- “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God, and such we are…” (1 John 3:1)
- “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16)
- “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
- “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).
If Christmas is anything, it is a love story. You may have noticed that I left out the most important love passage of all: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God’s love for us was born in Bethlehem. God’s love for us was demonstrated in every word Jesus taught, in every miracle He did, in every mile He walked, in every heartache He felt, in every prayer He prayed, in every tear He shed. Jesus showed us the love of God. He was and still is, “God’s Love Walking.”
When my children were small, I would often ask them, “How much do you love mommy and daddy?” I would put my hands a few inches apart and ask, “Do you love us this much?” They would always say, “No daddy, I love you this much,” spreading their little hands as far as their arms could reach. It is a good demonstration that really boosts the heart and ego of a doting parent. The extent of God’s love for us is measured at the cross, “Greater love has no man than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). The love of God came to us in Bethlehem, it paid the price for our salvation at Calvary. At the cross God showed us how much He loves us.
May the love of God in Christ Jesus surround you, comfort you, and give you joy this Christmas. Know without a doubt in your heart that God loves you so much that He gave you Jesus to pay the price for your sins and provide for you a place in heaven.