Every year, my local newspaper prints an old editorial entitled, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” It was written in 1897 by an editorial writer for the New York Sun in response to a letter by an 8-year-old girl named Virginia. The little girl wondered if there really was a Santa Claus since some of her friends said he didn’t exist.

Poor little Virginia. She was asking the wrong question. Maybe her friends were pointing her to a more satisfying focus of her devotion and, rather than turning to find him, some ridiculous adult went on to ramble about how Santa will live a thousand years from now even though you couldn’t see him or prove he exists. Great. So, in the spirit of journalism, this is repeated yearly as if it somehow preserves some kind of childlike innocence.

Here’s something for all you Viriginias out there. Was there a Santa Claus? Mark Driscoll at The Resurgence looks at the man known as Saint Nicholas and the myths surrounding him. What you will find is that there is a lot of storytelling involved in the Santa story. But, on the other hand, you will find that what is known about Jesus Christ is not just hearsay but was written down by eyewitnesses and then handed down faithfully. It’s not another fairy tale, but real history. And that’s the best news. If you are going to look forward expectantly for someone this Christmas, look forward to Jesus.