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Love so Amazing



          
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 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”)."( Matthew 18:23, NIV)


God so loved the world

The Christmas story is all about love. God’s love to humanity is really the heart of the Christmas story. Even when we were sinners, God loved us. The central message of love at Christmas is God’s love for sinners. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)


This is evident from the angel’s words to Joseph about Mary in Matthew 1: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) The name Jesus means “Savior” or “salvation,” and Jesus was born into our world to save his people from their sins.


We read in John 3: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17).  God’s love is evident in His action.  He loved the world that He gave. Giving sacrificially is the heart of Christmas. God sacrificed His Son for humanity to reconcile with God. 


The greatest gift ever given at Christmas was the gift of God’s own Son. God gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life. Jesus did not merely come into the world. He was sent into the world. God the Father sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.


God’s loves the sinners, beyond limit, even loving enemies. He loves even when we rebel and stray away.  His love is beyond any comfort barriers and extends to even to the enemies.  “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).


Our Love for Each Other

The Bible makes a clear and unbreakable connection between God’s love for us and our love for each other. We read in 1 John 4:10-11: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:10-11)


Notice God’s love comes first. God’s love always comes first. God’s love in creating the world; God’s love in promising a Savior; God’s love in sending his Son into the world; God’s love in Jesus dying on the cross for your sins. 


Jesus said, 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)


Love our enemies

In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.


Today's climate makes it easy to harbor feelings of resentment toward others or toward a specific group of people. This is especially true regarding social media and how we use it.  But we need to watch out for feelings of resentment because resentment can turn into hatred if we’re not careful. 


Since we are so divided, it can seem impossible to love your enemies. However, we need to stop hating one another because hating one another is the easy way out. To become more like Christ, we need to harness feelings of love and acceptance.  


Many times Jesus was betrayed and persecuted, and time and again, he chose forgiveness and understanding. Even when the Romans nailed him to the cross, Jesus said in Luke 23:34, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”


Loving your enemies may seem difficult on the surface, but there are many ways to incorporate loving our neighbors into our lives. 


1. Show genuine respect

Show your enemies the genuine respect that every human being deserves. Learn to think of them with compassion and not contempt. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t seek justice if someone does you or your loved ones harm. It simply means you can’t let bitterness and hatred grow in your heart. Responding to evil with more evil does not solve the problem. And Jesus knew this when he said, “Forgive them, Father.” When we show respect to our enemies, we allow ourselves to become more like the Jesus


2. Put yourself in their shoes

Putting yourself in your enemy's shoes is one of the most effective ways to show love for them. This is a worthwhile act of empathy that anyone can do in any situation. Everyone is going through something at any time. Whether it’s a loss of a job, a loved one, self-esteem, or their own health. We do not know the full picture. We need to learn to accept people as they are and love them even if we do not agree with them.


3. Always be in a forgiving spirit

In Matthew 6:14-15, the Bible says, "If you forgive others the wrongs they've done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you've done."


Jesus also said,  Matthew 5:23-24 (NIV) “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.


In 1 Corinthians 13:4–5, the Bible says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it isn't proud. It does not dishonor others, it isn't self-seeking, it isn't easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."


Our love for others should follow, not merely as an obligation, but as a natural outflow of God’s love for us. If God loved you so much that he sent his Son Jesus to die for you, how can you not love others in return? And if God loved others so much that he sent his Son Jesus to die for them, how can you not love them as well? According to 1 John 4:20-21, " If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."


And so Christmas is not only a reminder of how much God loves you, but also how much we should love others. God showed his love for us at Christmas by sending his Son into the world as a sacrifice for our sins. Christmas is the reminder that we ought to give ourselves for others. 


The Bible teaches us to express love in tangible ways. Our love for others should extend beyond our words to our actions. Paul says, " Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. 10 Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. 11 Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! 12 Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home. 14 Bless people who harass you—bless and don’t curse them. This Christmas, let us seek opportunities to share the love of Christ with those around us. Whether through acts of kindness, generosity, or forgiveness, may our lives be a testament to the transformative power of God's love." (Romans 12:9-14).


Conclusion:

As we celebrate the birth of our Savior this Christmas, let us be reminded that love is not just a theme of the season but the very essence of our faith. May the love of God, demonstrated through the gift of His Son, inspire and empower us to love one another as Christ has loved us. In doing so, we fulfill the greatest commandments—to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. May the joy of Christmas and the love of Christ dwell richly in our hearts, now and always. Amen.





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