The Story of Saint Nicholas

By Pastor Ross Anderson

Compiled from various sources

"A vast multitude was imprisoned in every place," wrote an eyewitness.  "The prisons - prepared for murderers and robbers - were filled with bishops, priests, and deacons... so there was no longer room for those condemned of crimes."  You'd hardly expect to find old St. Nick in jail.  But St. Nicholas is more than a children's Christmas legend.  He was flesh and blood, a pastor in the ancient city of Myra, and a humble servant of Jesus Christ.

What do we know about the real St. Nicholas?  According to ancient biographers, he was born in the city of Patara around 270 AD.  Patara was in Asia Minor, along the Mediterranean coast of what is now southern Turkey. 

His parents were wealthy.  They were also Christians, who faithfully taught him the Bible.  Nicholas particularly enjoyed hearing stories about Jesus.  When his mother told him how Jesus healed the sick, cared for the needy and performed miracles, he found himself wishing Jesus were still on earth.  Later, he discovered that the Church, Christ's body on earth, is called to carry on his mission. 

When Nicholas was a teenager, his mother and father died, leaving him a sizable fortune.  Yet in spite of the temptations of wealth, young Nicholas dedicated his life to seeking the Lord and serving others.

By now Nicholas was living in the nearby city of Myra.  At Myra lived a bishop who supervised all the churches and pastors of that region.  When the bishop died, pastors from the other nearby cities and villages gathered to choose a successor.  Nicholas was in the habit of rising early and going to the church to pray. 

One morning, an elderly pastor was waiting there when he arrived.  "Who are you, my son?" he asked.  "Nicholas the sinner," the young man replied.  "And I am your servant."  "Come with me," the old pastor directed.  Nicholas followed him to a room where the church leaders had assembled.  The elderly pastor addressed the gathering.  "I had a vision that the first one to enter the church in the morning should be the new bishop of Myra.  Here is that man: Nicholas."  And indeed they chose Nicholas as bishop.

Nicholas had an exemplary career as a pastor.  He was a staunch defender of God's Word.  Around that period, the Arian heresy raised its ugly head.  Arianism was a belief that denied the deity of Jesus Christ.  Nicholas strongly opposed it.  He was chosen as a delegate to the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, which condemned Arianism and gave us the great statement of our faith known as the Nicene Creed.

Early in his ministry, Nicholas learned the importance of putting your faith into action.  He put his inherited wealth to work meeting the needs of his people.  At times, he disguised himself and secretly visited the homes of the most needy.  Under cloak of darkness, he delivered food, clothing and money.  The recipients had no idea where the blessings came from.  As far as they were concerned, the Lord had answered their prayers and met their needs.

In the best known story, Nicholas heard about a family who was destitute and starving.  The father had no money for food, yet he had three daughters.  He could not even afford to support them, much less provide a dowry to marry them off.  He felt forced to put his oldest daughter out into the streets, which would have meant living as a prostitute.  But under cover of night, Nicholas threw a bag of gold coins through the window of their home.  In the morning, the father discovered the gold.  How he rejoiced that his family was saved and his daughter's honor preserved!  Some time later, Nicholas secretly provided a dowry for the second daughter.  Still later, he did the same for the third.  This time, however, the father was watching and caught him in the act.  Nicholas was mortified that his act of charity had been discovered.  He made the father promise not to tell anyone who had helped the family.  But of course, the news got out.

The biographers report many other instances of his generosity, as Nicholas gave away his wealth to those in need.  The most commonly told stories involve saving children from some tragedy or calamity.  The legends recount that at times, he would drop the gifts down the fireplace when open windows could not be found.  Sometimes the coins thrown through windows would land in a stocking hung by the fire to dry.  Word spread quickly throughout the area that Bishop Nicholas was responsible for the hundreds of good deeds performed over the years.

