Rick’s Reflection’s- 12/27/2015

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Have you ever wondered, What Does Jesus Want for Christmas? John Piper gives us the following to consider. He suggests we can see the answer in Jesus’ prayers. “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.” —John 17:24. Among all the undeserving sinners in the world, there are those whom God has “given to Jesus.” These are those whom God has drawn to the Son (John 6:44, 65). These are Christians—people who have “received” Jesus as the crucified and risen Savior and Lord and Treasure of their lives (John 1:12; 3:17; 6:35; 10:11, 17–18; 20:28). Jesus says he wants them to be with him.

Sometimes we hear people say that God created man because he was lonely. So they say, “God created us so that we would be with him.” Does Jesus agree with this? Well, He does say that he really wants us to be with him! Yes, but why? Consider the rest of the verse. Why does Jesus want us to be with him? … to see my glory that you [Father] have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”

That would be a strange way of expressing his loneliness. “I want them with me so they can see my glory.” In fact, it doesn’t express his loneliness. It expresses his concern for the satisfaction of our longing, not his loneliness. Jesus is not lonely. He and the Father and the Spirit are profoundly satisfied in the fellowship of the Trinity. We, not he, are starving for something. And what   Jesus wants for Christmas is for us to experience what we were really made for—seeing and savoring his glory. Oh, that God would make this sink in to our souls! Jesus made us (John 1:3) to see his glory.

May He get what He wants the most!

Rick