Advent Week 4: Love

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

My favorite translation of this universally known verse goes like this: 

In this way God loved the world––he gave his only Son. So that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (CSB). 

The writer is trying to convey in tangible terms the way that God has offered his love to the world. The answer: Advent. God sent Jesus––the God-man––into the world as a supernaturally conceived baby taking on human flesh, in order that he might be given. Given as what? As the only worthy payment and substitute sacrifice for sin. Why did he do that? Why was it the “pleasure of God” to crush his Son (Isaiah 53:10)? Because otherwise, the whole world would perish. There would only be darkness and death as the end of the mankind that God had created in his image to participate in his light and life. 

But for those who would trust in Jesus as the One who lived the life they couldn’t live, died the death they deserved to die for sin, and rose again to new life––there could be eternal life! They would not perish to eternal punishment and separation from God forever, but would be brought into eternal joy and fellowship with God forever. 

So, what is left for us? Believe. Trust him. Help others believe and trust him. Tell others about this amazing way God has loved the world. Tell the people, in the places God has placed us, about the Savior that can save them from their sins and can be for them a gift of eternal love and eternal life that brings them all the hope, peace, and joy they’ve been looking for in other places. 

For those who know him, Jesus is our hope. Jesus is our peace. Jesus is our joy. And all of this is because God has been glad to send Jesus as the way he shows his love for the world. 

Feeling doubt about God’s love for you? It’s not subjective; it’s seen and confirmed in his sending of Jesus for all who believe. Know others struggling to find the themes of Advent fulfilled in their life? Invite them to Christmas Eve with us. Or maybe better, invite them out to coffee and tell them of the hope, peace, joy, and love you’ve found in Jesus. Invite them to the hard, good, happy, and lifelong journey of being saved by Jesus––to lay down everything else and follow Jesus until the day we are with him forever face-to-face. In his presence there is fullness of joy, a world of love, all our hope realized, and forever peace.