Santa Claus is coming to town… is he really? While all of us have stopped believing in this magical jolly man who supposedly comes down the chimney (Singapore how? :/) to grant us our heart’s desires through pretty wrapped presents brought on his sleigh pulled by reindeers, have we started to believe in who really comes on Christmas day, Jesus Christ who grants us even more than our heart’s desires - eternal life itself?
Interestingly, the jingle “Santa Claus is coming to town” offers us a pretty twisted perspective of who is to come and what he offers on Christmas day.
“You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He’s making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who’s naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town”
According to the song (which has been playing everywhere in HK) Santa Claus sounds like a pretty mean and scary guy. Afterall it’s a warning to all of us to be on our toes; to be on our best behaviour because we are going to be judged, with full consequences for those who are not up to standard.
All this is in stark contrast to He who really comes on Christmas…
He does not judge - John 8:15 “You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one”.
He does not keep a list - Isaiah 44:22 “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you”
He does not treat the nice better than the naughty - Luke 5:32 “I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance”
“He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!”
The next verse once again reveals a twisted misinterpretation of the truth. It claims that we have to be good because Santa Claus keeps track of our every movement. This cannot be further from the message of love that Christ brings with Him this Christmas. Each of us are called to “…love because He first loved us”, 1 John 4:19. He does not want us to be good for goodness sake, but to be good out of our love for Him. This goodness/holiness is our response to His own act of love, one that was expressed in His humble coming into the world to die for us.
The only similarity which I can draw between Santa Claus and Jesus Christ is the fact that both of them grant us gifts. Santa Claus grants us material gifts, things which we want and clamour after, but ultimately leave us dry and disatisfied. Christ on the other hand gives us something intagible but yet so much more fulfilling. He comes into our hearts this Christmas to grant us faith, hope and above all, love. All the things of the world will fade and turn to dust - but these three remain.
So, who’s coming again this Christmas? And which gift will you accept?
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
