Mrs. Peters glanced at her five year old son with a look of disappointment. “Benny,” she began, “You know you shouldn’t do such bad things! I’ve told you before there is someone watching you all the time; he knows what you do and he keeps a record of it. Then one day, when it’s time for him to come, he will see who has been bad or good and reward them according to what they have done. That’s why it’s so important to be good.”
Sound familiar? Have you ever spoke with your children about that all-seeing, all-knowing someone who watches them at all times? I’m sure most Christians who read this feel we know who Mrs. Peters was speaking of. We even believe we have a personal relationship with him, and we would be 100% correct, if, it were our glorious, all-powerful, Creator God Jesus Christ. But I’m afraid Mrs. Peters, a loving, caring, mother and wife was speaking of Santa Claus!
Sadly, it has become common place for parents to relate this holiday fable to their children. Beyond that, parent’s make a concerted effort to convince their children of this falsehood. Going to such lengths as leaving cookies and milk for Santa to eat.
There are many problem with this seemingly innocent practice, in most cases it distorts and overshadows the true meaning of Christmas. How many shows preach the message that if “Santa” is unable to come there will be no Christmas? With specials such as “Ernest Saves Christmas,” “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer,” “The Year Christmas Almost Wasn’t,” and a host of others, children and adults alike will not be meditating on the birth, death, and joyous resurrection of our Great God and only Savior, but rather on the commercial aspects of this “modern” holiday.
Let us consider the song “Santa Clause is Coming to Town.” Here we can see the connection that Satan has tried to make between Saint Nick and the Almighty God.
1. “You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I’m telling you why Santa Clause is coming to town.” Compare to Mark 13:35: “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:”
2. “He’s making a list and checking it twice, gonna’ find out who’s naughty or nice.” Compare to Rev. 20:12: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
3. “He sees you when your sleeping, he knows when your awake, he knows when you’ve been bad or good so be good for goodness sake.” Compare to Jer. 23:24: “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.”
4. “”Santa Clause is coming to town.” Compare to James 5:8: “ for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”
We Christians must not allow Satan to steal the glory and honor that is owed our Savior, for God plainly declares: “I am the LORD . . . and my glory will I not give to another” (Isa. 42:8). It is not a small matter in the sight of God that we offer these lies that Satan has told to our children (Eze. 16:20). We are not to join the example of the world, but rather we are to be an example to the world (Rom. 12:2). Let us clean the camp of God, for as it is written: “the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (I Pet. 4:17). |
