We are beginning a new series this week in Middle School called: Christmas Kombat! It is designed to compare cultural Christmas personas against the true Christmas personage of Jesus Christ. As I was researching Elf on the Shelf, I was surprised at how many doctrinal discoveries were uncovered in researching the differences between the two.Here are just a few of the differences that have had an impact on me this week:
1. The Elf is impatient while Jesus is filled with patience.
The Elf says,
"I'll watch and report on all that you do!
My job's an assignment from Santa himself.
I am his helper, a friendly scout elf."
The Elf is not patient with disobedient children! Jesus, on the other hand, is incredibly patient with us!
When the time was coming near for Jesus to depart, He was determined to go to Jerusalem. He sent some messengers ahead of Him, who went into a town in Samaria to make everything ready for Him. But the people there would not welcome Him, because He was set on going to Jerusalem. When James and John, followers of Jesus, saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and destroy those people?" But Jesus turned and scolded them and said, "You don't know what kind of spirit you belong to. The Son of Man did not come to destroy the souls of people but to save them." Then they went to another town.
(Luke 9:51-56)
2. You can call the Elf any name you like, but Jesus is the only name under heaven whereby you must be saved.
The Elf says,
"The first time I come to the place you call home, you must quickly give me a name of my own. Will it be Foddle, Criddle, or Clyde? Fisbee's cute, too,
but you must decide.
You will never regret what you choose to call your Elf, but you may regret not calling Jesus by the name He deserves:
That at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.
(Philippians 2:10)
It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will acknowledge God.'"
(Romans 14:11)
3. The Elf hides from you every morning while Jesus is always searching for you.
The Elf says,
"You must find the new spot I will take; I can hide on a plant, a shelf, or a frame. Where will I be? Let's make it a game!"
Jesus does not hide from you. He stands at the door and knocks, waiting for you to let Him in!
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."
(Revelation 3:20)
In order to find Jesus, the Bible is clear that all a person needs to do is proclaim Him with their mouth and believe in Him with their heart. He is near to you if you search for Him!
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes and is justified,
and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
(Romans 10:9-10)
4. The Elf reports your wrongs, while Jesus takes the place for your wrongs.
"In the car, at the park, or even at school;
the word will get out if you broke a rule.
I tell him if you have been good or been bad,
The news of the day makes him happy or sad.
A push or a shove I'll report to the Boss,
but small acts of kindness will not be a loss."
Do you think the Elf would ever take your bad decisions on himself? Would he tell Santa to not give you the piece of coal and instead give it to him (the Elf)? Of course not! The Elf is simply a tattletale reporter! Jesus is nothing like this! He is your Advocate with God the Father in Heaven. Once you have accepted Him as Lord and Savior, He constantly intercedes on your behalf. Jesus prays to God and says, "Don't look at their wrong doings, look at them through me, the perfect God-Man."
"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed."
(1 Peter 2:24)
But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.
And in him is no sin.
(1 John 3:5)
5. The Elf is done after Christmas while Jesus' work never ends.
The Elf says,
"The night before Christmas
my job's at an end,
my job's at an end,
the rest of the year with Santa I'll spend.
Blow me a kiss and bid me farewell,
I'll fly away when I hear Santa's bell.
Of course I will miss you,
But wait 'til next year.
When the holidays come I'll again reappear!"
Did Jesus' job end after the Resurrection? No! He is still active and alive in our lives. He is interceding for us (Hebrews 7:25), preparing a place for us (John 14:1-3), and working in our lives through the Holy Spirit (John 15:26, Romans 8:9-10).
The question then comes: Have you made Jesus into an Elf on the Shelf? Do you view Jesus as impatient, moldable to your image, a hidden tattletale who only appears around Christmas and Easter?
What will you do with Jesus? I pray that you won't put Him back in a box just to pull Him out again the day after Black Friday. He wants a relationship with you and wants to know you intimately.
