David continued the Advent series, following on from Hope and Peace to focus on Love. Just as Jesus is our Hope and Jesus is our Peace, we can think of Love as a person – Jesus. Christmas can be thought of as the greatest love story ever told.
THIS IS HOW GOD SHOWED HIS LOVE AMONG US: HE SENT HIS ONE AND ONLY SON INTO THE WORLD THAT WE MIGHT LIVE THROUGH HIM. THIS IS LOVE: NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD, BUT THAT HE LOVED US AND SENT HIS SON AS AN ATONING SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS.
Love came down at Christmas!
David explained why Jesus came by taking us to another passage by the Apostle John.
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
The ‘so’ tells us much about God’s love: the magnitude and the manner. God’s love is great as seen through this gift of Jesus. God loves the broken world immeasurably more than we can imagine and his gift of Jesus shows us this love. This is the Christmas love story! The love story continues in the Easter story. We can never separate the cradle from the cross.
What is our part in this love story? From 1 John 4 David showed us that for those who know God and have embraced his love, we are commanded to show that love to others.
DEAR FRIENDS, SINCE GOD SO LOVED US, WE ALSO OUGHT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
As we approach Christmas and engage in much celebration, we need to remember just how much God loves us, as shown in the Christmas story and also in turn how we need to love one another as well.
Something to think about:-
– Do we know we are loved by God? Can we see God’s love in the Christmas story? Take some time to meditate on the fact that God left heaven and came down to earth for you. Think of the enormity of this and remind yourself it was motivated by love for you. “This is love, not that we loved God but that he loves us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
– Does the world know this love? Consider ways in which you can speak or show this love to others this Christmas.
