Advent Week 4 - The Greatest Love

As we wind down the Advent season and get ready to close out the year, I want to make sure we all remember why Jesus came to us the first time. You see, it wasn’t just because it was the plan that was put in motion before the foundation of the world. It wasn’t because it was what He desired. Despite what others may try to tell you, it wasn’t because God wanted people with Him or He needed the worship of mankind or any of that other weird stuff that people try to say that is absolutely not in the Bible.

Why did Jesus come the first time?

Well, when you take the sacrifice for sin, the resurrection, all the teaching, and everything that Jesus did, it comes down to one word – love. Take a look at what Jesus tells Nicodemus in John chapter three and you will see what I mean.

John 3:1-21 (ESV)  Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 

Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 

Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Right in the middle of this conversation, Jesus tells Nicodemus why He was sent to the earth. He wasn’t sent to condemn the world. He wasn’t sent to judge anyone. He was sent to save those who believe in Him because God loved the world.

God the Father loved the world!

When we fully understand what it means that God loved the world we will see the Christmas season in a completely new light. Also, when we understand the love of the Father we will better understand our own place as those who are followers of Christ.

So, what does it mean that God loved the world that will help us understand the Christmas season completely differently?

Jesus tells us here in His conversation with Nicodemus. He tells us that it was God’s love that caused Him to send His only Son to the world. In fact, a more accurate translation of the Greek in verse sixteen may be:

“For this reason, God’s love, He gave His only begotten Son so those who believe may not perish but have life everlasting.”

It was God’s love that caused Him to send Jesus the first time. It was that love that caused Jesus to go to the cross and die for the sins of those who would believe in Him. It was that love that caused them to send the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. It is that same love that will cause God to send Jesus back to gather the church at the end of the age.

Since it was the love of the Father that sent Jesus to earth, it is also the love of the Father that brings us into His family. We are adopted into the family of God through our salvation.

Romans 8:14-17 (ESV)  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

We are the children of God because He has adopted us through the Spirit. We have been adopted because of our belief in the Son of God who was sent to earth because of the love of God.

When Jesus came that first Christmas, He came to reveal to us all the love of God. He came to show us why God loves His people. He came to show us the love of not only the Father, but also the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

As we end this Advent season, I hope you can remember that it is the love of God, all three persons of the Godhead, that give us a reason to celebrate. It is that love that brings us true joy. It is that love that brings us peace at all times. It is that love that gives us a reason to hope at all times.

From all of us here at Red River Ministries to you and your family:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!