In the movie Elf, starring Will Ferrell, Santa Claus’s magic sleigh is powered by belief. Since there are no longer enough people who believe in Santa, his sleigh crashes and gets stranded in Central Park. While Buddy the elf tries to repair Santa’s engine, his friends get their fellow New Yorkers to believe again. In this movie, Santa is helplessly reliant on humanity for his powers.  

Some Christians think Jesus is like Santa. He has the power to save you, but only so long as you believe. Once you stop believing, His fuel gauge ticks down until He’s stranded, waiting for you to believe again. I am so thankful that our Savior Jesus Christ is not like Santa Claus. 

When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, she was drawing water to drink. This is because we must keep drinking water our entire lives or we will die. Jesus told the woman about another kind of water—a miraculous kind of water. The problem with normal water is that, while a drink of it satisfies you for a time, you will get thirsty again because your body uses up the water you drank. When Jesus told the woman that she would never thirst again after drinking the water He offered, she knew He meant that she would receive life in an instant.  

John 5:24 says that the one who believes, “has passed from death into life.” Like the metaphorical water that Jesus offered, this is eternal life received in an instant. No daily drawing and drinking, no upkeep, just a life that cannot end.  

Now, none of this is to say that believers should not keep on believing. Most of the New Testament was written to encourage and instruct believers to persevere in their faith and to live it out. However, this is not because Jesus needs our help. The all-powerful Creator of the universe is not limited by the number of humans who believe in Him. He wants us to continue in belief so that we can grow in our relationship with Him. He loves His children and wants them to draw near to Him.  

In order for Santa to save the day by delivering presents, he needs some help. Jesus does not need any help to save the day. He is coming back to save the world whether New Yorkers believe in Him or not.