The little kid with the round head and the pitiful tree has become a regular part of America's Christmas. Our kids watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" when they were little; now their kids love it - and their parents never stopped loving it.
We can all hear Charlie Brown's angst-ridden question ringing out above the Christmas mayhem - "Isn't there anybody who can tell me what Christmas is all about?" Enter blanket boy. Linus to the rescue. As he steps into the spotlight on that little stage, he turns the spotlight on Jesus. "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord."
That almost didn't happen. Charles Schulz, the creator of "Peanuts," was under pressure to leave the Jesus part out of his first attempt at a TV special. But he stood his ground. He said, "If we don't do this, who will?" And the rest is history. In our post-Christian culture, Linus' little speech about "to you is born a Savior" may be the only fragment of Gospel they've ever heard.
But you don't have to be a prime-time TV producer to feel the pressure to not bring up Jesus. Most of us who've ever tried to live for Him have experienced that pressure. It's OK to talk about church, family values, even God - but Jesus is the problem. How many times in a spiritual conversation have we choked on the name of Jesus? So it's always "God" we talk about - which allows the listener to think whatever "God" means to them. But Jesus - well, there's no mistaking who He is.
This shouldn't come as a surprise. Satan's been trying to edit out Jesus for 2,000 years. The early disciples were hauled in by the same religious leaders who had arranged for the crucifixion of Jesus. They were ordered to never again mention "the name" in their preaching. The disciples' response? " They never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ" (Acts 5:42). Why? Because "salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). No Jesus, no heaven. That's why our enemy can't stand to hear the Name.
And that's why we can't leave out Jesus. His Name is where the power is, where the hope is. Many Christmases ago a cartoonist made a courageous choice and refused to edit the Name. This Christmas would be a good time for each of us to make that same choice.