Love
“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..”
John 3:16
John 3:16
Reflection
Today we continue our journey into the forth and final week of Advent. We look back on the Hope that we have in Christ, his Peace that transcends our circumstances and the Joy that comes from a God that loves each of us despite our success or failure. We now reflect on that
everlasting Love that God has for each and every one of us. The words
of John 3:16 call to us from the prophecies of the Old Testament, are fulfilled in
the birth of Christ and come to completion in his eventual death and resurrection. This common thread of God’s love stretches
through the entire message of the Bible and reaches out to us in the most
essential and holistic attribute of who God is. God
is love. And His love is revealed in its
purity through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Love is an all encompassing emotion;
bringing both the greatest of joy and the deepest of pain. It’s no wonder that God uses love to
illustrate who he is and what his kingdom is all about. In divine dichotomy, Jesus’ life on earth
represented both the pinnacle of pain and suffering, and the deepest illustrations
of love possible.
As we celebrate
this last Sunday of Advent, in the quiet of this moment, let us reflect not
on the sufferings of life, but on the inexpressible joy in the birth of
Christ. Reflect on the moment when God
broke through this earthly realm, descended from his heavenly dwelling and made himself one of us. In the first breath that he
drew, the love of God was revealed in a humble infant. The essence of love was revealed and became
an earthly reality. Immanuel, God with us!
Prayer
Most Gracious and Loving God, as we celebrate this
last Sunday of Advent, we remember the deep love that you have for us. In the birth of your Son, Jesus Christ, we
truly see how much you love the world.
Let us remember that single truth regardless of our circumstances, regardless of who
we are, what we’ve done or will do. Your love is eternal. Your love is true. Your love is real. Your love is You. You are love.
Amen
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