In 303 AD, when Nicholas was in his early thirties, the Roman Emperor Diocletian ordered a brutal persecution of Christians.  Those suspected of following Jesus were ordered to sacrifice to pagan gods.  Nicholas and thousands of others refused.  Pastors and lay people alike were dragged to prison.  Believers were fed to wild animals, or forced to fight gladiators before the crowds.  Some were beaten senseless, while others were set aflame while still alive.  Yet persecution could not stamp out Christianity.  Rather, it spread even more. 

Those who survived the persecution were called "saints" or "confessors" because they did not forsake their confession of Christ.  Nicholas was one of these.  After years of imprisonment, Nicholas and others were freed by decree of the new Emperor, Constantine.  As he entered his city once more, the people flocked about him.  "Nicholas!  Confessor!" they shouted.  "Saint Nicholas has come home."

Nicholas served as pastor to God's people in Myra for another 30 years.  Through his ministry, many found salvation and healing.  He died on December 6, about 350 AD.  By then he was a living legend, beloved in the whole region.

Over time, devotion to Nicholas extended to all parts of Europe.  His legend grew and became embellished over time.  Has name has been give to places in many countries.  Numerous surnames of people are derived from Nicholas.  He became the patron saint of Russia and Greece and of many individual cities.  He also became the patron of children, sailors, pawnbrokers, perfumiers and several other groups.  Thousands of European churches are dedicated to him.

With the festival of St. Nicholas being on December 6, the anniversary of his death, in many countries the remembrance of Nicholas became more and more merged with Christmas.  This helped speed the transformation of Nicholas into a Santa Claus figure, first in Germany, then in the Netherlands, Scandinavia and England, and finally in France.  In each country, the name was changed, although the legend remained similar.  In France he was called Pere Noel, in England, Father Christmas, to the Dutch, Sinterklaas.  These Santa figures were often blended with other characters from local folklore.  But they all had long white beards, and they all carried gifts for children.

The American version of Santa Claus owes a lot to the Dutch, who settled in what is now New York.  They united St. Nicholas with the figure of a benevolent magician from Nordic legend.  This magician both punished naughty children and rewarded good ones with presents.  Based on Nicholas' patronage of children, and his well-known generosity, and his habit of secret giving, along with the Dutch custom of giving gifts on St. Nicholas' day, this paved the way for the Christmas customs common in North America today.  Santa took his final form as we now know him from a series of cartoons by Thomas Nast, along with the famous poem by Clement Moore about "The Night Before Christmas." 

Today's Santa still bears some resemblance to St. Nicholas.  His clothes are an adaptation of those worn by a third century bishop.  The traditional bishop's robes were red, which stood for the blood of Christ shed on the cross for our sins.  The red robes were trimmed in white, which was a symbol of purity and holiness, first of Christ, and then of the believer.  Santa's hat and cape are reminiscent of the bishop's hat and cape.  And in his later years, St. Nicholas was said to have a long, white beard.

Based on this history, what do we do with Santa Claus today?  I have two suggestions.  First, tell your family all about St. Nicholas.  Tell them about his generosity and his care for children, especially needy children.  Tell them that St. Nicholas was a humble and dedicated servant of Jesus his whole life long.  Explain that he loved the Lord, and that he stood up for Jesus in the face of false teaching, and even in the face of persecution and suffering.  Let your children know that Nicholas, like us, celebrated the coming of Jesus into this world, along with his death and resurrection, and the gift of eternal life he offers to us all.

Second, I suggest: don't lie to your children.  Who brings the presents we find under the tree on Christmas Day?  When the kids are young, say: "I'm not going to tell.  It's a secret!"  As they grow older, they will discover the secret in due time.  What about the man in the red suit at the mall?  Explain that he is a man dressed up like St. Nicholas.  What about all the folklore about Santa flying around the world in a single night, about him knowing when you're sleeping and when you're awake, and all the rest?  Explain to your children that those are just stories people have made up for fun.  I believe you can still have a lot of enjoyment with Christmas and gift-giving without deceiving your kids.

If Nicholas were alive today, he would likely refuse all the attention he currently receives.  "I am Nicholas, a sinner," he would say.  "Nicholas, servant of Jesus Christ."