In a world full of philosophies that ultimately offer no solid answers to our most perplexing questions of existence—where did we come from, why are we here, & where are we going?—Christmas offers profound answers. Like Charles Dickens’ 3 ghosts showed Scrooge the past, present, & future, let’s go on a similar journey.
Christmas reveals more to us about our past—we know where we came from. Because God became human, we know we’re not evolutionary accidents. If we were merely advanced primates, then God Himself became an animal in that manger. But the Incarnation declares something far greater—that we are special creations, made in God’s image, designed for fellowship with Him, descended from the original couple: Adam & Eve.
The problem? Our first parents broke that fellowship through rebellion, & all descendants since have followed suit in losing their innocence once crossing an age of accountability. The Ghost of Christmas Past forced Scrooge to confront his lost innocence & the selfish choices that hardened his heart. Seeing these moments filled Scrooge with deep regret & sorrow he had long suppressed. “Godly sorrow leads to repentance” (2 Cor. 7:10).
This is why Jesus came into the world—to redeem us & right all wrongs. Because Jesus never sinned, He was able to bear our sins on the cross. Forgiveness means that our past, no matter how vile, is no longer held against us. We become new creations, no longer weighed down by the chains of past guilt, shame, & regret (2 Cor. 5:17). Your past doesn’t define you.
Christmas also tells us more about our present—what we’re doing here. As people search for purpose in chasing success, comforts, & pleasures, they don’t find true meaning. The Ghost of Christmas Present further moved Scrooge to reconsider what life was all about. He’d lived a miserly & faithless life, especially in contrast with the loving & faithful Cratchit family. Scrooge had been wasting his life on acquiring things that don’t last or bring true happiness.
The baby in the manger grew up, died, rose again, & is alive right now. Knowing He is for you, with you, & in you changes everything about how you live. It affects how we treat people, do our jobs, & spend our time & money. It reorders our priorities because our purpose is to pursue & please the Lord. What we do here & now matters for eternity, so we invest ourselves in those things, putting our treasures in heaven.
Jesus was the ultimate missionary—leaving heaven to seek & save the lost. Now He calls us to continue His mission—to be salt & light by influencing & impacting the world for good. We’re to see ourselves as Christ’s ambassadors, telling others the gospel message (2 Cor. 5:19-20). This gives us a purpose worth living, & and even dying for.
Finally, Christmas tells us more about our future—where we’re going. The future can feel uncertain, even frightening. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we do know that we will all face death. By dying & rising again, Jesus proved there’s life beyond the grave. He came to free us from the slavery of fear (Heb. 2:15). Because He lives, we can face whatever the future holds with confidence. What we do know is that the future holds the return of Christ. Everyone will stand before God, & be assigned 1 of 2 destinations—eternal life with Him or eternal separation from Him.
The silent Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come delivered the most terrifying blow as it showed Scrooge his horrible end if he didn’t change. Scrooge considered that his eternity would be the same as Marley’s, his deceased business partner’s, who was condemned to carry heavy chains in the afterlife forged by his own greed & indifference. Marley appeared at the start of the story as a kind of late evangelist, trying to turn Scrooge from the same condemnation, much as the rich man in Jesus’ story wanted to do for his family, but wasn’t permitted to (Luke 16:19-31).
These harrowing confrontations shattered Scrooge’s skepticism about the supernatural & opened his heart. This vision of an unchangeable future—if he continued on his current path—ultimately broke through his defenses, compelling him to vow genuine reform. Scrooge’s redemption is deeply infused with Christian themes, though it’s not portrayed as an explicit conversion to personal faith or a direct encounter with God. It’s subtle.
So let me make it explicit & overt—there is no redemption outside of repenting & receiving Jesus as Savior (Acts 4:12). We need more than a fearful night to cause lasting reform—we need a new heart that comes through abiding faith (Ezek. 36:26). We need more than momentary encounters with spirits, we need the ongoing power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
On Christmas morning, a reformed Scrooge “went to church,” delighting in the pealing bells & fully embracing the spirit of Christmas as a time of kindness, forgiveness, & generosity—qualities Dickens rooted in the teachings of Christ. Scrooge becomes a man who “knew how to keep Christmas well” by helping others. But to be clear, it’s not that we’re saved by such good works—we do them because we are saved. They are the evidence & fruit.
Christmas is God’s gift to you. Open it. When you receive the grace of Jesus, your past is forgiven, your present is empowered, & your future is secured. A clean slate, clear purpose, & clinched victory!