‘Love came down at Christmas‘ (C Rosetti)
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When you think of the word ‘love’, what does it mean to you?
Do you think of parents/guardians, your spouse or partner, or do you think of childhood friends, or maybe you think about other things, such as how much you love your car or the new ring someone just got you.
Love comes in many different forms. The way that we love our partners will be different from the way that we love our wider family, or our friends.
In the Greek language there are four different words for the term ‘love’ that are used in the Bible;
Storge (storgē, Greek: στοργή),
Philia (philía, Greek: φιλία),
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Loves – accessed 22/12/18).
The love that we want is agápē.
Agápē is the love that God has for us; it is unconditional, and it is un-ending, moreover it is eternal and life-giving; it is a redeeming love that says ‘no-matter-what’!
This is the way that God loves the world and us; he loves it so much that no matter what, he will never stop loving, and that is the reason;
‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son’ (John 3:16 NIV).
And God sent Jesus even though we are constantly failing him;
‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 ESV – emphasis mine).
Yet even through our failing, God loved and still loves us, and even though we may fail God time after time, he will never fail us; and that is why Jesus came.
‘When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time’ (Romans 5:6 NLT).
God’s timing, unlike ours, is perfect, and that is why Jesus came to this earth, because mankind need help;
‘while we were yet weak’ (Romans 5:6 RV1885).
We are in the time of Advent, and ‘Jesus is the reason for the season’ (Jesus is the reason for the season – G. Nicholson & M. Chapman).
Jesus is the only reason that we celebrate at all, if he had not come to the earth and died for each and every one of us, where would we be now and what would life look like?
But we can rest assured that he did come, and he came for you and me;
‘the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost’ (Luke 19;10 NIV).
Jesus came to seek out and save the lost; to save you; to save me, even though we did and do not deserve it, Jesus came to offer salvation to the ‘who-so-ever’;
‘that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 NIV – emphasis mine).
While he was on earth, during his ministry, he taught about many things, but the main thread that ran and still runs throughout his teaching as we read and study The Bible, is love, and he lived that love out in his daily life.
How would the world look today, if Christians lived the same way as Jesus did, if they lived out the love professed within the Gospel? This is something that we should try to do, for Jesus said;
‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another’ (John 13:34 NIV).
We should cherish each and every day for the gift that it is; we should feel blessed that we have another day to try to be like Jesus, another day where we can live in the love of Jesus, and try to show his love to others;
‘See what great love the Father has lavished on us’ (1 John 3:1 NIV).
Paul told the Roman Christians that they should not conform to the world, that they should set themselves apart from it, love and follow God, and not the world (Romans 12:1-2), if we follow the world then we are doomed, but if we follow Jesus we will have life and love, for Jesus is love (agápē), and;
‘Love never fails’ (1 Corinthians 13: NIV).
We need to remember that love never fails because it comes from God, and God loves us, no matter what we have done;
‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 ESV – emphasis mine).
Jesus came for us, the lost, the marginalised, the lonely; people that many do not want to see, let alone interact with;
‘the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost’ (Luke 19:10 NIV).
God has said, that he will never leave us, that we will never truly be alone (Hebrews 13:5 NIV). He will always look after us; it says so in The Bible, so it is true.
“To love is nothing. To be loved is something. But to love and be loved, that’s everything.” (T. Tolis)
So we should be grateful that with God’s unfailing love for us, we have everything.
“And remember, as it was written, to love another person is to see the face of God.” (Les Miserables).
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Yes Lord, I love you,
Because you loved me first.
You showed us the way
To live a life of peace.
You guide us and help us,
To live as you did.
Lord I’ll love you all my days
And praise your name.
Yes Lord, I love you,
You came to take my sin.
To die on the cross,
To suffer pain and loss.
To make me free, and
Give my life a hope,
Lord I’ll praise you all my days,
And show your love.
Yes Lord I love you,
You came to die for me.
You showed me a way I,
Could live a better life.
You spread your arms in love, and
You died for me.
Then you rose again to give
Eternal hope.
Lord you show us love and mercy,
Yes you are the way,
The truth and light, so I’ll follow you
And glorify your name,
Because I love you.
Yes Lord I love you,
You came to save my life.
You came from heaven,
Born as a baby boy.
You lived and you served, to
Make a way for us,
To spend all of eternity
With you.
R. Phillis
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Father we thank you for the love that came down that first Christmas. Help us to live our lives with that love ever present in our hearts and minds that others may see it and so see your Son Jesus. May all the people we meet this season, see your Son in our life, making a difference, so that they will know, Jesus is the reason for the season.
Amen
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