The Light Has Come, Christmas, History, And Hope

We celebrate Christmas by tracing December 25 through American history, reframing Santa as a practice of quiet generosity, and reflecting on the Incarnation through John and Luke. We move from fear to joy with the shepherds, then invite listeners to come and see, go and tell, and find peace that lasts beyond a single day.

• notable December 25 events in U.S. history
• a frank look at consumerism and meaning
• the Santa truth as anonymous generosity
• John’s prologue and God dwelling with us
• Luke’s shepherds, fear to joy, peace for all
• come and see, go and tell as a life pattern
• comfort for heavy hearts and a clear hope

If you don’t have Jesus, you better get right

Chapters

• 1:02 Merry Christmas And Setup
• 1:37 December 25 In American History
• 4:09 From Santa To Meaning And Culture
• 5:22 The Santa Truth Story Of Giving
• 9:19 The Incarnation In John’s Gospel
• 12:29 Shepherds, Joy, And Peace In Luke
• 15:16 Come And See, Go And Tell
• 18:25 Comfort, Invitation, And Closing Blessing

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:31

Hey guys, it's B-Rob. It's the Food for Thought Faith Cast. And guess what day it is? You know because you tuned in. It's Chrisma Day on 2025. And I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas. I want to wish you a Merry Christmas. And hopefully, God is blessing your family, blessing your young ones, blessing everything in your life. And um it's Christmas, it's December twenty-fifth, so let's uh look at some uh notable events in American history beyond the Christmas celebration. So we'll uh go down the pipeline real quick. Today in um history, December 25th, in Krima, Krima time, Krima time. Um 1776, George Washington crosses the Delaware River. Hmm, we've seen that picture quite a few times in the past eight, nine, ten years. If you know, you know. Um, eighteen oh nine was the first successful ovarian tumor removal. In eighteen thirty, first regularly scheduled U.S. passenger train, the best friend out of Charleston, South Carolina. In eighteen sixty-eight was amnesty for Confederate veterans. President Andrew Johnson granted unconditional pardons to all former Confederate soldiers and officials after the Civil War, helping to promote national reconciliation. In 1941, it was the premiere of Bing Crosby's White Christmas, which was iconic, his iconic song. Um, 1996, they discovered John Bene Ramsey's body. The unsolved murder case of the six-year-old beauty queen. Um, so I guess they found it. Other mentions on this day in history. The longest NFL game was in 1971, December 25th, 1971. Um, some notable birthdays is Clara Barton, which was the founder of the American Red Cross, Humphrey Bogart, which was a legendary actor. And then Jimmy Buffett, we all know the singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur, Mr. Jimmy Buffett. So um, there you go, on Christmas in American history, right there. Right there on your your Satan Claus birth, uh Satan Claus uh pagan holiday. But speaking of uh that we're gonna not we're not gonna be um negative. We're we're not gonna talk about Santa in a negative way. Um but I do want to talk, I do want to tell you this. Some point in our history, in our American history, we went stupid and went pagan. We did. I mean that's that's a fact. It's a fact. I mean, look at Black Friday, Christmas is all about it's not about what it's supposed to be about. But it's it's sad. It's sad and it's depressing. And that's the stupid um American history moment for December 25th, 2025. Yeah, guys, speaking of the whole Santa pagan Satan thing, um give you a little breakdown. I thought this was cool, so I'm gonna read it for you. Um, just a little breakdown of how to tell your kid the truth about Santa. So here we go. Son asked Dad, I think I'm old enough now. Is there really a Santa Claus? Dad says, Okay, I agree that you're old enough. But before I tell you, I have a question for you. You see, the truth is a very dangerous gift. Once you know something, you cannot simply unknow it. Once you know the truth about Santa Claus, you'll never again understand and relate to him as you do now. So my question to you is, are you sure you want to know? There was a big pause. So, yeah, I want to know. So dad goes, okay, I'll tell you. Yes, there's a Santa Claus. Son goes, really? Dad goes, yes, really. But he's not an old man with a beard and a red suit. That's just what we tell you kids. You see, kids are too young to understand the true nature of Santa Claus, so we explain it to them in a way they can understand. The truth about Santa Claus is that he's not a person at all. He's an idea. Think of all those presents Santa gave you over the years. I actually bought those myself. I watched you open them. And did you bother me and tell me thank you? Of course not, and that's okay. In fact, it gave me great pleasure. You see, Santa Claus is the idea of giving for the sake of giving, without the thought of thanks