CHRISTMAS - ADVENT - Good News, Great Joy - Jean-Luc TrachselSample

LOVE CAME NEAR

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.
1 John 4:9–10

Love acted first. God didn’t wait for you to climb to Heaven; He entered your world in Jesus so that you could truly live. Advent announces a God who crosses every distance, who steps into your story and brings life where fear and failure once ruled. In the manger, you see humility; on the cross, sacrifice; in the empty tomb, victory. This is Love—not just a feeling, but a Savior.

Imagine a door opening on a winter night, with warm light spilling into the street. This is the Gospel: the Father opened the door of Heaven and welcomed you home in Christ. The Holy Spirit makes this Love personal and close, pouring God’s love into your heart until shame fades, fear loses its words, and hope begins to breathe again. Love is not an idea; it is God Himself, healing memories and writing a new chapter in your life.

The Good News is that God’s love is not fragile. It does not depend on your perfection and does not fade with the seasons. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Love faced the worst of us and gave us the best of Himself. He came into our darkness, lit the light, took our debt, and paid it in full. His love blesses your homes, your cities, and your future, and this promise cannot be undone because Jesus is alive.

In Calcutta, Mother Teresa walked the streets with a wide-open heart, seeing the poor as friends through Jesus’ love. The hospitals and hospices she founded show that when Love draws near, dignity is restored and despair yields. The same Jesus works today in apartments in Geneva, neighborhoods in Paris, alleys in Lisbon, and Alpine villages. Where His love is received, cold rooms warm, and discouraged hearts rise.

Friend, lift your eyes and see how much God loves you. Through a personal Savior, the cross is proof and the empty tomb is promise. The Holy Spirit reminds you that you are chosen, loved, and called. He transforms condemnation into confidence, loneliness into belonging, and lack into abundance.

When love approaches, your relationships change: words soften, patience returns, and old wounds begin to heal. Churches shine, worship overflows with gratitude, and unity surpasses opinions. Love gives you courage to forgive, inspires your faith, and renews your imagination. Even in difficult situations, it finds a way. The Son of God came to save you, heal you, and share His strength.

Receive this Advent as a personal embrace from Heaven. Let God’s love soothe your thoughts, light up your face, and become the theme of your week. There is a place for you in the Father’s heart, and the Holy Spirit makes this love more real, enduring, and radiant than anything that could ever extinguish it.

Prayer: Father, thank You for sending Jesus to me. Jesus, thank You for loving me to the end and for giving me life through Your cross and resurrection. Holy Spirit, pour the love of God into my heart until fear is silenced and faith rises strong. Let Your Glory be seen in my thoughts, my words, and my relationships, and make my life a living testimony of Your Love. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Jean-Luc Trachsel