The Love Of God

by Pastor Mark
December 21, 2023

 

The love of Christmas

Christmas is fast approaching. What is one thing that reflects the true significance of Christmas? It is love. Love is often associated with Christmas. Yet, not everyone feels that they are loved. Some may feel lonely during this festive season. Others may feel angry and upset due to the difficulties faced in the past year and have much to complain about. How can we find love during this Christmas time? Let us consider the love of God.

The gift of love (John 3:16)

  1. Love is reflected in the Christmas story when God presented a special gift of love.
  2. The Lord Jesus was His only begotten Son, whom He loved deeply.
  3. Yet, God was willing to show His love to the whole world.
  4. He sent His Son to come down to this earth and bring salvation to the world.
  5. This gift of love is meant to touch the hearts of men so that they may believe.
  6. This is the salvation plan of God…a gift of love that is deeply moving.

The manner of love

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.” (John 15:9)

  1. Through His life and ministry, the Lord Jesus showed love, especially to His disciples.
  2. What was His manner of love?
  3. It was His heavenly Father’s kind of love.
  4. He was conscious of how God loved Him consistently and deeply.
  5. It was with this deep love that He sought to love His disciples over three years with them.
  6. The Lord Jesus’ challenge was for them to abide in His kind of love.
    1. He qualifies further how they may abide in His love (John 15:10).
    2. It was through the keeping of His commandments.
    3. The Lord demonstrated abiding in His Father’s love by keeping His commandments.
    4. Let us also abide in the Lord Jesus’ love by obeying His commandments.

The greatest expression of love

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

  1. The greatest expression of love is to lay down one’s life for his friends.
  2. This is not an easy act to fulfil…sacrificing one’s whole life for the sake of a friend.
  3. Yet, the Lord Jesus would demonstrate this greatest love as He was going to lay down His life for the world.
  4. It was a sacrificial, unselfish and unconditional kind of love.
  5. There was nothing that the world did to merit such love, yet He gave His life in love.

The sharing of love

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

  1. The Lord Jesus’ example of deep, genuine love should be emulated.
  2. He commanded His disciples to love one another with His kind of love.
  3. The disciples could not do this easily as they were not close to each other.
  4. It would require abiding in the Lord Jesus, His Word and His love to fulfil this commandment.

This Christmas, let us be challenged to appreciate the love of God all over again in His gift of His Son. Let us abide in the Lord’s kind of love…the greatest love of all. Let us share this love in fulfilment of the Lord’s commandment with others…loving one another in church and those who are in need. Wishing all a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

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