Christmas without Christ, Charlie Brown

Recently, my wife and I rented the Charlie Brown Christmas DVD from our local public library. On the DVD was the original 1960’s cartoon (A Charlie Brown Christmas) that most people have come to love watching during the Christmas season. There was also a sequel to that cartoon that was made in 1992, called “It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown,” on the DVD. We popped the disc into the computer and began with the original.

From imdb.com

As we watched the classic, I was astonished at how “prophetic” the cartoon was, describing how commercialized Christmas had become. My favorite part of the cartoon is when Charlie Brown screams, “Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about” and Linus recites Luke 2:8-14 for all to hear. It fills my heart with joy knowing that Christ is proclaimed through this cartoon classic on television every year and viewed by millions in homes all across America.

With the sequel, there was an obvious attempt to recreate the “religious” aspect of the original, but they forgot one extremely integral part to their story… Jesus Christ. This cartoon has some Bible use peppered throughout the show, but it fails to uphold Christ as the reason for the season. In fact, they “forgot” to mention the name of Jesus Christ completely, making it a film that is focused on the holiday rather than our Lord and Savior. It attempts to portray good morals without the standard of morality, Jesus Christ. (I encourage you to watch “Time Changer” to understand why this is a problem.)

From archiveattic.wordpress.com

Needless to say, I was disappointed in the sequel and will probably not watch it every year like I do with the original. The point is this, if Christ is not at the forefront of our Christmas celebration, then we have no reason to celebrate. Make sure that your focus is not on presents, not on decorations, not on vacation from work or school… focus on the child that was born of a virgin, in a manger, in the town of Bethlehem:

The Lord – Who perfectly kept the Law, healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, allowed the deaf to hear, and raised men from the dead.

The Messiah – Who was beaten, crushed, and whipped for our transgressions.

The Savior – Who was hung by His hands and feet on a cross and died as a sacrifice to pay for the sins of the whole world.

The Redeemer – Who was raised from the dead after three days and offers an escape from an eternity in Hell.

Do you have a reason to celebrate this year? Have you turned from your sins and placed your trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Receive the gift of everlasting life today… the greatest gift ever given!

Visit the Creation Museum to learn more!