I remember as a child growing up in Fox Lake, Wis., the highlight of each Autumn was the arrival of the J.C. Penney's Christmas catalog. Now, in deference to Sears, they also had a great catalog.
Still it was the Penney's catalog that provided hours and hours of dreaming, wishing, pointing things out to parents, arguing with my brother why this gun and holster was better than the one on the other side of the page!
In the Christmas movie, "A Christmas Story", Ralphie dreams of a Red Ryder BB gun. Ralphie's problem was every boys problem - how to convince your parents that the dream gift will be good...i.e., "you'll shoot your eyes out" - which I actually remember hearing from my Mom. I know my sisters looked through the catalogs too; but it was the hours of work that my brother and I poured over each page in order to prioritize a list of "I want this..." What appeared as a need on page 45 got bumped to last place by page 355. It was pure fun and I have fond memories of those wish list "this is what I want for Christmas".
I wondered about what Jesus would want for Christmas.
I think I stumbled upon the answer...it's found in His own words as he prays in John 17. Let me set the scene. John's gospel give us more insight into the last night of Jesus' physical life upon the earth than any of the rest of the gospels. Beginning John 11, the final day arrives. In John 13, the final dinner - a Passover seder occurs with his disciples. In John 14 he walks with them to the temple and talks of when he goes to the Father he will build a place for his followers and send the Holy Spirit to us. In John 15 he stands before the stately columns in front of the temple and looks up at the Vines hanging from the entrance and reminds them and us that "I am the Vine and you are the branches. In John 16 he tells them that their sadness and suffering because of Him will lead them to be overcomers because of the Holy Spirit within them. Then the 17th chapter.
Jesus brings his disciples to a place of prayer, and he prays. He prays so that they may hear the words, and yet his prayer, like all prayers should be, is addressed to His Father.
It is His Christmas wish list. I won't post all of the verses, so you may want to go back and read the entire text. But for our sake here, I point out some of the key things he said to the Father in prayer.
John 17:1-5,
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
His prayer begins with a request - glorify me so that I may glorify you. He has glorified the Father with his work on earth because the work he was sent to do is about to be finished (remember that when you think about the words of Jesus on the cross "It is finished"). Why does he pray for himself to be glorified? Because Philippians 2 reminds us that Jesus "emptied himself" when he came to the earth...he set aside the rights of deity and the glory of God that goes with that.
Then Jesus begins to pray for his disciples and all the others who had become followers: John 17:6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
In this he prays for specific things:
John 17:11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
To be protected, and be unified.
John 17:13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. and, verse 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
To experience His Joy within.
John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
To be sanctified is to be "set apart for a special purpose". My toothbrush is sanctified...it has one singular purpose. Jesus prayed that the disciples be set apart to declare the truth of God's word.
NOW, up to this point, all of his prayers are centered around Himself and the disciples. This is his Christmas wish list to the Father. Here is where I am delighted to read that Jesus included us also in his Christmas wish list. Read and savor the words with intentionality....
John 17:20-26 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.
26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
What does he ask the Father for? For US. And in specific ways similar to what he has prayed before.
Still it was the Penney's catalog that provided hours and hours of dreaming, wishing, pointing things out to parents, arguing with my brother why this gun and holster was better than the one on the other side of the page!In the Christmas movie, "A Christmas Story", Ralphie dreams of a Red Ryder BB gun. Ralphie's problem was every boys problem - how to convince your parents that the dream gift will be good...i.e., "you'll shoot your eyes out" - which I actually remember hearing from my Mom. I know my sisters looked through the catalogs too; but it was the hours of work that my brother and I poured over each page in order to prioritize a list of "I want this..." What appeared as a need on page 45 got bumped to last place by page 355. It was pure fun and I have fond memories of those wish list "this is what I want for Christmas".
I wondered about what Jesus would want for Christmas.
I think I stumbled upon the answer...it's found in His own words as he prays in John 17. Let me set the scene. John's gospel give us more insight into the last night of Jesus' physical life upon the earth than any of the rest of the gospels. Beginning John 11, the final day arrives. In John 13, the final dinner - a Passover seder occurs with his disciples. In John 14 he walks with them to the temple and talks of when he goes to the Father he will build a place for his followers and send the Holy Spirit to us. In John 15 he stands before the stately columns in front of the temple and looks up at the Vines hanging from the entrance and reminds them and us that "I am the Vine and you are the branches. In John 16 he tells them that their sadness and suffering because of Him will lead them to be overcomers because of the Holy Spirit within them. Then the 17th chapter.
Jesus brings his disciples to a place of prayer, and he prays. He prays so that they may hear the words, and yet his prayer, like all prayers should be, is addressed to His Father.
It is His Christmas wish list. I won't post all of the verses, so you may want to go back and read the entire text. But for our sake here, I point out some of the key things he said to the Father in prayer.
John 17:1-5,
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
His prayer begins with a request - glorify me so that I may glorify you. He has glorified the Father with his work on earth because the work he was sent to do is about to be finished (remember that when you think about the words of Jesus on the cross "It is finished"). Why does he pray for himself to be glorified? Because Philippians 2 reminds us that Jesus "emptied himself" when he came to the earth...he set aside the rights of deity and the glory of God that goes with that.
Then Jesus begins to pray for his disciples and all the others who had become followers: John 17:6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
In this he prays for specific things:
John 17:11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
To be protected, and be unified.
John 17:13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. and, verse 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
To experience His Joy within.
John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
To be sanctified is to be "set apart for a special purpose". My toothbrush is sanctified...it has one singular purpose. Jesus prayed that the disciples be set apart to declare the truth of God's word.
NOW, up to this point, all of his prayers are centered around Himself and the disciples. This is his Christmas wish list to the Father. Here is where I am delighted to read that Jesus included us also in his Christmas wish list. Read and savor the words with intentionality....
John 17:20-26 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.
26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
What does he ask the Father for? For US. And in specific ways similar to what he has prayed before.
- For unity so that the world might see Jesus in us.
- For His glory to be manifested in us... Wow, think about that.
- To enter into His glory...enter into Heaven and witness the beauty of His glory which is based on the Father's love.
- That love, which the Father has for Jesus, he wants all of us to experience it also.
This is not the Christmas list I came up with as a kid, nor the one that is commercialized in our culture. This is a God-oriented Christmas list. This list isn't based on "who got the better" gift. It is based on his desire for the glory of His Father...the Glory he is about to receive all over again...the Glory that manifest the presence and power of God in our own midst...the Immanuel, "God is with us" type of glory. Think about it, Jesus says we are meant to display that glory.
We manifest His glory in every prayer for healing and wholeness and fullness and unity for all that is around us.
We will always have Christmas gift lists. We, as we turn and trust in Him, are Christ's gift to the Father and the Father's gift to His Son.
Peace
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