And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid… ~ Luke 2: 8-14 (KJV)
It is easy to think of A Charlie Brown Christmas as simply a lighthearted holiday special.
But who would have thought decades later it would still teach new and old generations alike the true meaning of Christmas?
I first watched it as a young boy spending weeks trying to memorize Linus’s speech from Luke 2, where an angel of the Lord delivers the news that a Savior, the Son of God has been born. Though at the time, I did not fully understand its meaning. I am still amazed by the spiritual lessons this film teaches.
BELIEVE IN SOMETHING MORE
Though Charlie Brown likes gift-giving and decorating, he cannot seem to feel the Christmas spirit. This leads him to feelings of deep emptiness, especially when he notices how distracted his friends have become by commercialism. Sound familiar in our own lives?
Believing there is something more, Charlie Brown leans into his determination for understanding even under the weight of influence and pressure from his peers. When reassigned from director of the Christmas play to the job of picking out the biggest aluminum tree he can find, he chooses a scrawny real tree that’s little more than branches and needles, which in turn represents his own humble and fragile humanity. His friends mock him for it.
SPOTLIGHT ON JESUS
We are probably all familiar with Linus’s speech. However, what is often overlooked is the majesty of the Holy Spirit during the speech. Take Linus dropping his blanket, his greatest sense of security, the moment he says, “fear not” that symbolizes how we can let go of earthly security when we put our trust in Jesus. Or when the spotlight drops on Linus after taking center stage, symbolizing the peace and security we find when we put Jesus front and center.
I love Charlie Brown’s reaction after Linus’s speech. There are no words to adequately describe what he has heard. So, what does he do? He returns to the tree, the object of initial shame, and he chooses it again. It is still his story to own. However, he now understands something much greater. Heading out into the night with tree in hand, he once again hears Luke’s words of the coming of a Savior, as he gazes to the heavens.
BEACON OF HOPE
The movie could have ended there but it doesn’t. His friends now see the Holy Spirit alive in Charlie Brown. So, when the tree pathetically bows under the weight of a single ornament, leaving Charlie Brown dejected, his friends intervene by decorating the humble tree. The cross that Charlie Brown carried now becomes a beacon of hope for others, and it is easy to see the parallel of Jesus who was rejected and despised but who also died and rose again in the greatest display of beauty for the forgiveness of our sins.
In its most basic form, A Charlie Brown Christmas reminds us of the healing power of God and that he never holds our weakness against us. To me, it embodies every part of our spiritual journey and how God always helps us see it through.
Reflect: This Christmas season, have we entered into the journey of Advent, or are we simply celebrating tradition?
