And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. – Matthew 2:11
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What does Jesus want for Christmas? It’s not our begrudging submission, reluctant giving, half-hearted worship, indifferent service, or lukewarm affection. These may be costly gifts, but they do not shine, and they are not sweet-smelling to our King. No, what Jesus wants is our happiness. Not our happiness in possessions, achievements, circumstances, people, or experiences that we often look to in order to find, but never find, contentment. He wants us to love, value and care about Him so much that it floods our hearts with real and deep and lasting joy. After all, Jesus is honored in us when we are happy in Him, which is why living for Him should always flow out of loving Him. What He wants most for Christmas is for us to get what we most want for Christmas because, whether we realize it or not, that’s Him. The search is over for what to give Jesus; it’s our contentment in Him. The search is over for where to find our contentment; it’s given to us in Jesus. The greatest gift we can give Jesus is to receive His gift of joy that comes in really knowing and delighting in Him. Therefore, let us prize Him and prefer Him and pursue Him over all other things. Because He doesn’t just want our treasure; He wants to be our treasure.
