Jack's Greatest Find
Jack's eye sockets fluttered open as he turned around in bed, expecting to see Sally. She wasn't there. Puzzled, he yawned, adjusted his nightcap, and went into the kitchen. Sally was in there, adding wolfsbane to some eggs to keep them warm even off the flame. She turned and smiled as she said, "Good morning, sleepybones." "Good morning, Sally. Thanks for breakfast." He grabbed 2 plates lazily and scooped up some of Sally's scrambled eggs, though he wasn't really hungry. Sally watched him as he picked at the food, and sensed that something was wrong. "Jack? Are you okay? You've been kind of down lately." "I'm sorry, it's just... I feel empty again. Like there's something better and bigger that I should know about." Sally's eyebrows crinkled in worry. "Jack- you're not going to-"
"No, I'm past taking over holidays." he said with a weak smile. "But I probably should talk to Sandy. Maybe he can help."
So, after breakfast and an encouraging word from his wife, he wrote this letter:
Dear Sandy,
I'd like to have a word with you sometime soon-
I need some personal advice and only you will
understand. If you could reply soon, it would be a
great help.
Yours,
Jack Skellington
Santa did reply, and about 5 or so days later, Jack arrived on Santa's doorstep.
"Hello Jack! Do come in and have a seat." Santa said with a welcoming gesture. Jack tried to smile back and said, "Hello Sandy. Thank you for letting me come." Santa watched Jack as he walked in and took a seat on the couch, puzzled. Jack had none of his usual cheeriness and infectuous optimism. Was this the problem he mentioned? "Now, Jack, what is it that you needed to see me for?"
Jack explain as well as he could his problem and what had happened the last time he had this feeling. He talked about how last time it was Sally that had truly filled him, but now, even though he still loved her with all his heart, it wasn't enough. Santa listened intently, somehow understanding where Jack was coming from. When he finished, Santa sat there for a bit, thinking of a way to help. He eyed a large book on his shelf and smiled. "I think I know what to do. This book has dozens, even hundreds of amazing, and true, stories. All of them really happened, no matter how fantastic they seem." Santa said as he scrambled up and got the book. "But my personal favorite is about a baby, born from a virgin, come to save the world. This baby was named Jesus." He opened the book to the correct page and read a long part from it aloud:
" 'And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Then said Mary unto the angel," How shall this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible." And Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." And the angel departed from her. ' "
Jack listened. How intriguing, he thought. Santa flipped a few pages, to Jesus's birth.
His name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.' "" 'And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, into the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the came for the baby to be born. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
He flipped back a couple books, to Matthew- he wanted Jack to hear the whole story, including the visitation of the Magi.
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
When Santa finished, he looked up at Jack. His eye sockets were wide as dinnerplates, his mouth slightly ajar. He'd drunk in every word Santa had said and was amazed. Three kings had come to bring gifts to a baby? He needed to know more about this Jesus fello- Jack was curious about the type of man he would become. Jack asked, "Do you think I could borrow that book?" Santa chuckled. "I actually have another one exactly like it, and you can have it if you like it so much. Jack smiled- for the first time in quite a while.
"- and then they gave the baby these really expensice gifts and worshipped him!" Jack finished.
He had called a town meeting as soon as he got home, and everyone was actually seeing it the correct way- like Jack was. Of course, it was difficult to introduce them to something so different (especially the Mayor), but they were catching on quite well- especially Sally. She was so happy for Jack!
From that day on, Jack and Sally read the book, called the Bible, every night together. The book, Jack discovered, was actually a collection of at least a dozen smaller books.
Santat was right. The book was filling Jack up. the Jesus man was able to raise the dead, heal the sick, make the blind see, the lame walk, and all sorts of things, all through the power of God, an all-powerful, loving god in Heaven.
One day, Jack came across a passage that horrified him.
Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah." Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him." And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"
How could they do this to him? Jack thought. I need to ask Sandy about this. Now!
"What is THIS all about?!" Jack said angrily. Sandy surprisedly said, "Um... hello Jack... what's this?" He read part of the passage Jack was holding up. "Oh yes... Jesus's crucifixion. Yes, it was a terrible thing, but have you read beyond that?" "Well, no, but he's dead. What else can happen in that book?" A great deal can happen, Jack. I suggest you look for yourself." "Okay..." he looked down.
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. He guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
"Oh my gosh..." Jack's jawbone dropped so far it actually fell off the rest of his skull, but he didn't even notice. Santa chuckled and picked it up for him. "I think you dropped something." "Ugh..pop yes, thanks... wow! He was raised from the dead?"
"Yes."
Jack stared at the passage. There was one thing he didn't get...
"Sandy- if he was raised from the dead, why was he crucified so?"
Santa smiled. "He was the Son of God, Jack. And the world was so corrupt, he had to send his only Son as a sacrifice to forgive their sins. May I see that for a minute?" He gestured to the Bible, and Jack handed it over. Santa flipped to the book of John. He recited "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have Eternal Life. John 3:16"
Jack stared. Santa went on. "The eternal life John was talking about is going to heaven. Jesus died so we could live in heaven."
Jack looked puzzled. "But what about Halloween Town? All of us, except Sally of course, are there because we died and went there! What happened to us?"
Santa laid a pathetic hand on Jack's shoulder.
"Because, you, and the rest of the town, only live in Tim Burton's and his fan's minds. In real life, you are mere puppets."
"Oh yeah..."