A few years ago, someone read a list called Jesus versus Santa during a Christmas service in which Jesus and Santa are placed side by side. There were about 10-12 things of which I remember only one:
Santa comes only on Christmas Eve.
Jesus comes any time, any place, in any season.
Here is my list:
1. A child sits in Santa’s lap for about 3 minutes for a snapshot.
You can rest in Jesus’s arms for as long as you want.
2. Santa lives “in the North Pole” or supposedly one tiny village in Finland.
Jesus lives in my heart.
3. There are maybe 6-10 songs about Santa Claus which are sung from Nov 1- Dec 26.
The Baptist Hymnal has 800+ songs about Jesus and that’s just in English in one denomination. Throw in Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Matthew West, Cory Asbury, Lauren Daigle, Newsboys, OC Supertones, my church’s worship album, and so forth, and you have another 300+ plus. And that’s still in English. There are Christians around the world who have written their own unique songs (that is, not translated from an existing English song) in Spanish, French, Russian, Arabic, Swahili, Italian…
4. Santa’s name has no power of its own.
Jesus! the name that charms our fears/ that bids our sorrows cease / ’tis music in the sinner’s ears/ ’tis life and health and peace. (Charles Wesley)
5. Santa is always depicted as smiling.
Jesus wept; he is the Man of Sorrows, pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and by his wounds we are healed.
6. The modern image of Santa was created in an ad agency.
Jesus is preeminent, self-existing, and made us in His image.
7. Santa has made only one promise: to come on Christmas Eve.
There are over 360 promises in the Bible for all seasons.
8. Number of sins Santa has forgiven: 0
Number of sins Jesus has forgiven: all of mine, all of yours, and all 7.6 billion people in the world.
9. Number of times Santa had something to say about my problem: 0
Number of times Jesus had something to say about my problem: 100+, and counting.
10. Number of songs about Santa I want to play when I am sad: 0
Number of songs about Jesus I want to play when I am sad: In German alone, 9. In English, lost count after 20.
Santa and Jesus have both been accused of being imaginary by atheists. However, the stats above speak for themselves. Greg Laurie always pointed out that when people curse using the name of Jesus, it is a back handed compliment that there is power in Jesus’s name. When was the last time you heard someone shout “Odin Damn It!” or “Vishnu H. Kali!” after dropping a hammer on their toe?
11. Number of conversion to Santa Claus: -10,000 per year.
Number of converts to Jesus: 10,000+ per year around the world.
You can out-grow Santa, but you can never outgrow Jesus. There is always something new Jesus is doing in my life and the lives of Christians around me and around the world.
12. I stopped caring about disappointing Santa when I was about 11 years old.
I never stopped caring about disappointing Jesus.
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
amicusveritae 