15 Interesting Similarities Between Santa Claus and Jesus

Christmas music in the dentist’s office. Blow-up Santas at Home Depot. As I think of how Santa Claus is so prevalent and celebrated, I couldn’t help but think about how our current Santa mirrors some fundamental qualities of Jesus.

Here are some interesting similarities.

1. Both are given special attention on holidays. When was the last time you thought of Santa in June? He is remembered and celebrated on a certain holiday. Likewise, for some, Jesus is relevant at Christmas and maybe Easter but not year-round.

2. Both appeal to children. Both Santa and Jesus have a history with children. Think of all the times you have wandered through the mall and seen lines of children just waiting to sit on the lap of an old man in a red costume. Similarly, consider Jesus, who said, “Let the little children come to Me” (Matt. 19:14).

3. Both have lists and keep records. You know the lyric: “He’s making a list, and checking it twice; Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice.” In the Bible, we see references to the “book of life.” Just like with Santa, this is a dividing between who’s “in” and who’s “out.”

4. Both are all-knowing. “He sees you when you’re sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good so be good for goodness sake!” Santa is all-knowing. You can’t fool him. Like Santa, Jesus searches minds and hearts (Rev. 2:23). He knows everything.

5. Both accept mail. Letters to Santa may be a tradition for some. We tell him what we want, and on Christmas morning it magically appears. Jesus too accepts mail, and not only is the line always open, but He answers in doing more than we ask or imagine!

6. Both give gifts. Santa flies around the world with eight reindeer in a magical sleigh leaving gifts for all the good little boys and girls. Likewise, Jesus came, though not down a chimney, and left the best, most meaningful gift of all: Himself. Through His Spirit, Christians are also given different gifts with which to serve Him and equip and encourage one another.

7. Both have helpers. Books, movies, and songs give us a glimpse into Santa’s secret world and the little elves he has working to make every dream come true. In the same way there are angels in heaven, but they are not the cupids of Valentine’s Day. Jesus too has helpers, but they are not your elf on the shelf. They are mighty warriors, wholly loyal and obedient to the King of kings and Lord of lords.

8. Both have songs written about them. “Up on the Housetop.” “He Has a Red, Red Coat.” “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” Rudolph and Frosty have nothing on Santa. We also sing of Christ—His birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and return. We may not “praise” Santa, but we do praise Jesus. Santa is just an icon. Jesus is Immanuel.

9. Both call for preparation. The whole Christmas season it seems is about preparing—being good, buying gifts, keeping the holiday spirit alive. In the Bible, we are likewise taught the value of preparing, being wise with the time we have, and planning for the future. Jesus makes this point in His parables about the shrewd manager (Lk. 16) and ten virgins (Matt. 25). Redeem the time, and prepare for the One who is coming (Rev. 19:8).

10. Both have special food by which we remember them. We have cookies and milk for Santa. In Luke 22:19, Jesus takes bread, breaks it, and gives it to His disciples, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” As Christians, this is how we remember Jesus. There is no magic in the Lord’s Supper. It is no formula. Rather, it is a reminder of the past and a way we fellowship in expectation of the future.

11. Both have red robes. With Santa, this needs no explanation. Before Jesus was crucified, soldiers stripped Him and put around Him “a scarlet robe” (Matt. 27:28). This does not point me to holiday cheer but to a solemn awareness of the reality of His sacrifice. Santa allegedly has every gift in the world. He can be completely generous and yet has no income—like God. In our imagination, Santa can give without it costing him anything. Jesus gave, and it cost Him everything.

12. Both have thrones. There is one line from the Christmas classic Elf that seems to be well-known. A lost elf, far from the North Pole, suddenly recognizes that the mall Santa is a phony. Before yanking off Santa’s fake beard, he says with conviction, “You sit on a throne of lies!” Or as one manager noted in another Christmas film, “I just know that with that man on the throne my department will sell more toys than it ever has!” People who are worshiped sit on thrones. Jesus is the worthy Priest-King, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David (Lk. 1:32), a throne not of lies but of grace and truth.

13. Both are represented by something lesser. Sadly, the “real” Santa—generous, compassionate, patient—rarely comes through in our imitations. The mall Santa may cause a kid to cry, or a certain boy may make a Norman Rockwell “discovery.” In one way or another, Santa wasn’t all we thought. We may have a pleasant grandfatherly image of a jolly, white-haired old man, but it is not reality. Similarly, we may see Jesus as a hard, legalistic pastor or a soft, affirming devotional or something completely different. We may recast Jesus in our own image and make Him into Someone who teaches what we want to hear or approves of our wrong decisions, when we should let Jesus speak for Himself.

14. Both have become the laughing stock of an “enlightened” world. Miracle on Thirty-Fourth Street is a fun Christmas favorite. (Warning: Spoiler ahead.) In the end, the practical mother who refused to believe in fairytales is finally convinced by her daughter and Kris Kringle that Santa is real, and they live happily ever after. The real world, however, doesn’t work that way. Santa-deniers are hailed as those who have “seen the light.” Santa-believers are pitied, children who just believe something because they were taught that way and are too ignorant to know any better. The same holds true with Christians. Jesus is seen as a mythology we are not old or smart enough to reject. Au contraire mon frère. Any evidence for Santa Claus has been staged. Not so with Jesus Christ.

15. Both have come and are coming again. With both Jesus and Santa, their coming is anticipated. Every year the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade ends the same way: Santa. We not only prepare; we anticipate. It is something we look and long for. While we too anticipate the second coming of Christ, it will be a one-time event, and all the anticipation will be worth it.

There are many similarities between Santa and Jesus, but there are some differences. Santa is a figment of our imagination; Jesus lived, died, and rose again. Jesus tells us the hard truth, gives the most meaningful gifts, loves us like nobody else, and wants us to have a personal relationship with Him. The biblical Christmas message is not to clean ourselves up and get on the nice list but remember and believe the One who came once and one day will return. Jesus too is making a list and checking it twice, but it is based on belief rather than behavior. It’s not about being nice; it’s not a nice-list issue but a life-list issue. Our prayers to Him should not smack of a letter to Santa, focused only on what we would like because we have been “good” this year. He desires to hear from us and invites us always to approach His throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Heb. 4:16).

Jesus is coming again—and soon—but it won’t be on a reindeer. We speak of advent season, but let’s not forget there will be a second advent, with the One who is called Faithful and True returning on a white horse, with justice (Rev. 19:11). Ultimately we do not need a fanciful Santa because we have a faithful Savior.