A Charlie Brown Christmas
This
past week, for the first time in quite a number of years I caught the last part
of Charles Shultz’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” It was amazing to see how a Christmas special
that I grew up with is still airing each year. More than that, it was
incredible to realize how the message of that simple story, with its very
simple animation, is still so applicable today.
The
story is about Charlie Brown’s search for the real meaning of Christmas. Throughout
it, he is trying to get past the commercialism of Christmas as symbolized by a
lot filled with aluminum pre-lit Christmas trees. The tree of his choosing was
what we have come to call, “A Charlie Brown Tree”—i.e. a little, natural,
almost barren and sickly looking tree.
Although everyone initially laughs at Charlie Brown for his choice of
trees, the real meaning of Christmas comes out as Linus quotes the Gospel of
Luke account of the nativity story and eventually Charlie’s little tree is
decorated and becomes a tree of beauty.
The story ends with all the kids standing around the little tree
singing, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing!”
There
are two main messages that come through “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The first is that the real meaning of
Christmas is not found in our popular or secular spins on Christmas. Linus had it right when he pointed Charlie to
Luke’s gospel and quoted the nativity narrative. As much as we might enjoy our cultural
celebrations, stories, and songs that surround the Christmas season (and I
personally do enjoy them), we must never forget that the real meaning of
Christmas is found in the Gospel message that tells us of God sending his Son,
Jesus, to be our Savior—the One who saves us from our sins.
The
second message is just as important, and tied to the first. It’s what we call,
the message of redemption. The Bible shows us that just as Charlie’s sickly
little tree was turned into a tree of beauty—a tree to be gathered around and
celebrated—through faith in Jesus our lives can go from being barren, sickly, and
filled with sin to lives filled with beauty and life—his beauty and his life!
Jesus is able to turn our lives into lives of celebration!
“A
Charlie Brown Christmas” reminds me of Isaiah’s words, as he wrote about the
coming of Jesus, the Messiah: “…He has
sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives…to
comfort all who mourn…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the
oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a
spirit of despair.”
That’s
what Jesus came to do in your life and in mine. Charlie Brown, that’s the real meaning of
Christmas! This year, let’s remember that’s
why we celebrate Christmas!
Have
a great day!
Pastor
Tim Harris
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