A Bible-Centered Christmas
By Tom Gilbreath
It is a Christmas classic featuring two small boys with impossibly large heads. The one named Charlie cries out in frustration, “Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”
His friend says, “Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.” The boy with the answer is known as Linus. He takes center stage, then quotes the Bible, Luke 2:8-14 (KJV). “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not….”
At the words, “Fear not,” Linus drops his security blanket. Then he continues. “For, behold, 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 a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Then Linus picks up the blanket and walks over to his friend. He says, “That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” [A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles Schultz, Lee Mendelson Film Productions and Bill Melendez Productions, 1965.]
Even in 1965, it was difficult to get scripture into a primetime special on network TV. But Peanuts’ cartoonist Charles Schultz was determined to get the real meaning of Christmas into the program. He chose a perfect passage from the Bible, one that tells a colorful and exciting story that is also rich with doctrine and biblical meaning.
There are a surprising number of Christmas passages in the Bible, including the wise men’s story in Matthew 2. We find many in the Old Testament, like Isaiah 9:6 — “Unto us a child is born.” We even find them in the New Testament letters. Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
One verse in particular does an amazing job of encapsulating Christmas. John 1 tells us about “the Word,” identifying Him as Creator and Lord, the Second Person of the Trinity. Then verse 14 says, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” That’s Christmas!
But the ultimate Christmas verse may be John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
And that is worth celebrating!
Merry Christmas!
