Is Santa Claus Real?

“There is a gift waiting for you that is greater than any physical thing you could wish for.”

It happened every year. I would wake up Christmas morning and discover many gifts, all beautifully wrapped, spilling out everywhere from under the Christmas tree. What amazed me, is they were not there when I went to bed on Christmas Eve. Somehow, someway they appeared overnight, and many were labelled “From Santa” while others were from dad and mom, and my brother and sisters. (Image by Isabel Perello from Pixabay)

As time passed, I began to wonder like millions of other kids, “Is Santa Claus real?” In my attempt to find this out, I plotted in how to slip out of my bedroom late on Christmas Eve and hid behind a couch, where the Christmas tree was in my line of sight. However, the plan did not go so well. For as time went by, the weight of my eyelids gave way, and I missed out on discovering the answer to the mystery.

What prompted me to wonder about Santa in the first place? The gifts. If there were never any gifts under the tree, I would not have asked my question, so why do we give and receive gifts at Christmas?

For that we go back to the late 200s. That was when Nicholas of Myra was born. He was a Christian minister, and when he was young, he became widely known for his legendary generosity in giving gifts to the poor and needy. Consequently, sometime after his death, he eventually became known as St. Nicholas. Then centuries later he became known as Santa Claus.

Why did Nicholas give to others? No doubt as a Christian minister he was impacted by the life and teachings of Jesus, who lived just a couple hundred years earlier. It is written about Jesus, “[He] went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.” (Matthew 9:35-36) Jesus healed the sick, spoke good news to all, fed the hungry, loved the children, and did much good wherever He went. As Jesus selflessly gave to others, so did Nicholas, and so should we.

Why do we give gifts at Christmas? Because of Jesus. For He became the greatest gift to all mankind through His miraculous birth on the first Christmas Day. He was the supreme gift for every man and woman, and boy and girl. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…”

Every Christmas tree ought to have under it a manger and a cross. For it was a gift when Jesus came from heaven to earth, born as a baby in a manger. When Almighty God took the form of an infant to save us, what an incredible gift!

And when the Son of God gave Himself to humbly die on a cross for the sins of the world, what a priceless gift! This is the true meaning of Christmas. There would be no Christmas without Jesus. There would be no Nicholas of Myra without Jesus. There would be no Santa Claus without Jesus. For Christ is the beginning, middle and end of it all.

There is a gift waiting for you that is greater than any physical thing you could wish for. It is something that cannot be bought, wrapped, or put under a tree. It is the gift of freedom. Freedom from the shackles of sin, along with its guilt and shame. And this gift comes with the promise of a new life and the hope of an eternal home. However, there is a high price to pay for this merciful and gracious gift. It will cost you your very life. To receive it you must yield all that you are fully to Christ and come under His Lordship. That is a high price, but it is worth it! And what if you refuse heaven’s offer? That will cost you too. For one day you will have to stand before Christ the King to answer for your decision.

A prayer for you – Lord God, when you sent your only Son from heaven to earth, to die and rise again on a cross, you gave the world the greatest gift. Thank you, O Lord! Bring many today to receive this gift by faith and be changed by your holy power. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Why was The Virgin Birth of Christmas Necessary?

“The virgin birth was no myth, legend or

 allegory. It is a historical fact.”

“Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright; ’round yon virgin mother and child! Holy infant, so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.” The popular Christmas carol that is sung by millions in schools, community events, television specials and in churches speaks clearly to the true focus of Christmas – the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus.

The birth became the method through which Jesus came from heaven to earth. It was how God became a man and humbly lived among us. Often Jesus referred to Himself as being sent by His Father in heaven. The virgin birth is how that happened.

Jesus eternally existed in heaven until one marvelous day. It was then He left His Father and the angels in His celestial home, to become a seed planted inside of a young virgin’s womb. I cannot imagine what heaven must have been like, seeing Him go. And Mary became God’s chosen instrument to bring His Son into the world. She was a woman in her teenage years when she and her fiancé, Joseph, were preparing to wed. It was during this time Mary had an encounter that would change her life and the world, forever. An angel appeared to her and communicated a message from the Lord God, "…you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus." (Luke 1:31). Thinking logically, Mary could not understand. She replied to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34). The angel explained, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy—the Son of God…For nothing will be impossible with God." (Luke 1:35, 38).

