Treasuring the Advent of Christ

In his first letter, the Apostle and Evangelist John admonishes the Church to love one another with a Godly love. John declares that love is an essential part of the nature of God, and our intimate knowledge of Him and His nature should make us known by our love for one another. To know Him is to love like He loves - to love whom He loves. John writes, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). To fail to love one another is a clear sign of a lack of true knowledge of God and His love. But how do we get to know God and His love? In the very next verse, John defines the love of God. John makes it clear that this is how we know the love of God, the definitive manifestation of His love in the world – “God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9). God’s ultimate act of love was the sending of His only begotten Son into our broken world. The greatest demonstration of eternal love is found in the sending of the Son by the Father to suffer and die for us. This is how we know the depth, width, and height of true love – when we consider the sacrifice of the Father in sending His Son to be born in a lowly manger. The King of all Heaven, given from the bosom of the Father, was born into our broken and dark world and laid in a feeding trough. When we consider His birth, life, suffering, death, and resurrection, we discover the endless and relentless love of the Father. Christ is indeed the greatest gift given, a gift from the heart of the love of God. May we, this Christmas, once again discover the depths of the love of the Father and we receive Christ as His gift, may we live in His grace with the peace that His Spirit brings.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, open my eyes to the gift of Your only begotten Son. Help me rediscover Your lovingkindness that has no end. May I be so marked by Your grace and love that I would accept that You call me beloved and, in turn, love others. Thank you for the greatest treasure and gift, Christ Jesus! May I treasure Him as my all-in-all.

Corné Bekker, D. Litt. et Phil., is dean and professor at Regent University School of Divinity.