Christmas Movies and the Gospel

We are squarely in the middle of Christmas movie season—not to be confused with Christmas in general or even Advent. No, the “Countdown to Christmas” on the Hallmark channel started with its first movie on October 18; holiday movies from Great American Family channel began on October 12. 

Christmas-themed movies have created their own space on the calendar, and each year, it seems to grow by a few days. And so, before we’ve even fully settled into fall, viewers (by the millions!) are settling in for a long winter’s movie marathon. We gather the kids and laugh through a family favorite together, or we count down the minutes until bedtime when we can put up our feet for a sweet movie with a side of sleigh bells.

But why? Holiday movies are often similar in structure and plot, with several tropes appearing and reappearing again and again: a heroine faces a life change that requires her to move to the country from the city (or vice-versa), or she’s stuck in a boring life until her hometown crush moves back home, or she has to come to terms with the fact that the high-powered job she’s been pursuing won’t meet all of her (emotional) needs. Toss in some candy canes, a handsome hero, and several Christmas songs, and you’ve got yourself the trappings of a classic, made-for-TV Christmas movie. 

Sometimes we love the vibes these movies offer—the “cozy feels” and the guaranteed happy ending. And that’s why we keep coming back for more. Because although the characters change and the setting shifts, the narrative arc ends with the girl getting her guy, the company being saved, and Christmas arriving with a blanket of snow.

True love, salvation, and a happy ending: this is why viewers tune in. And although we might not be able to articulate it—and will never fully find it in these movies—what we’re really longing for is the gospel. 

True Love

At the heart of nearly every Christmas movie is a love story. It might be between old friends, new colleagues, or long-lost soulmates. But at the core is the desire for true love—along with the symbolic kiss that probably happens in the last two minutes of the film. 

Finding a forever love also lies at the heart of the gospel story, although it’s not just between two people: it is a story of sacrifice and pursuit and the truest love between Christ Jesus and his Bride—the people he is preparing for himself. From the Old Testament call of Abram[1] and the formation of the people of Israel to the Church in the New Testament,[2] God has always been pursuing and wooing his people to himself through one Bridegroom—Jesus: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Salvation

In feel-good holiday movies, when the family business is in dire straits or the farm is about to be lost, there’s always a moment of salvation. Someone sacrifices their dream for the family or finds a way through the red tape to refurbish the building or miraculously makes enough money to keep the farm. As humans, we ache to see what we love get saved, whether it is from decay, death, or destruction.

And this, too, is the story of the gospel: Christ Jesus came to offer salvation. He has saved us from the oldest enemies of sin and death by trading his life for ours and sacrificing himself on the cross: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). Where the enemy of our souls seeks to kill us, steal from us, and destroy us, Christ saved us and has offered us abundant life,[3] unbroken relationship with the Father, and eternal life with him.

The Happy Ending

In a world that’s full of pain and suffering, and in daily lives overrun with stress and anxiety, there is little that we can depend upon. But in our favorite holiday movies, the ending is always happy and picture-perfect: snow on Christmas day, loved ones around the tree, and security in the form of finances or a good future.

These movies scratch the itch that every human has for an eternal, happy ending. And the gospel gives us a better story—the best story. For those in Christ, there is a celebration coming that will outstrip every earthly party: the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.[4] In heaven, with our King on his throne, we will dwell in his presence and enjoy his goodness forever.[5] There we will live and reign with him,[6] finally experiencing the undiluted joy our hearts have craved since our first breath.[7] And the best part? This “happy ending” has no end. We will be with our Lord forever.[8]

While Christmas movies will never fulfill the longings of our hearts, they do point to a greater fairy tale: a real Hero who offers true love, salvation, and the happiest of endings to those who turn to him in repentance and faith. As we queue up our favorite Christmas movies this year, let’s see them as a beautiful on-ramp for conversation with our kids and others, pointing to how Christ meets us in our longings and provides a better—and true—solution to our age-old ache. 

[1] Genesis 12

[2] Matthew 16:18; 1 Cor. 3:6-9

[3] John 10:10

[4] Revelation 19

[5] Revelation 21:3

[6] 2 Timothy 2:12

[7] Revelation 21:4

[8] 1 Thessalonians 4:17