First, the virgin birth was necessary because of who Jesus was, a holy, perfect, and sinless Man. And God the Father took Mary from among many other women, and blessed her with the gift of bringing Jesus into the world. Mary was faithful to the Lord and a virgin. One who was pure and had never lain with a man. Though Mary was not sinless herself, God made her holy, which prepared her to receive the Son of God.

Second, the virgin birth was also necessary because of the cross. When Jesus grew up from an infant to a man, only He could have died on the cross in order to provide forgiveness for the sins of the world. In all the universe there was no one so good, so right as was He. There would be no resurrection, no cross if there was no virgin birth.

The virgin birth was no myth, legend or allegory. It is a historical fact, albeit, a miraculous one. No scientist can explain or fully understand it. It is a complete miracle in how a virgin can give birth to a child. Do you believe in the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ? Jesus came from heaven to earth for you and your household. For it is only through His birth and resurrection, both miracles, that you can have the hope of forgiveness and be spared from the judgment of God.

A prayer for you - Lord God, I pray you will help us to believe in the virgin birth of your Son. It is a miracle. It defies human reasoning and logic. How could this be? Help us to believe and to yield our lives fully to you. For you are the God of the impossible. Do the impossible within us. Change our hearts. Change our lives today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Are You Singing The Christmas Blues?

"Why do people feel the blues around Christmas? It was never meant to be this way.” 

This time of year is especially difficult for many when a spouse or child has died and is no longer on the Christmas list. It is hard as well for those who have been stricken by the blows of loneliness, which seem to come every December. For others, family strife or failed expectations end up being the enemy of Christmas joy. Some people may sing, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” while others sing the Christmas Blues, “May all your days be merry; Your seasons full of cheer; But 'til it's January; I'll just go and disappear; Oh Santa may have brought you some stars for your shoes; But Santa only brought me the blues.” (Image from papyrus-uk.org)

Why do people feel the blues around Christmas? Have we inadvertently caused this with a hyper-focus on gifts, children, decorations and family gatherings? Christmas was never meant to be all wrapped up in all these types of things. We learn about its intent when we go back to the world’s first Christmas. The original Christmas story states, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’ …And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:10-14, 20)

There was no Christmas blues for those unknown shepherds. Why? Because their focus was on Jesus. Their joy came from the news about Him.

At the same time, the first Christmas also had pain and sorrow. When evil King Herod heard of a competing King that had been born, he sought to execute Him by killing all baby boys two years old and younger. The mass killing of these children was anticipated, and a prophetic statement was made about it, “A voice was heard in Famah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children, she refused to be comforted because they are no more.” (Matthew 2:18)

The anguish those families experienced was real. Can someone have the joy of Christmas while walking through such a dark valley? Here are seven principles to overcome the blues of Christmas. 1) Set your mind on Jesus. What you focus on affects your life. Give attention to the Light of the World. 2) Pray to the Lord God. When no one else will understand, He will. 3) Read the Bible. It is a supernatural book. Whatever you are walking through, God’s Word will speak to it. 4) Refuse to isolate yourself. God created us to engage with others, when we slide into isolation, we set ourselves on a dangerous path. 5) Give yourself to the service of others. Go and do something good for another person. 6) Limit your screen time on electronics. When we get on these devices for extended periods it can become a form of isolation that can lead to depression. 7) Do not be ruled by your feelings or emotions. There is one God, and it is not them.    

How can you set your mind on Jesus? Know Him personally. Realize you have fallen short of God’s standards and are subject to His judgement. Understand you can do nothing to save yourself, but are simply at His mercy. Know that Jesus came from heaven to earth in order to be that mercy for you. He died and rose again so you can be forgiven, set free and made new.

A prayer for you – Lord God, I pray you will lift our eyes above all the gifts, decorations and other holiday trappings. Help us to see you, the very reason for Christmas. Come alongside those weighed down by various trials, and bring them to call upon you in faith that they might walk in the joy of Christmas. In Jesus’ name. Amen.