by Patrick Sawyer, Missional Living Pastor
A Christmas Carol[1] by Charles Dickens is a famous Christmas story centered around Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge. In this famous story, Mr. Scrooge is portrayed as a mean businessman who is selfish, greedy and hates anything portrayed as nice or generous. The story is set around Christmas time when Mr. Scrooge hates everything about Christmas and what it represents. He hates how everyone is loving and kind to one another, how they are generous towards others, and how everyone is just so happy. He hates and despises this time of the year.
On the night before Christmas, Scrooge is visited by his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who was greedy just like Scrooge, and because of his greed, he has been cursed to wander the earth in heavy chains and money boxes. Mr. Marley tells Scrooge he will be visited by three ghosts of Christmas during the night. Ultimately, these ghosts represent the past, present and future life of Mr. Scrooge. Mr. Marley tells Scrooge he needs to listen to these ghosts, or he will receive the same fate and cursings that he received because of his selfishness and pridefulness.
During the night, Mr. Scrooge is visited by all three of these ghosts, where it is revealed that if he does not change his ways, he will die a lonely and hated man. On Christmas morning, Scrooge wakes up a changed man. He goes from a man who was mean, selfish, and greedy to a man who is now loving, selfless, and generous. He goes from hating Christmas to being thankful he has a new opportunity to be a part of the Christmastime feeling of love, kindness, and generosity.
You might be asking, "How does this story connect to the Great Commission?" I'm glad you asked.
The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Like Scrooge, we were all born dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), selfish and greedy. We all identify with Scrooge. Daniel Blackaby states, "Whether we accept it or not, we are Scrooge in this story." [2] This is the bad news of the gospel. But there is good news. In this story, the three ghosts show Scrooge the truth of his life. He is also shown the destruction his current life is leading him to. Like this story, the Bible reveals the truth about our lives and also the truth about the destruction our everyday life is leading us to. The Bible reveals the truth and the good news of the gospel. The gospel's good news is that God did not leave us in our sins and trespasses, but He sent His Son Jesus to come and die on the cross and rise from the grave so that we can be saved, forgiven, and reconciled to Him.
Even though we are Scrooge in this story, like Scrooge, our story does not end here. Scrooge's life was changed. He was given a new life. The Bible reveals that through the gospel, our lives are changed. We are given a new life and a second chance. 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
This is the good news of the gospel in that we have a new life. We have a second chance. We go from death to life (John 5:24).
But now watch this. In this story, the moment Scrooge is changed, he not only loves Christmas time, but he cannot wait to go and spread the Christmas cheer with others. Scrooge states, "I will honour in my heart and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the past, the present, and the future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach." [3] Scrooge's heart has been so changed, and he is so full of joy and happiness that he vows to live out this new change and to also spread this good news and experience with others.
This is what the good news of the gospel should do to us. The gospel of Jesus Christ should so overjoy us that our lives should look differently, and we should have a desire and passion to go and spread the good news of the gospel to those who have yet to hear. Think about the woman at the well. The moment she experienced Jesus, she dropped everything and ran into her village and told all the people to come and see this man, Jesus who changed her life. The gospel should cause us to drop everything, run to the world, and tell them about Jesus. If Jesus is so good, don't we want others to know and experience Him?
Think about this. There are billions of Mr. Scrooges all over the world who are dead in their sins and trespasses and are living a life that is leading them to death and destruction, and they do not even know it. Like the three spirits, we should have a passion and a desire to go to them and reveal the truth to them so they can not only know the truth but they can also know the only One who can save them, change their life and give them life is Jesus Christ.
We must go to them so they do not miss their chance to know and experience Jesus. "What's today, my fine fellow? Said Scrooge. 'Today! replied the boy. 'Why it's Christmas Day.' It's Christmas Day! Said Scrooge to himself. I haven't missed it." [4] Daniel Blackaby reminds us, "What makes A Christmas Carol so heartwarming is not that Scrooge is redeemed but that he still has time to share his newfound Christmas Spirit and bless those around him." [5]
This Christmas season, let us not only be reminded of the good news of the gospel but also that there are billions of people in the world who have yet to hear the name of Jesus and the good news of the gospel. Let us have the passion and desire to do whatever we can to get the gospel message to them.
[1] A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
[2] Daniel Blackaby, "The Gospel According to A Christmas Carol," The Collision, (December 7, 2020).
[3] Daniel Blackaby, "The Gospel According to A Christmas Carol," The Collision,