“What went ye out to see?” asks Jesus of the crowds who came to see John the Baptist. Here’s a painting of John by Matt Clark, one of my favorite living Christian artists. (You can find my short interview with Clark here, and here is his blog, his Instagram page, his Pinterest page)

I hadn’t been planning to start running Christmas art until Thursday, but I got this one this morning, and I had to show you. It’s so simple, so lucid, so urgent and direct. (And I have never seen a scroll wrapped around a prophet’s beard before, but now that I’ve seen it, I don’t know why I haven’t seen it before.)

Jesus asks a good question — really the only good question — as we hurry through the final days before Christmas. Why are we doing this? What are we hoping for? And what have we done to prepare?

What did you hope to find on Christmas morning? A God who is impressed by cinnamon buns and glazed ham? A Savior who is satisfied with something you found on Pinterest? Friends, the one thing and only thing that the Christ Child wants for His birthday is the gift of your heart, which you turn over to Him in that dark little box of the confessional.

Figure it out. Find a place. Make a phone call. Get to confession!