The Love of God

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9)

While the celebration of Christmas really is the celebration of the most important birthday to ever happen, our focus should not stop at the cute little baby in the manager.  We need to always keep the cross in our mind because this is where God's greatest act of love unfolded.

God's heart was so overwhelmingly filled with love for us, his people, that he chose to become like those he created, a needy baby completely dependent on a sinful humans to care for and raise him.  As he grew into a perfectly kind and compassionate man he would face the ugliness of betrayal, loneliness, suffering and pain in order to rescue a people who didn't even care.  This is love.

His love continues beyond the cross. In his love he pursues us with a tender passion not found in this world.  He gives us new hearts and new desires.  He never leaves us alone.  He comforts us when we need it most, he hears our prayers, he causes us to grow in godliness and words all things for our good.  (Rom 8).  All of this reflects his everlasting love.

But we can't even stop here.  Who Christ is and what he has done for us should cause us to act.  We need to be generous to those around us because God is generous to us.  We must show compassion to those who are suffering (even if it is at their own hands) because Christ is compassionate towards us. We must find ways to love the unlovely and to care the needy because when we do this for others we are fulfilling the law and pointing to Christ.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  (1 John 4:7)

Advent is a great time for introspection.  To look back on all the things that God has done in and through us.  It is also a time to look for opportunities for us to share this divine and awesome love of God with others.  But such introspection will only bear fruit as it stems from our gazing upon the Son of God.