Years after learning that Santa wasn’t real, I remember telling my mom that I wished Santa actually was real. I mean, how awesome would it be for a man to fly around the world delivering presents to people…and those presents were free?!
However, as I’ve grown older and thought back on that conversation with my mom, I’m thankful that this magical character doesn’t exist. And let me tell you why.
The gifts that come from Jesus are abundantly better than any gifts Santa could drop down your chimney.
Gifts from Jesus are things we never knew we needed – like his mercy and grace. And those gifts never expire, lose their luster or need an upgrade. Gifts provided by Santa would perish quickly, be left on the shelf to collect dust and ultimately leave us wanting the next and best toy. It would be unsatisfactory.
You know what else I’m thankful for in Jesus being the ultimate gift-giver? His gifts aren’t based on our own merits or how good we are. Ephesians 2 states is clearly:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” –Ephesians 2:8-9 (emphasis added)
No matter how “good” or “bad” we are, Jesus still covers us with His grace. His love is unconditional.
Santa, on the other hand, would be quite the opposite. How does the Christmas song go? “He’s making a list and checking it twice. Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice….He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.”
Listen, I’m not trying to suck all the fun and Christmas cheer out of Christmas, I just want to point out that Jesus is better. He doesn’t sit on His throne with a naughty and nice list using your good or bad works to determine if you’re good enough to receive His love. Nope, He gives that unconditionally.
So, listen friends, like I said I don’t mean to be Debbie-Downer here, I just want us to make sure our priorities are straight this Christmas. So much of Jesus can be lost in the gift-buying, cookie-making, and Christmas-tree-decorating that we forget the greatest gift humanity has ever received and continues to receive – Jesus.
Jesus is better than Santa. And I for one am incredibly grateful for the better and more abundant gifts Jesus provides that Santa never could.
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