God's Christmas Wish List

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  Luke 2:13-14

“This Christmas, I want ...”

Remember when we were kids at Christmastime?  Every year, we eagerly made out our wish lists, anticipation running wild.  Yet there was always that one thing we wanted more than anything else.  We made sure everyone knew it, too!  Parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, cousins and friends – we were relentless in our pursuit of that one thing!  And then to cover all the bases, we appealed to Santa Claus!

Is it surprising that, like us, there is a “one thing” on God’s list, too?  And that, like a child pursuing Christmas dreams, he announced it relentlessly throughout the Old Testament?  And to whomever would listen?  Do you know what it is, that deep desire that consumes our God?

It began with a promise to Abraham.

“I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants … to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”¹

It was in his heart when God called Moses to confront Pharaoh and lead Israel out of captivity …

“I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.”²

When revealing himself and his ways to a post-exodus Israel, God’s deep desire was clear …

“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands ... I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.”³

Though heartsick over a rebellious Israel in exile, God’s passion never changed as he waited for a remnant to return …

“I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord.  They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.”⁴

“They will return … Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.  They will be my people, and I will be their God.” ⁵

And when foretelling of a new covenant – of a Messiah’s leadership and a good shepherd’s protection – God’s eternal purpose remained unbending …

“The time is coming when I will make a new covenant.…  I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.  I will be their God and they will be my people.”⁶

“I will make a covenant of peace with them … Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Sovereign Lord.  You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.”⁷

“My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd… My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.”⁸

God loves us more deeply than we can imagine.  He yearns for all people to be reconciled to himself for all time.  And to be unimaginably close to us ... truly "God with us."  Closer still, God in us.

So it was that first Christmas night that God came into the world.  He came to us as a gift – he, himself, living among us, full of grace and truth.  Our God.

And what could we possibly give that would delight our God?  Our trust and our obedience.  Ourselves.  His people.

“Glory to God in the highest,
   and on earth peace to men on
      whom his favor rests.”

[To read the Christmas story as told in Luke's gospel, click here.]

¹ Genesis 17:7 – circa 2067 B.C.
² Exodus 6:7 – circa 1446 B.C.
³ Leviticus 26:3, 12 – circa 1445 B.C.
⁴ Jeremiah 24:7 – circa 597 B.C. to 593 B.C.
⁵ Ezekiel 11:18a, 20 – circa 591 B.C.
⁶ Jeremiah 31:31, 33 circa 587 B.C.
⁷ Ezekiel  34:25, 30-31 circa 586 B.C.
⁸ Ezekiel 37:24, 27-28 circa 586 B.C.