it.” And she pulls on his beard. “And now,” says Kris, “What would you like me to bring you for Christmas?” “Nothing thank you,” is the reply. “Oh come now, you must want something.” “Whatever I want my mother will get me, if it’s sensible and doesn’t cost too much…”
Unfortunately, that is how we often respond. Imagine if the shepherds, having just heard the greatest birth announcement ever given, had just said “Who cares, means nothing to us” and then just went back to tending their sheep. What a tragedy that would have been. What if the wise men had seen the star and just thought “Who cares, means nothing to us” and went back to their books.
Jesus does what he said He would do, and that is an invitation. Because Jesus is alive we have hope and healing. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, that means going to the one who is able to heal you.
When people see Santa they are asked a simple question “what would you like for Christmas?” So let me ask you, what do you want for Christmas this year. I am not talking about stuff. If God could do one thing in your life in the coming year, what would you want Him to do?
Jesus did what He said He would do. And today Jesus is still doing what He said He would do in us. He is alive and here with us this morning. All the resources of the almighty infinite creator of the universe stand ready at our disposal. I know that for many people, Christmas is a difficult season. The healing and resurrection power of Jesus is with you today.
A pastor was going through a crisis. His little daughter who was paralyzed was sitting in her wheelchair as he entered the house with a package for his wife. Giving his daughter a big kiss he asked, "where is Mother?" "Upstairs," She replied. " Well, I have something for her" "Let me carry it to Mother" said the daughter. "Why, dear, how can you carry this package? You cannot even carry yourself up the stairs". With a big smile, the child replied, "Oh no Papa, but if you give it to me, then I will carry the packages and you can carry me". God spoke softly to his heart that this was his own position.
Miracle on 34th Street is a cute movie, but ultimately it is premise is flawed because it asks for a blind leap of faith. Christian apologist Norm Geisler wrote, “God is not asking you to take a blind leap of faith into the darkness. He’s asking you to take a reasonable step of faith into the light.”
