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Last Sunday we as a church body found ourselves in Genesis 3.  We are asking the question, "Why did Jesus come?"  And the answer from Genesis 3:15 was "Because of the Promise and Plan of God."

But as part of our study of Genesis 3, we also noted some tactics of the enemy, Satan.  As he used the serpent, he did so with craftiness.  The text says he is "crafty" or "tricky."  The devil is deceptive.  The New Testament says he sometimes appears as "an angel of light."

Deception. It's the tool and trade of the arch enemy of God and His redeemed people in Christ.

"God is not a man, that He should lie" (Num 23:19).

"I am . . . the truth" (John 14:6).

"Your Word is truth" (John 17:17).

"So that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.  This is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:20).

Truth is of God.  God is true.  Jesus is the truth.  His word is truth.  Truth is a hallmark of God.  Deception is a hallmark of Satan.

So, about this time every year as a Pastor I cringe at the thought of so many well-meaning Christian parents deceiving their children.  We do it in the name of "fun."  We do it in the name of "tradition."  We do it because every mall and shopping center has a "Get your picture with Santa" station.

Standing in line at Wal-Mart about a month ago, I saw a mom struggling to keep her two boys at bay.  The line was long, and taking too long.  The boys grew impatient.  They starting wreaking havoc.  They grabbed some energy drinks out of the conveniently located cooler at the check out stations.  She told them to put it back.  They did.  And took it out again maybe 5 times.  Were told to put it back 5 times.  They grabbed a box of Christmas lights.  They piled stuff in the cart that the mom had to frantically take out and ask them to take back.  It was a sad, chaotic scene.

Then all out of sudden I heard such a clatter, I threw open the sash to see what was the matter!  A man with a white beard appeared seemingly out of nowhere.  The mom said, "Look boys!  Santa Claus!"  The older, bearded gentlemen said, "Ho!  Ho!"  He handed mom a business card.  Turns out he is an "official" Santa.  The coincidence was almost enough to make me a believer!

Then the mom said, "I told you Santa is always watching you.  You boys had better straighten up or it's no gifts for you this year."

My amusement immediately turned to sadness.  Nothing like the "be good and stop embarrassing me and Santa will love you and give you things" philosophy to spiritually destroy those boys.  I silently thought to myself:

Is Jesus not enough?

Now that mom may or may not have been a Christian.  I do not know.  But what I do know is that we Christians really do need to ask ourselves why Jesus is not enough for us at Christmastime.  Why do some of us feel so compelled to join the culture in the Christmas deception?  Is the story of Jesus so anemic that it needs some so-called "Saint Nick" added to it?

For those Evangelical Protestants who try to redeem the fat man in a red suit by reverting to the story of a real guy dubbed "Saint Nicholas," I gently warn you.  If that guy believed the official dogma of the tradition to which he belonged, Roman Catholicism, then he believed that Christians must go to a "mini-hell" called purgatory to pay for sins because Jesus' sacrifice is not quite enough to get them all the way home to God.  He believed that justification, or a right standing before God depended on faith in Jesus plus our own human good works.  He believed that nobody could have any genuine assurance of salvation because when have we really ever done enough good works to be assured, and who knows if we've lost grace due to a mortal sin?

In other words, we need to ask ourselves if we should be holding up as heroes and labeling people "saints" of whom the Apostle Paul would say, "he is to be anathema [cursed]" (Gal 1:10).

Now I know this issue always gets me into some hot water.  I am disturbed at just how vehemently some believers will defend and justify what is, at some level, deception.  I do not for a second think that whether or not you share in the Santa fan club determines your eternal destiny.  This is not a heaven or hell issue.  But truth matters big time to our God and Savior.  So, as a Pastor, I am compelled to encourage every parent and grandparent in the church body I serve to seriously ponder how you represent King Jesus, the truth, this Christmas.

Making Christmas all about Jesus, and nothing or no one else, really is a blessing that will outstrip any tradition or attempts to insert fun myths into the equation.  Leave the flying deer on somebody else's roof this year.  Instead, lead your family to bow at the thought of a Creator-Baby-Warrior-Redeemer-King lying in a feeding trough.  Lay aside the story of a rotund man in a red suit.  Exchange it for the true story of a red-stained cross where Jesus made good on all God's Christmas promises.  Christmas is not now, nor has it ever been, about "Do good and you're loved."  It is rather about a God so great that He "demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

"You shall call His name Jesus; for He will save His people from their sins" (Matt 1:21).

Merry CHRISTmas!

Also, I just came across John Piper's thoughts on the issue and I think he has said it well. You can read his post about Rethinking Santa.

by Keith McWhorter