If you have not caught on yet almost every storyline has a villain. In Cinderella, it is the wicked stepmother. In old Western programs, it was the man with the black hat and clothes. The Bible is no different because real life always has good and bad choices to make. In David’s life, there were many villains, but his most prominent was Saul. When we come to the birth of Christ one villain was King Herod. While he was the villain at the time of His birth, I think we have many villains today that we don’t recognize as being against Christ. What is a villain? It is a person who is against what is good and right.
The most notable villain of Christmas was Herod. He was the king when Jesus was born. Historians tell us that he was a power-hungry ruler over the Jews in Israel in the time before Christ. He was arrogant and insisted on being called “Herod the Great.” He found out that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and sent wise men to find Him. His instructions were to find the baby and return the information to him so he could go worship the baby. When the wise men were warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod they went another way. When Herod found out the wise men had disobeyed him, he was angry and ordered all the male children under the age of two to be killed.
Matthew 2:1-3 “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”
Matthew 2:12 “And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.”
Matthew 2:16 “Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.”
Herod was the villain of the Christmas past. He sought to kill and destroy the Son of God. He was willing to annihilate all baby boys just to be sure he killed any rival to the throne.
While Herod is a visible, easy-to-identify villain, he is not the only villain of Christmas. What about Santa? Here we have a man who is make-believe yet gets all the credit for the good gifts children receive. When a child is taught that Santa brings everything there is no one to be grateful to, no one to thank, and no one to be accountable to. I hear parents telling their children Santa is watching you. What if we taught them God is the giver of all things good, as the bible teaches in James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” What if the wonder and excitement of Santa turned to the one who does exist and is always available to hear and watch over us?
When our boys were preschoolers we played the Santa game, but I never felt comfortable about it. Even then we told them Mom and Dad had to pay for what they received, and the big gift, the one they had longed for, was always from us. We went along because of what family members and friends did. Not wanting to appear “weird” to others, we gave in. How early should you teach your children about the goodness of God or the greatest gift ever given? How about from birth? If they can believe in Santa who does not exist, they can believe in a God who does.
We also teach them that they get gifts because they earn them with their good behavior. Yet, God gave when we were sinners because He loves us. We cannot work for our salvation, but we can be grateful because we do not deserve what God has given. They need to understand we give them gifts not because they earn them, but because we love them. This is an example set in place by God himself. Think about it, Santa is a villain in disguise. He robs God of the glory due, at the time of year that is supposed to be about Him!
I Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
Family can also be a villain at Christmas. How often do you feel compelled to comply with family traditions that limit your time at church or with the Lord? What a great time to let others know God is first. Don’t miss church to prepare meals or attend frivolous affairs. Do not miss your time in the word for activities. Take time to read the birth of Christ and explain it to your children, especially on Christmas Eve. Make time to worship, and take a stand for Jesus.
God gave us His Son to come to earth to live and die for our sins. Christmas is a great time to celebrate and teach others about the God we serve. It is a time to use all He has given to promote the true meaning of Christmas. We should not let the world cheat us out of the celebration of Christ, lest we become a villain of Christmas ourselves.
