No Joke Intended

santa‘It is the season to be jolly’ is what we’ve heard many a time. And the person everyone first thinks of is jolly old Santa Claus! So what’s so wrong about all that?

Well, if you and your family know that it is just a simple, made-up story, and if you let your kids know it too, then I suppose it’s okay to go along with the joke.

However, it is really important to know and to teach what truth really is. Most of all that many centuries ago this man called St. Nicholas went around and gave a few gifts to a few children in his small town. That is fairly accurate and fairly true. But over the years, the story of a kind man who gave a few gifts away has grown into this big lie about someone called Santa Claus, who lives at the North Pole, who has elves working for him, who owns flying reindeer, who somehow carries a bag full of toys and gifts for everyone in the world (how big is that bag?), who is able to stop at every home in the world in less than 12 hours! Hey, I want to meet that joker! But, we know it is all just a made-up story. Let’s be honest!

The reason we celebrate Christmas is that it is a remembrance of birth of Christ. Jesus was not born on December 25th, we are sure of that. But the day of December 25th has been chosen long ago as the day we should remember that God came down to earth as The Baby Jesus, to become our Savior. Giving gifts to The Baby Jesus by the three wise men (and we have no idea how many wise men there were, but there were three gifts given) is probably why people started to give each other gifts. We can think of the white snow of winter as pure white, and how Jesus came to cleanse us of our sins. The three wise men rode on camels, not flying reindeer. My one grandfather lived to be 93 years old. He’d never seen a reindeer fly in his 95 years, but you can keep looking if you want! Let’s just stick with the truth and teach our children the truth, no more joking around!

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-25)

Con-Tracts (c) 2017
Editor: Paul Bero, MI Prisoner # 192686
Artist: Klayton Seavey, MI prisoner
This tract may be copied in its entirety, for free distribution.

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