“Santa’s coming this weekend! Have you been good?”

The question has been posed to my children time and time again over the past days and weeks. Last night as I rolled out pie crust and listened to the Christmas music filling up my playlist, I wondered… how often do we try to make Jesus into Santa Claus?

We want Jesus to fill our outstretched hands with fabulous things. We will gladly supply Him with a wishlist – and often do, sometimes in the form of long and drawn out prayers attempting to convince God to give us what we want need.

To add another complex layer to our confusion, many of us have convinced ourselves that getting on his ‘good side’ depends on our good behavior. Works for Santa, right? Just stay off of the naughty list, that’s all he asks of you!

But the amazing, stunning, scandalous truth of Christmas is this: Jesus is nothing like Santa Claus.

He does see you when you’re sleeping, and He does know when you’re awake – but He knows the truth: none of us are good. We are inherently tainted with sin from birth, and then have chosen to rebel against Him time and time and time again. It is impossible for us to “be good for goodness sake.”

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8

While we were yet sinners. While we were utterly incapable of reaching out to Him, even with our feeble attempts at goodness, He loved us enough to humble Himself, wrap Himself in flesh, and present Himself as the ultimate gift on a cross-shaped tree.

The scandalous truth of the Gospel is this: Jesus is nothing like Santa Claus. He’s not looking to reward good behavior. He’s not interested in you trying harder. He’s watching you – but it’s with an eye of tender mercy and compassion. He sees us in our sin and desperation and failure – He sees what we really are, deep inside, the shameful secrets we try to hide.

Instead of waiting for you to get your act together, He came. He came offering the most priceless gift we can imagine, the one we could never, ever earn – He offers the gift of Himself.

While we were yet sinners.

Yes, Jesus is nothing like Santa. The Gospel is gloriously scandalous – you are more deeply broken and sinful than you could ever dare to admit, and you are more lavishly loved than you will ever comprehend. Stop trying to be good, friends, and come to Him in your brokenness. What He offers you in exchange will take your breath away.