I didnt get it, someone help

I think the ghost of John appeared as how he would look if he was alive in the present day and that's why the family didn't see him as John. The ghost pretended to be someone else that way the family wouldn't be freaked out or anything.

I share your frustration and I had to think hard about what this show really meant too. This is my conclusion: The Bible speaks of "seeing truth-- and each other-- dimly, as through a glass." And I believe that the reason the family can't really see the late John as he is because they are so wrought with emotional pain and unbelief, so they cannot see fully and truly. That's why they can only see "dimly" with sudden glimpses of who this "new" person is. And it seems to be the same for John, it is like their grieving won't fully release him to be who he is in his spiritual life. I think, at the end, it is the father who fully releases his faith to believe that his son might have come back to be part of the family's Christmas and at this point the father is able to call him "Son" and he suddenly sees the real John.

I believe this movie had excellent intentions and with a better writer, the story would have been very unique and a Christmas classic. If only.

You do kind of get the idea that the producers didn't give their whole hearts to the production of the show in other ways too: for example, the dramatic moment when it started to snow outside and the daughter was aroused from her sleep to see the snow; a piece of fake Hollywood "snow" got stuck in her hair and she had to find it to pull it out while saying her lines. Why didn't they do a simple re-take? Only a few scenes before John and his mother were standing outside on the porch and you could see their breath, it was so cold and realistic.

The producers had William Devane and Meredith Baxter as stars for pity sake. They should have done them the respect of giving them a great show to star in. I thought Baxter was tremendously good, especially in her scene when she has to react to the news that her son had been killed in action. Her performance was heart-wrenching.


Flanagan

Spoilers: Don't read further if you haven't seen the movie yet, but plan to!

With TV movies around Christmas time you have to be prepared to suspend belief for a while. Once the writer decides on a fantasy, the sky's the limit. I thought it was obvious the very instant the voice started echoing from every direction as the main character was being threatened by the punks.

Dunno why the ghost, i.e. Jesus, would have selected that particular family, though. The point of the movie is that we should all try harder at being good and kind to folks, then they will be good and kind in return.

I think the visitor is a ghost. But that of a stranger. Quite a tangible ghost I admit.