Bible Studies

What If Santa Had Never Come

by Doug Laird 
12/06/21
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What If Santa Had Never Come?

Granted, the resignation of Santa Claus would be a cultural shocker to a generation of children and those who are young at heart. For many, learning the truth about Santa is one of the earliest milestones as one leaves the relative innocence of childhood behind.

But before we cave in to public pressure and refuse to ask for Santa’s resignation, let’s consider what the holiday might be like if the Santa scenario had never been introduced, and in doing so, the primary purpose for celebrating the First Advent had been better preserved.

God freely gave His Son (John 3: 16). God gives His love and gives His logistical blessings to saints and sinners alike (Matt. 5: 45). But there is one thing that He will NOT share with anyone, or anything, real or imagined. He will NOT share the glory that is due to Him (Isa. 42: 8) alone.

God is glorified during in the Holiday Season that had been established by Man and year-round whenever we celebrate the birth of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Just think of going to a birthday party for a family member or a friend, but the one whose birth the guests were there to celebrate was virtually ignored.

In many homes or gathering places, this is exactly what takes place when guests gather together to celebrate Christmas. Christmas, for many, is just another paid day off from work, and or a reason to party on, with the additional bonus of receiving some gifts from family and friends.

All to often, the “Christmas” gifts that are exchanged are not gifts at all, but more like an obligation, compensation, or investment for gifts received or anticipated. Christmas presents often come with decorative ribbons, but when given with a godly attitude, they will have no “strings” attached.

There is a place for family and friends, but family and friends can also be a great source of distraction (Luke 14: 26) in the life of an advancing disciple. Holiday plans and expectations bring the reality of ongoing family issues, both good and bad, to the surface. Accommodating fellowship with family members can result in compromising fellowship with God, and vice versa (1Cor.5: 11/James 4: 4).

A family holiday cease-fire is often in place to get through the day, but behind the forced unity around the holiday table and phony smiles staged for the pictures taken, is the next confrontation waiting to erupt. Sometimes things are said or done calling for the family “referee” to step in, speak up, or take other measures to keep or restore the peace.

Without a doubt, once the guests leave, the success or failure of the day will be evaluated and discussed by the hosts and guests alike on the basis of what PEOPLE said, did, or didn’t do to contribute to the good or bad outcome.

But what. I ask, does any of this social activity have to do with celebrating the birth of Christ?

Following the Santa tradition, children are taught that good boys and girls are rewarded with Christmas toys, and bad boys and girls are not. But what about the relatively good boys and girls who receive none, or don’t have a home for Santa to visit?

If God the Father only gave His Christmas Gift to those who earned or deserved it, there would have been no one (Romans 3: 10) entitled to receive it. There was no one then, there is no one now.

We are offended when the recipients of our gifts fail to appreciate the cost or effort it took for us to provide their gifts. Yet, how much time and effort do we spend focused on the Christmas gift that God gave to each one of us. Ultimately, the gift that God gave on Christmas would cost Him the death of His Son after the infant hands and feet in the manger would grow up and be nailed to a Roman cross.

The commercialization and materialism associated with Christmas has come to be a major distraction. Sales or lack of sales during the holiday period often determines if many businesses will sink or swim.

Believers who recently experienced the death of a loved one, went through a divorce, lost a job, or some other earthly adversity, can experience the comfort that the Christmas message brings. Whereas focusing in on the earthly fellowship and the gaiety exhibited by others can make one bitter with salt being added to an open wound.
Secular statistics reveal an increased likelihood of suicide during the Holiday Season.

Hollywood has added a relatively new spin to the season by turning it into a second Valentines Day. Santa can’t be blamed for this one, although there was one song from the early 1950’s telling of mommy being caught kissing Santa. It seems like Santa was looking for a little more than milk and cookies! (Sorry, just a little humor being interjected in this somber study).

The medical field has learned the wisdom in the words of Benjamin Franklin who stated that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. However, in the case of Santa, the damage has already been done and has become a matter of damage control.

In order to buy time to manage damage control, the usual and first response taken regarding accusations made against personalities in the political and religious world is denial. But political and religious organizations have learned that cover-ups can backfire and result in even worse consequences down the road. Allowing something wrong to continue is a recipe for disaster.

Whenever impressionable children are involved, the seriousness of the matter escalates.

The question that demands our attention is rather or not the brief period of time that some children actually believe in Santa is worth the potential long- term issues it creates. Children look towards the parental guidance for the truth.

If parents are found to be untruthful about one thing, has their credibility not been compromised? Knowledge of and the significance of the birth of Christ is what children need to hear.

Promoting the concept of candy from the Easter Bunny and toys from Santa are among the things that the Kingdom of Darkness uses to distract the attention of children away from the spiritual significance of the First Advent and Easter.

Children are not the only targets that Satan has in mind (1Pet. 5: 8). The devil has a bag full of distractions (secular decorating, feasting, fellowship with people, partying, exchanging gifts, romance, etc.) in store for adults. He uses such things to take the focus of attention away from the birth of Christ.

An atheist or a non-Christian can embrace a secular celebration of Christmas. Sad to say, but many who consider themselves Christians do the same, giving little or no thought to the spiritual significance of the First Advent.

It is the leaving of God and the things of God out of the picture that the Christian Community needs to address. Gathering together, feasting, and the mutual exchange of gifts are all legitimate means of celebrating the First Advent, p-r-o-v-i-d-i-n-g such things are kept in their appropriate place on our list of priorities, and that the primary focus of our attention remains on the birth of Christ.

Perhaps if Santa had never come into the picture, many doors of opportunity for the devil would have remained closed. But in fairness to Santa, it must be said that his legendary popularity is only one of many things that the devil will use to deny the glory that the focus of attention being on the birth of Christ generates.

Being a spiritual helmsman in a sea of distraction takes a level of spiritual maturity (1Cor. 13: 11) that is not to be found among those who focus on a secular manner of celebrating Christmas.