Episode 543: All I Want for Christmas

The pop star Mariah Carey has made a fortune from a 1994 song titled “All I Want for Christmas is You.” The song describes the singer not caring about the usual material aspect of the holiday season such as ornamental lights, trees, snow and presents, as long as she is with her lover for Christmas.

Christmas celebrates the birthday of Jesus, so what does Jesus want this Christmas? We can see the answer in his prayers. What does he ask God for? The answer to that question can be found in his longest prayer, in John 17. We explore what Jesus wants for Christmas in this episode. Additional scriptures referenced include John 6:44, 65; John 3:17; John 17:24; John 18:1–3; Matthew 26:53; Mark 14:61–62; Luke 22:42; John 18:37; John 12:32–33; John 13:34–35; John 17:21; Colossians 3:14; John 14:15; and Matthew 5:13–16.