For two millenniums people have annually celebrated the nativity (birth) of Jesus Christ. We call this celebration Christmas. Historically, God’s people have made this a 4 week celebration (called Advent) leading up to the actual day of Christmas.
Unfortunately, Christmas has been commercialized and conjures more thoughts of Santa Claus than Jesus. As a teaching tool, we can bring our children into the truth that the real Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas) was just a man who loved Jesus (Veggie Tales has a great movie about Saint Nicholas).
The real Santa Claus was not magical, but he loved a magical God. He would not appreciate being the center of our Christmas celebration. If he were here today, he would want to celebrate Christmas with us. He would sit down and sing songs like “O Holy Night” and “O Come Let us Adore Him.” Here are some more questions and answers to help you and your family prepare for Sunday.
What was Santa Claus’ real name?
Saint Nicholas, born in the year 270.
Where did Saint Nicholas grow up?
Saint Nicholas grew up in a village next the Mediterranean Sea in Turkey.
What was Saint Nicholas’ childhood like?
Saint Nicholas’ family was very wealthy. He always had a warm place to sleep and plenty of food to eat. His parents were Christians and they taught him to love Jesus more than their wealth. They both died when Saint Nicholas was just a boy.
How did Saint Nicholas’ use his wealth?
Saint Nicholas believed that everything he had was from God and that it was his duty to share with others who did not have what they needed.
Why was Saint Nicholas’ so generous with his wealth?
Saint Nicholas was generous because he knew God had been generous to him by sending Jesus to die for his sins. He loved to give much because he had been given much.
Why do we find gifts in our stockings on Christmas Morning?
The gifts that appear in our stockings on Christmas Eve remind us of the secret gift-giving of Saint Nicholas. Some nights, the poor in his village would leave their shoes outside, and Saint Nicholas would leave in them gold coins (which is what chocolate coins wrapped in gold paper are a symbol of).
Name something Saint Nicholas was known for?
Devotion to Jesus.
Generosity.
Love of children.
Secret gift-giving.
Merry Christmas.
No comments:
Post a Comment