Advent-ures Part 4: Love

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

The theme for the 4th week of advent is love. God showed his extreme love for us by laying down his son, twice! First, he laid him in a manger. Gross, smelly, and not ideal for the son of God. But also vulnerable, weak, needy, dependent. It's amazing to look at all three of my kids and try to imagine Jesus at those ages. They need me for so many things. 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." John 3:16. We often think of that verse in conjunction with calvary and the cross, and that is it's context. But the cross is intricately tied to the manger.

My favorite Christmas carols are the ones that not only involve the event around the nativity, but carry them out all the way to the cross.

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth.

I hear not only Christmas in "Hark the Herald angels sing" but also Easter! And here is where your Advent-ure begins. We love because he first loved us! (1 John 4:19) Our ability to love one another comes directly from God's ability to love us. It is not only inherit in our nature because we are created in His image, God inspires us to love. So when you gather with extended family, love. So when you walk into work, love. When you wake up with your family, love. This time of year is either great for love, or brings out the worst in us. Either way, love. Love because God loves you!

Humbly,

Dave