When I was growing up, we used to make “Christmas lists” of the toys we were hoping to receive for Christmas. I remember spending hours perfecting my list, then handing it to my mom. Of course, we didn’t expect to receive everything on our lists, but we always hoped to receive at least a few of those items. On TV, we would see the various Christmas specials, including the classic stories of Frosty the Snowman and Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. Every year we would help set up a nativity scene at my grandmother’s house, and she would explain the meaning of the shepherds and angels, the wise men, and baby Jesus.
We have many stories that we tell each other at Christmas time. How should we think about them? How are they related? Here are four ways that Jesus is like Santa, and five ways that he is not.
Four Ways That Jesus is Like Santa
1. His true home is far away from us
In the stories, Santa’s home and workshop are at the North Pole, or in other parts of the far north. It is a place far away from us, and a place to which 99% of us have never gone. Likewise, the eternal home of Jesus is in heaven, which seems to us to be a distant and mysterious place.
2. He knows everything about us
Santa is depicted as knowing everything about us. In the words of Santa Claus is Coming to Town,
“He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake”
We can’t hide from Santa. He knows everything.
Likewise, Jesus knows everything about us. (Prov. 15:3; Jn. 1:48-50)
3. He holds us accountable for our behavior
In the stories, Santa keeps a record of our good and bad deeds, and rewards us accordingly.
“He’s making a list,
Checking it twice,
Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town.”
We can’t hide our behavior from him.
“He knows when you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake.”
Good children receive gifts, while bad children might receive a lump of coal. In some older traditions, Santa had an evil counterpart named Krampus who would punish the bad children and take the worst of them away to be drowned or eaten!
God also keeps track of our behavior (Rev. 20:11-12) and rewards us on the basis of our actions (Mat. 25:31-46). Apart from God’s grace, we would all face his judgment.
4. He is coming, so we need to be ready
The song repeatedly declares, “Santa Claus is coming to town.” He is coming to reward the good children, and, according to the older traditions, to punish the bad children. Since he is coming, we need to be ready.
Jesus promised that he would return to take his followers with him and to bring judgment on those who have rejected him. We don’t know when he is coming, so we must be ready (Mat. 24:44)
Five Ways that Jesus is NOT Like Santa
1. His gifts are far greater
We hope that Santa will bring us something on our gift lists. We might receive something we really need, but often we end up with more “stuff” that we rarely use. The gifts that Jesus brings are far greater than anything that Santa can provide. He promises us peace, hope, joy, and most importantly, eternal life (Rom. 15:13; Jn. 3:16).
2. His greatest gift is not dependent on our being “good”
A key difference between Jesus and Santa is that with Santa there is no grace. If you have been bad, you will be punished. There is no forgiveness. His gifts must be earned by our good behavior.
The gifts given by Jesus are given freely by his grace. When we trust Jesus Christ for salvation, we receive eternal life. We don’t need to earn it, in fact, we cannot earn it because we all have sinned (Eph. 2:8-9).
3. Jesus sacrificed himself for us
There is no indication that Santa cares whether we receive rewards or punishment. He simply distributes gifts according to his list of “who’s naughty or nice.” But Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us, giving up his own body to a horrific death and taking on himself the punishment that we deserve for breaking God’s law. Jesus died in our place, so that we might receive eternal life (Isa. 53:4-6; Mat. 26:26-28).
4. Jesus desires a personal relationship with us
Santa comes once a year, and then retreats to his home at the North Pole for another year. He is aloof and uninvolved in our lives. But Jesus promised to be with us always (Mat. 28:20) and to give us his Spirit as our Helper (Jn. 14:16-17). One day Jesus will welcome us to live with him forever in his eternal home (Jn. 14:2-3). Santa has never invited anyone to live with him.
5. Unlike Santa, Jesus is real!
I have been comparing Jesus and Santa as though Santa was a real person. But as anyone more than 5 years old understands, Santa is no more real than Frosty the Snowman. Unlike Santa, Jesus is a real person. There is significant historical evidence for his birth, life, death, and resurrection. In the Gospels, we have written, eye witness accounts of his life (Lk. 1:1-4; 1 Jn. 1:1-3; 2 Pet. 1:16). Jesus is not only a real person, but he is in fact God incarnate (Jn. 1:14). Santa is imaginary, but Jesus is God in human flesh.
When we tell traditional stories at Christmas, we mix together the true story of Jesus with make-believe stories about Santa and Frosty. We sing Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer as well as Silent Night. We need to remind ourselves of what is real, and what is not, and to teach our children accordingly.
If you are interested in the origin of our modern concept of Santa Claus I invite you to read my earlier post on that topic.