The show along with other special Christmas cartoons became traditions in millions of households in America. There was Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Jack Frost. While the others were delightful and about Christmas, they were not about Christ; however, A Charlie Brown Christmas was different.
Charles Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts cartoon strip was raised a Lutheran. He challenged convention by inserting faith in the TV special as he had in his newspaper comic strip. In the early 1960s, he was teaching adult Sunday school, so he decided to include the Biblical message of Christmas by having Linus respond to Charlie Brown’s question by quoting verses of the Christmas Story from Luke 2:8-14. A cartoon that boldly quotes the Bible is truly special.
A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered on December 9, 1965, on CBS. In the special, Charlie Brown finds himself feeling down about the commercialization of Christmas. Lucy suggests that he direct a neighborhood Christmas play, but his efforts go unnoticed for the most part. In the process, Charlie Brown buys a pathetic tree and is ridiculed by the Peanuts gang. To that end, downsides experienced by some in the Christmas season are addressed like depression, loneliness, rejection, and loss. But praise God, the cartoon also teaches the upside of Christmas like its real meaning, kindness, expressing gratitude, helping others, doing the right thing, being persistent when you believe in something and more.
Something wonderful happens near the end of the 30-minute special when Charlie Brown shouts,
“ISN’T THERE ANYONE WHO KNOWS WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT?”His best friend, Linus knew and accepted the challenge to set his friends and millions upon millions of people straight in a sweet, powerful 62 seconds. He recited from Luke 2:8-14:
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.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Linus’ answer is the perfect message for Christians awaiting the day that we celebrate the birth of Christ during a time taken over by commercialism, partying, and excessive shopping. For the families who have lost loved ones to Covid-19 and other diseases and the families who just lost loved ones to unimaginable tornadoes, there is nothing that has been or could ever be purchased that they would desire over having their loved ones with them.
John 16:33 tells us, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Let us choose to love, to help, to be kind, to bring joy, and to be generous all year-round and to be grateful that our Savior was born and overcame the world.