Santa Clause has become an international figure and dominates images of Christmas. He’s a fat jolly old man who has become a pinnacle example of fun and giving. But behind this fictional character, there was a real St. Nicholas.
The name Santa Clause originated from a Greek pastor named Nicholas who lived in the city of Myra (now a seacoast town in Turkey). In Dutch his name is “Sinterclass,” which when translated into English gives us the name Santa Clause. Traditional stories describe him placing coins in the shoes of poor children who left them outside the doors of their homes.
Christmas Isn’t Ultimately About Santa
Most people acknowledge that Jesus did good things and was a good teacher. Some would go so far as to say he was a prophet on the order of Moses or Mohammed. Even skeptics often admit Jesus is a towering historical figure. H. G. Wells, known for his science-fiction novels said this of Jesus: “More than 1900 years later a historian like myself, who doesn’t even call himself a Christian, finds the picture centering irresistibly around the life and character of this most significant man …”
Wells thought Jesus was significant. When you think about Jesus what’s your opinion of him? Let’s contrast him with the image of Santa to highlight Jesus’ uniqueness. This is helpful because inadvertently we sometimes turn our Savior into a mere Santa.
It’s not uncommon to confuse the incarnation with something aesthetically pleasing. The event of a virgin giving birth was certainly an amazing event. But Jesus came into a spiritually dark world. Christmas isn’t a time to ignore reality, or to be superficially happy, or to seek emotional pleasure. It’s about worshipping the Prince of peace who came into a world full of turmoil and evil.
Jesus is More than a Santa
With the world’s focus on Santa, we can be tempted to think Jesus is a Santa. He’s never offended, is obligated to give presents because we have been good, and never addresses our sinful behavior. And he keeps his distance from us until this time next year.
Jesus isn’t someone we add to an already respectable life. Christmas dinner is more than an elaborate dinner for people who are already well-nourished. The presents mean more than just being overwhelmed and spoiling children. Jesus is sometimes considered an added bonus to an already full life.
Maybe your view of Jesus is more Santa-like than you’re aware. For instance, Santa gives gifts to those who have done the best they can. He is a rewarder of being good. Have you been good this year? “Santa knows if you’ve been good or bad so be good for goodness sake.” Santa is sometimes given divine qualities like omniscience and perpetuity.
In contrast, Jesus came to save sinners—people who have been bad and need forgiveness. Jesus said “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mk 2:17 ESV). And his gifts are not limited to physical things that give us pleasure. He is able to truly give us things of much greater value—life eternal and the ability to fellowship with a holy God (1 Jn 5:20).
Jesus, Santa, and St. Nicholas Have a Lot in Common
Jesus’ hands are similar but not exactly like Santa’s. Santa hands out presents from his red velvet sack. It’s full of goodies for men, women, boys, and girls. Jesus’ hands also dispense gifts. His children receive good gifts too (Mt 7:11). And they both have enough gifts for everyone. For Santa the color red refers to a large red velvet sack stuffed with temporal gifts. But the color red, when applied to Jesus, represents the blood-stained hands of a Savior who died that we might have the ultimate gifts—eternal life and an eternal relationship with God the Father. Furthermore, Jesus offers gifts not to the deserving, but to us who are undeserving. In other words, Jesus truly offers gifts to everyone “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).
The original St. Nickolas had a lot in common with the historical Jesus. He was inspired to care for the poor and motivated to give gifts to the needy because of his faith in Jesus as the giver of eternal life. Even the modern sentimental rendition of Santa symbolizes a number of qualities that Jesus the Messiah possessed.
But remember that the reason for Christmas isn’t that a Greek pastor cared for poor children or that a fictional character gives gifts. They are only images of the true hero of Christmas. Christmas is a deeply meaningful celebration because Jesus gave the ultimate gift—his life—so that we might receive eternal life with the Heavenly Father. That’s what we celebrate at Christmas. It’s the incarnation of Jesus who offers eternal life that makes Christmas special.
