“Our Savior Ain’t Santa”
John 1:14-18
Christmas Day
What would Christmas be without Santa? Some Christians might answer that it would
be much better! Whatever your opinion is about Santa Claus, you have to admit that the idea of
an overweight old man in a red suit handing out free toys is pretty appealing. He’s kind, he’s
jolly and he just seems like so much fun.
I don’t have to point out to you that for Christians, Christmas is not about Santa Claus. It
is about Christ. And, at the risk of pointing out the painfully obvious, I would like to remind you
this morning that “Our Savior Ain’t Santa.” St. John will give us four ways in which Jesus is
superior to Santa. First, “Our Savior Ain’t Santa” because He came from further.
I. He Came From Further
Everyone knows that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole. That’s a long way from here,
3238 miles according to the map program on my computer. Making that kind of journey takes a
great deal of effort. Going out in the below-zero temperatures, hooking the reindeer to the
sleigh, loading the sled with presents and missing an entire night’s worth of sleep is quite a
sacrifice.
But, listen to what John tells us about our Savior in verse 14, “The Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Santa may come all the way from the
North Pole but our Savior came to us all the way from the Father. That means He came from a
holy, perfect, sinless place all the way to a sin-filled imperfect world. That is a distance that
cannot be measured in miles. Illustrations abound trying to help us grasp this
distance. Imagine being a king and giving up your palace to live under a bridge with the
homeless. Imagine leaving your suburban home in America to live in the poverty of Africa. But
all of these illustrations finally fail because there is simply nothing that can compare to what our
Savior did and the distance He traveled. So, perhaps instead of trying to fully comprehend it,
we do well to quietly ponder it and praise Him for it.
II. He Stayed Longer
So, one reason “Our Savior Ain’t Santa” is because He came from further. A second
reason “Our Savior Ain’t Santa” is because He stayed longer. As you know, Santa Claus
doesn’t stick around long. Down the chimney, unload some gifts, then it’s back in the sleigh and
away. I don’t suppose we can blame Him with all of the work He has to do that night.
But, John tells us in our text that, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling
among us.” Our Savior did not stop by for a quick visit. He dwelt among us. Even in the
Greek and Roman cultures where the gods had many human qualities, they didn’t walk around
with mortals, at least not for very long. They might drop in now and then, but they never came
to stay. Our Savior, though, dwelt among men for thirty-three years - walking and talking and
laughing and crying with them. Because, you see, He was one of them. He was in every way a
human being. The only exception was sin. He had none. As John says, our Savior
was, “…full of grace and truth.” He had to be one of us to take our place. He had to be
without sin to make us sinless in God’s sight.
III. His Goodness Is Gooder
We have seen that “Our Savior Ain’t Santa” because He came from further and
because He stayed for longer. The third way our Savior is superior to Santa is that our Savior’s
goodness is gooder. (I figured I was already using the word “ain’t” so I might as well continue
the theme of improper grammar.)
Santa certainly seems like a good guy. Handing out free gifts to children tends to make
people think of you that way. But, you will remember that before Santa Claus comes to town
he’s makin’ a list and even checkin’ it twice. And why? Well, he’s gonna find out who’s naughty
or nice, of course. And, if you are naughty, you won’t make his list. If you are not nice, you
won’t be getting any gifts. But, apparently, Santa’s standards aren’t too stringent. If Santa was
true to his word, his sled would never leave the North Pole because none of us has been
perfectly nice this year. Santa ought to peak into the window of some houses when children are
told it is time to go to bed, or when they are told it is time to do homework, or when they are told
to share their toys. He is likely to see more naughty than nice. Perhaps he ought to peak into
the house when mommy and daddy are discussing the finances and he would see if everyone is
being nice. Or if he were to look at the monitor while we are surfing the internet, would he call
what we are viewing “nice” or “naughty?” You see, if Santa truly handed out gifts based on
whether we are naughty or nice, he would be out of a job.
That is why our Savior’s goodness is gooder. He doesn’t give us gifts based on whether
we are naughty or nice. He gives us gifts based on His goodness. Listen again to John, “From
the fullness of HIS grace we have all received one blessing after another.” It’s not
because of the fullness of OUR goodness. In that case we would receive nothing! Unlike
Santa, our Savior is watching at bedtime and homework time and when it is time to
share. He is watching when mommy and daddy are discussing finances. He is watching what
is on the monitor while we are surfing the internet. And He sees that we are not always
nice. We have not deserved a single gift from Him.
And yet, He has been so good! He took our name off of God’s naughty list and wrote
His name instead. He took our place. That is what He as doing on that cross so long ago. That
is true goodness. So, not only did our Savior come from further than Santa, not only did He stay
longer than Santa, but His goodness is gooder than Santa’s.
IV. His Gifts Are Greater
Finally, we must remember that our Savior’s gifts are greater than Santa’s. Santa is
known to give some pretty great gifts. Fifty years ago it may have been a train set or a
dollhouse. Today it might be a remote control car or a video game or an Ipod. Santa’s gifts
seem to keep right up with the times.
But they still don’t compare to the greatness of our Savior’s gifts. John says, “From the
fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.” Picture our Savior
with a big sack of blessings handing them to us one after the other. “Here is food and clothing
and a house. Here is health and family and friends. Just for fun, here are some hobbies and
some talents and abilities. Let’s not forget forgiveness and joy and peace and comfort.” Then
there is the big gift at the end. When I was growing up all the children would open their gifts and
then at the end my parents would bring out one special gift for all of us. One year it was a ping
pong table. Another year it was an Atari 2600. On top of all the other blessings our Savior
gives us, as if they weren’t enough, He hands us eternal life with Him -- the greatest gift of all.
Any one of these gifts would be great on its own. But our Savior piles them up one on
top of the other. Unlike Santa, His sack of gifts has no bottom. And, unlike Santa, our Savior
doesn’t give us gifts once a year. He pours blessings out upon us every day of the year!
Santa Claus has become one of the most recognized characters in the world. He goes
by different names in different countries and traditions vary from place to place, but the idea of
Santa is basically the same everywhere. As wonderful as that idea may seem, thank God this
Christmas Day that we have someone better to celebrate! Jesus’ birth will bring us joy and
peace throughout the new year. God grant this to each of us. Amen.