Christmas Is Coming...god Is Bringing Love

Matthew and Timothy always look forward to Christmas

It was the time of the year when Grandma would make the 4½ hour trip to visit them for over a week

Every year a day or two before Christmas Grandma would arrive

She would arrive carrying her bags

Sometimes in those bags would be the perfect gift…

and other times you could tell grandma had little idea what young teenage boys were interested in or needed.

But that never worried Matthew and Timothy

Sure they liked receiving gifts

But what they enjoyed far more was grandma being with them

Grandma was like no one they knew

She was not demanding

They knew whenever grandma arrived they were going to be spoilt

They were going to be loved…..

loved far more than they deserved

It was like grandma bottled up all her love that had accumulated throughout the year then poured it all out when she visited them at Christmas

No matter how weird or grumpy Matthew and Timothy were grandma always seemed to know what to say and do, in her grandma caring way

She would always happily listen to their many stories

For some reason grandma had this ability to always be patient and to have a just the right word to say

And with each year her ability to love seems to get better

This is what Matthew and Timothy really look forward to at Christmas

grandma coming to be with them…

because with grandma came love.

Is there someone in your life that loves you like grandma?

Consider them blessings from God giving us a little sample of his love

Unfortunately for Matthew and Timothy there will be a time when grandma won’t be able to be there for Christmas

and all they will have are some special memories

Our readings from Psalm 136 and John 3 remind us that God is always wanting to love us

that God’s love is a love that never disappears

God’s love is for everyone

God’s love is long lasting

In fact Christmas exists because God decided to reveal His love in the form of Jesus

From John chapter 3:16

“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.”

and from Psalm 136 we heard numerous times

His love endures forever

So as you prepare for Christmas

remember Christmas is about God loving you and others.

Does your Christmas look that way?

There is still time to do something about it if it doesn’t.

Now Romans chapter 5 verse gives us a very clear picture of how rare and special God’s love is

this is what it says reading from verse 6

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Why did Jesus have to die?

Why did God need to do send Jesus?

The truth is he didn’t have to

God could have done what many people do when things don’t work as they should

He could have picked us up….thrown us aside and replaced all of humanity because weren’t up to His standard

But He didn’t

And the reason probably lies in the fact that central to God’s nature is love…

In fact to understand love, to comprehend what true love looks like we need to listen to the scriptures

1 John chapter 4 verses 7 and 8 says

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

God is love.

Because God loves you and me He is drawn to making sure that what has affected our relationship with Him is addressed.

Christmas happened and happens because God shows us He loves us.

God loves you and me not because he doesn’t know our problems and faults

The truth is He knows everything about us

The Psalmist in Psalm 139 gives us a clear picture of what God knows about you and me

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

Because God was aware that we are unable to deal with sin and that sin has affected us so greatly