Actually, when it comes to A Charlie Brown Christmas, there
was controversy from the beginning. In 1965, just as the culture wars were
heating up in the U.S.
Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts (the most popular and influential
comic strip of all time), was insistent. As Lee Habeeb of National Review puts
it, “[Schulz] knew that the Luke reading by Linus was the heart and soul of
the story.”
Today children (and adults) are bombarded with deceptive
(but alluring) messages about “Christmas Spirit” and how Christmas is about “spreading
joy throughout the world,” and “a time for warmth and brotherly love” (as a
recent TV cartoon declared). Even Dickens’ iconic A Christmas Carol is bereft of the complete message of Christmas.
One author I encountered a few years ago foolishly described
the “hidden meaning” of Christmas as a: “festival of the human heart. It is a
time of year when all the universe conspires to raise
the vibratory level of consciousness on earth to one of peace and love toward
ourselves and one another. This season resonates to the sweet, childlike
innocence that resides in all of us; A time when the heavenly forces inspire us
to shift our focus away from fear and toward one of joy, and healing.”
Of course, peace, brotherly love and spreading joy are not
bad things, but they are far from the “heart and soul” of Christmas. Schulz was
right. The “heart and soul” of any Christmas story is “[B]ehold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this
day in the city of David
Or, as C.S. Lewis put it, Christmas is the story of how “the
rightful King has landed.” Just prior to His death, as Jesus stood before the
Roman governor Pilate, Pilate asked Him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” After
some discussion Pilate concludes to Jesus, “You are a king, then!” Jesus
answered him saying, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this
reason I was born, and for this I came into the world…”
So Christmas is a celebration of the birth of our Savior
King. “Hark! The herald angels sing; glory to the newborn King!” This is the
reason for the all of the conflict and contention when it comes to Christmas
time. This is why so many fear a Nativity scene, a Christmas tree, or even a
meek “Merry Christmas.”
Who wants to be confronted with the idea that maybe they are
ignoring the most significant event in human history? Who wants to be reminded
that perhaps Jesus Christ really was (and is) a King?
And He’s not just any king, but a king with a holy mission.
“Amazing love, how can it be, that you my King would die for me?” Jesus was the
Christ, the “Messiah,” the “Anointed One.” As the angel reported to the
shepherds, “today in the town of David
His death was to “redeem” us and to serve as “atonement” for
us. Jesus came into the world so that the world, through Him, “might be saved.”
And on the third day after his death, our King, born in a stable, conquered
even death so that we could live forever with Him.
When Christians truly celebrate Christmas, we celebrate not
just a birthday, but the beginning of a sequence of events that would change
the world forever. He was born, He lived, He died, He arose, and now He is
preparing a place for all of those who would believe in Him. Just as sure as
all of the other events took place, we who celebrate Christmas look forward to
His return and we will celebrate for all eternity.
Just before handing Jesus over for crucifixion, Pilate asked
the crowd, “What shall I do, then, with Jesus…?” That is the ultimate question
that each of us must answer, and Christmas provides us with the beginning of
the answer.
Have a truly Merry Christmas.
Copyright 2013, Trevor Grant Thomas
At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason
Trevor and his wife Michelle are the authors of: Debt Free Living in a Debt Filled World
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