or acknowledgement. You don't even have to be known. When I saw the woman collapse on the subway last week and called for help, I knew that she'd never know that it was me that called for the ambulance. I was being Santa Claus when I did that. Son wide-eyed. Oh, really? Dad says, so now that you know, you're actually part of it. You, my son, have to be Santa Claus now. That means you can never tell a young kid the secret. And you have to help us select Santa presents for them. And most important, you have to look for opportunities to help people all year long. Got it. Son says, got it. So, guys, long story short, help each other. Not just because it's Christmas, just because. And be kind. The command was to love each other and love our neighbor. My name is B-Rob, and this is Food for Thought. Hey guys, it's B Rob and welcome back. And uh good morning. If you are just tuning in, I want to say Merry Christmas to you and your family. I hope it's blessed. I hope today is great. It's a great day to celebrate. Um, it is the most astonishing, most important day in history. The event, I mean, I don't know what to tell you, but um today is the day that God Himself stepped into this 3D world. Not as a king in a palace, but as a helpless baby in a manger. The same God who spoke the universe into existence became vulnerable, dependent, and fully human, just like us. So today, as we gather on this Christmas Day, let's pause and wonder and think about why did God come? And what does his coming mean for us right now? Well, in the Gospel of John, the word became flesh. John begins his gospel with these powerful words. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God. And the word was God, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. You see, this is the very heart of what Christmas is supposed to mean. The eternal God did not stay distant. He came here. The light of the world entered the darkness. He didn't come like a superstar, not with no fanfare, no entre uh entourage, but he came in quiet humility. I mean, imagine the creator of the galaxies wrapped in swaddling clothes. The one who holds all things together now cries like any newborn. This is God's love in action. He didn't send a message, he became the message. He entered our upside down world to show us what God is really like. God full of grace and truth. And that's good news. That's great news, that's great joy. In Luke 2, shepherds, just regular, ordinary, overlooked people, were the first to hear the news. An angel appeared and said, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Notice they say, good news for all people, not just the religious elite or the powerful, but all people. Let's capitalize that word, all A-L. The shepherds were terrified at first, but the angels' message turned fear into joy. Then the sky exploded with angels praising God. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. You see, this is the real joy of Christmas. God has come to bring peace. Not just the absence of war, but true shalom, wholeness, reconciliation with God and each other. That's an amazing thing. The angels announce what the baby will accomplish, and that is salvation for all who believe. In Luke two, verses fifteen through twenty, come and see, then go and tell. After the angels left, the shepherds said, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened. They hurried off, found Mary and Joseph and the baby lion. I had to sneeze. I was going a little too hard in the paint, I guess. Hmm. I don't know. Anyway, they found Mary and Joseph and the baby lion in the manger. They saw, they believed, and they went out and told everybody. The same invitation is there for us today. It's biblical. Come and see. Go and tell. Come and see what the love that the love that God has for us. Come and see. No one has gone too far. No life is too broken. Not for the grace of our God. Nope. Like the shepherds. Come see, go and tell. Share the good news with your family, your workplace, your neighborhood. Christmas isn't just a day about Santa Claus. It's a message. And that message changes everything. So today, guys, as we celebrate the light that has come into the darkness, guys, know that God has come near. The word became flesh. The Savior was born. So guys, today on this Christmas day, if you're not feeling a hundred percent, if you're feeling the weight of the world, just know that Jesus came for you. But if you already know that, let that joy overflow in praise and tell people. Guys, I thank you for tuning in on this Christmas day. In the words of Charlie Kirk, on Christmas, we celebrate God coming in human form. A fulfillment of thousands of years of prophecy, a promise made by our Creator, and a promise kept by sending Jesus. God loves us so much, He gave us a gift. He gave us the gift. He came in total humility, a baby. He came to save the world and us from our sin. Guys, Merry Christmas. God bless you and your family. And if you don't have Jesus, you better get right.