The Songs Tell the Story: A Family Advent DevotionalSample

The Song that’s Secretly about Easter

Christina Rossetti lived in London, England, when she wrote the words of the Christmas poem that eventually became the carol “Love Came Down at Christmas.” Her entire family was students of literature, music, and art. Her brother, Dante Rossetti, was famous for his paintings.

Christina was inspired by the verses of 1 John 4 when she wrote her poem. That passage of Scripture is about the greatness of God’s love and the calling God has given his people to love others as God loves them. First John 4:7–8 says, “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.”

Christina wanted people to remember that Christmas was the time God showed his great love to all of mankind. We could consider John 3:16 a Christmas verse: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

God loves every person in this world and wants everyone to be with him in heaven. But everyone makes wrong choices. The Bible calls our wrong choices “sin.” God knew that, no matter how much we’d try to obey his word, we would never obey perfectly.

Only one person ever lived a “sinless” life. He was named Jesus by Mary and Joseph. He was born in Bethlehem and grew and “increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). Jesus taught his disciples and others and performed miracles.

Then, one day, Jesus died on a cross and was buried. Many people, even his disciples, thought they would never see him again. But Jesus rose from his grave, proving he had power over death.

We celebrate Christmas because of Easter. God loved us so much, he gave us his Son. One day, his Son will give people who believe in him eternal life in heaven.

What do we have to believe in order to go to heaven?

• That Jesus was born at Christmas and died on the cross.

• That Jesus never sinned, which means that his life, sacrificed for our mistakes, can atone (pay for) our wrong choices.

• That Jesus saves every person who trusts in him as their Lord and Savior.

Love indeed came down at Christmas. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Later, Jesus was wrapped in burial clothes and laid in a tomb. But he rose from the grave. Now he is in heaven, waiting to wrap his loving arms around us.

Have you received the gift of his love, your salvation?

All you need to do is ask.