Sunday Service: 26/12/2021
Supporting Scripture: Luke 1:26-33
Title of Message: Jesus Christ or Santa Claus
Delivered by: Pastor Mercy
We are now in the Christmas Season. A time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We prepare for festive celebration and rejoicing: families gather, gifts are purchased, and food prepared.
It is interesting to note that we are a people that love to celebrate. We enjoy setting aside a day, an hour, or a week to enjoy some specific occurrence or occasion.
Society’s calendar is full of celebrating days for various events and individuals. We have New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas Day. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, name the occasion and somewhere on planet earth it’s being celebrated.
Therefore, it will serve us well to stop and ask ourselves, why are we celebrating? Why are we so jubilant? Why dine together? Why do we fellowship and socialize with friends, relatives, and neighbours? Why the Christmas trees? – the decorations and glamour. Why are children being photographed with a man in a red suit? Why all the shopping and chaotic shopping centres? One may simply say, “it’s Christmas Time… Don’t you see Santa Claus, his reindeer’s, the toys, and the Christmas Trees? Yes, it’s Christmas time.” That’s what the celebration is all about….Or is it? Is all the rejoicing and the celebration for the Saviour or Santa? Are we as excited about the annual celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ as we are about the arrival of Santa Claus? (Luke 1:26-33)
“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the Angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her Fear not, Mary: for thou has found favour with God, and, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
It has become more difficult to determine whether the Christ child is at the centre of Christmas or Santa Claus. The main reason is because the spirit of this season, as promoted by the world has become one huge commercial venture. We have gone from a season of joy and grace to a season of greed. The focus has been dimmed on the Christ child born in a manger and put on the chubby little man in a red suit with a bag full of goodies. The world has cleverly managed to turn the hearts of many Christians away from “the word that became flesh and dwelt among us” John 1:14.
The most expected aspect of the Christmas season is the receiving and giving of gifts. Hence, the commercialization of Christmas worldwide. There is nothing wrong with sharing gifts, sharing is a blessed act. But we should not make sharing gifts the central focus in our Christian Christmas experience. Giving, in every way, must be a daily event not a once a year, special occasion act.
Surely, there is an excitement and expectation when we think of the gifts we will receive, barbie dolls, PlayStation, jewellery, clothes etc. But the receiving of gifts should not be the main focus.
Our greatest act during this season should be that of praise and thanksgiving for what God has given the world. He has given us a sacrificial lamb. His only begotten Son and in Him we have the most expensive and most precious gift from God to man.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).
It is the Christ child that brings prominence to this holiday season and makes it a Merry Christmas not the ho! ho! ho! of Santa Claus.
Jesus is the Reason for the Season and not Santa Claus. But as we observe the abundance of “greed and lust” that has invaded this season, we are no longer “beholding the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14. Many are concerned with worldly things and not the “holy thing” conceived by Mary. Luke 1:35.
The question is, is God pleased with our Christmas concerns or with our Christ like hope. Think about it. Is God pleased with the financial debt most of us accumulate during this season? Is He pleased with our “shop till we drop” attitudes? Or is He pleased with our faithfulness to Him? I believe God would be delighted to have our body, spirit, and soul rather than our wrapped gifts with pretty bows. We must be careful not to replace Jesus Christ with Santa Claus and the ungodly spirit of this season.
We must keep the Christ child raise high above the glitz and the clamour of this holiday period. We must lift Him above the toys, above the false hopes that often accompany this time of the year. We must lift Him up so that His entrance may be visible and undeniable. The world needs to see Jesus Christ not Santa Claus.
The angel Gabriel revealed that Mary’s yet to be born Son would be great: great in His love, great in His compassion, and great in His sacrifice. Jesus would live a great life. He would teach great parables. He would preach great sermons. He would heal with great power. He would be a great example. He would die a great death. He would be resurrected in great fashion. He would give the great commission. He would ascend to a great height. And He would rule universally and forever with great authority.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Whom God declares, “I am well pleased.”
- Santa will fill your stocking,
- But Jesus will fill your heart with Love that never fails,
- Peace that surpasses all understanding. Unspeakably joy.
- Santa comes only once a year – Christmas Eve,
- But Jesus says, “Lo I am with you always.”
- “I will never leave you nor forsake you”
- Santa makes a list and checks it twice,
- But Jesus has our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
- Santa brings gifts,
- But Jesus brought the gift of eternal life.
- Jesus is coming back with a mighty army to receive unto Himself, His bride, the Church.
This Christmas season, the choice is yours “Jesus Christ or Santa Claus.