Meditations on the Meaning of ChristmasSample

Love Comes Down

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Last time, we considered the term “perfected love” and defined it this way: perfected love is love that comes down, goes up, and goes out.

God’s love comes down to us in the person of Jesus Christ. As we truly receive His love and experience His love we are transformed by His love into people who love God and love others. That’s perfected love. It’s love that accomplishes the purpose for which it was sent.

How much would you say that God loves you?

Consider for a moment what Jesus Himself said about His love for you in John 15:9, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.”

Let’s pause and consider the weight of this statement.

Jesus is saying that the way the Father loves Him is the way that Jesus loves you. Let that sink in. The way that God the Father loves God the Son, is the way that God the Son loves you! The way that God loves God, is the way that God loves you.

This is the greatest news in the world. Jesus doesn’t only say this once, He says it again in John chapter 17 verse 23 when He prays to His Father, ”…that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

Let the words of Jesus sink into your heart.

Not only has Jesus told us that He loves us the way that the Father loves Him, but He’s also told us that the Father loves us the way that the Father loves Jesus!

Receive this glorious truth for your heart today. There is simply no greater news in the world than this.

And because God has chosen to perfectly love us, God has chosen to perfectly save us! And He did so by making a way for us to escape the eternal wrath we deserve for our sin, and to enter into an eternal joy in God that we don’t deserve.

Jesus describes it this way for us in John chapter 3…

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

This is Christmas. Perfect love has come down to save you and His name is Jesus.

Reflect

• Do I ever feel unloved by God?
• Do I ever pause to consider how much God actually loves me?
• How often do I meditate on how God has shown me His love in the gospel?
• What needs to change in my thinking concerning the love of God?