Is Christmas Magic Only For Children?
“What if I don't buy any of this Santa Clause thing? What if I choose not to believe it?” The noisy workshop instantly fell silent, and every eye was trained upon the man who had just spoken the worst words imaginable.
This scene in the beloved family Christmas movie, The Santa Clause, exposes the main point of conflict in the plot: Scott doesn’t want to accept his responsibility as the new Santa. He doesn’t believe in Christmas magic. In response, Bernard, the head elf, delivers the key message of the movie, “Then there would be millions of disappointed children around the world. You see, children hold the spirit of Christmas within their hearts.” In The Santa Clause, kids are the heroes of the movie—as well as Christmas. It’s Scott’s son, Charlie, who helps his dad, mom, and stepdad find their “inner child” and experience the true magic of Christmas.
This message not only appears in The Santa Clause but is woven through the entire Christmas season. We see this pull toward innocence in the children riding The Polar Express and in those who believe Santa in Miracle on 34th Street. It infiltrates the Hallmark movie channel and even our holiday music—with an entire song dedicated to seeing Christmas “through the eyes of a child.”[1] Through tinsel-coated commercials and gripping seasonal stories, the world’s message is clear: the true magic of Christmas is held by children. Yet, while there may be some truth to this sentiment, in surrendering to it completely, we risk missing out on experiencing the wonder of Christmas for ourselves.
The Wonder of the Young
The busyness and cynicism of adulthood can rob us of the opportunity to revel in childlike wonder. I know it’s true. I’ll be celebrating my thirty-sixth Christmas this year, and honestly, I’m a little tired. Another year of decorating, endless baking, cleaning, preparing, and scheduling leaves me a little worn out. Perhaps you feel it, too. The demands of Christmas can easily sneak in and steal the joy we once felt as a child. Sometimes, we need to see the Advent season through a son, daughter, niece, or grandchild to remember what our anxious hearts have been missing. Their wonder at the star God placed in the sky stirs our hearts to marvel at this unfolding miracle. The exuberance of the Kindergarten class at church as they belt out “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” pulls our focus from our to-do lists back to the glory of the angels’ message.
God knew we would need the reminders of the young. In a culture that didn’t prioritize children, Jesus regularly turned his own followers’ attention to them while on earth, welcoming them near to him (Matt. 19:14). While his disciples were bickering and fighting over who would be the greatest, Jesus brought a child close, and responded, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3). Imagine these grown men, trying to avoid looking at the kid in front of them who exposed the shame of their pride and lust for glory. Of course, Jesus didn’t mean that the child was perfect, yet his comment communicated that every son and daughter must come into the Lord’s kingdom humbled. Instead of jockeying for power, we come fully dependent on the Lord’s grace— like a child depends upon those who care for them.
God has given us the young to teach us. They show us what it means to be dependent and display to us the awe our distracted minds need. We could use those reminders this Christmas. The fact that the Son of God would come to earth is a miracle worth every bit of our delight. Perhaps we just need a four-year-old to break into our distracted hearts this Advent season and shout, “Hey! Unto you a child is born!”[2]
The Wonder of the Aged
Yet, Christmas isn’t only about abstract concepts like wonder and joy. It’s a story of blood, tears, and a crying infant. It’s the tangible reality of the enfleshed Son of God, born after generations of sorrow in a sin-cursed world. The incarnate Christ came to earth where he could be seen, touched, and heard—all so he could bring real and lasting hope to the hurting (1 John. 1:1). This part of the story’s beauty only grows with years.
The longer the Christian rubs against the joys and curses of life, the greater the miracle of Christmas feels. Years of suffering aches and diseases in our ageing bodies reinforce our gratitude that God would take on our weakened flesh. Seasons weathered with loneliness, grief, and isolation make the proclamation of Emmanuel, God with us, a greater comfort to weary hearts. A life spent watching wars and tragedy play out in the news compels us to treasure our precious Prince of Peace. Every lost loved one we’ve wept over alters our perspective on the baby in the nativity as the harbinger of resurrection and life.
We need the aged to show us the wonder of Christmas, too. Those who’ve walked in darkness longer are often able to see the light of Christ’s birth even brighter. With each year that passes, the Holy Spirit works inside our failing bodies, renewing our hearts to love and long for our Savior even more (2 Cor. 4:16). Like Anna and Simeon, our years of waiting and groaning make the blessed one in our arms feel even sweeter.
The Wonder of the Church
The Santa Clause was mistaken. The true wonder of Christmas isn’t held by a child. It’s held by all of Christ’s church. We’ll discover it in the humble and excited child twirling to “Silent Night,” and we’ll glimpse it in the aged saint who must sit in the pew while he sings. The depth of God’s love in the Incarnation can’t be expressed by one demographic or even one person. We need a dozen, a hundred, a thousand, a million saints. We need the whole church to come together and loudly proclaim, “He has come to his people” (Luke 1:68).
This Christmas, we’ll share it with our families. We’ll sing it in our churches. And we’ll keep belting out this good news with greater force as every Advent season passes. Until one day, we’ll join every saint, young and old, from all of history, and we’ll say it one final time, in the presence of our Jesus.
This is the true wonder of Christmas. And it’s for all of us.