Text: “We love Him because He first loved us”
(1 John 4:19).
Tomorrow is February 14 and is known as Valentine’s Day. This is a day when gifts of candy and flowers are exchanged between loved ones. This day is remembered and celebrated in the name of a mysterious saint named St. Valentine.
It has been said that Valentine, a priest in Rome during the third century, chose to ignore a mandate of Emperor Claudius II regarding his military personnel be single. Valentine did not think this was fair or just, so he continued to unite young lovers in marriage. This went on for a period of time, until Valentine’s actions were discovered and he was put to death.
There is another story that indicates Valentine actually wrote the first valentine. Valentine was serving a prison term for some reason and while in prison fell in love with a young lady who visited him regularly. The young lady happened to be the jailor’s daughter. Before his death, the story is he wrote a letter to the young lady and signed it “From your Valentine” which appears on valentine cards today.
We have this day today, we call it “Valentine’s Day”; a day when many pretty cards are purchased by people who care for one another and want that person to know how they feel.
This is a day when youngsters exchange cute little valentine cards in school and a time when sales soar for those in the flower business. It is also a day when special candy or special boxes of candy sell like hot cakes. Yes, this is a special day.
From the very day God created man, He planned to send man a very special gift of love. It was not a card, flowers or any kind of candy. No, it was a very special gift of love that would enable every man, woman, boy and girl to spend eternity with Him in His kingdom.
God sent His love to us in the Person of His Son Jesus Christ. His gift of love was to all those who would believe in Him, accept Him and strive to live according to His Word. This gift was far better than a card, flowers or a box of candy that last for a short period of time. This was a gift of salvation which was needed because of man being disobedient to God.
Valentine’s Day is a day when people go out of their way to be nice to those they love. The beautiful cards are an outward expression of their love, as are the flowers and the candy. These gifts do not measure up to the gift given to us by Almighty God.
These gifts are nice and appreciated and that is about it; whereas, God’s gift is a gift of everlasting love that will never change or fade. God’s gift grants us entrance into His kingdom.
God’s gift is one that is not given once a year, but is available to all of us every day of the year. His gift of love is the greatest gift known. God’s gift to us is the gift of eternal life.
God sent His gift to us to show us how much He loved us. In the early days, there were people who thought God loved only the so-called chosen people, but that was not really the case. Some people were under the impression those not considered chosen were on the road to condemnation.
Jesus said, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17).
God wants to give His children an opportunity to be redeemed from their sinful nature; to repent of their sins; to accept His gift and then to spend eternity with Him in His eternal home. This is His everyday valentine gift to all His children.
Jesus revealed to the Jews and Gentiles they were included in this special gift. This gift could not be purchased it merely had to be accepted. God’s gift had nothing to do with race, color or creed or any other barrier.
His gift did not hinge upon a person’s status in life. I didn’t mean one had to be rich or well-to-do. It didn’t depend upon what type of job or business one was engaged in. His gift is available to everyone every day and cannot be purchased.
God gave His children this precious gift to keep them from perishing. When He created Adam and Eve there was no sin. They were created perfect. Since God did not want puppets He could always control, He gave Adam and Eve the ability to choose.
“The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:8, 9).
The “tree of life” was linked or connected to experiencing the life of God, which included immortality or living forever. The “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” represented human independence or self-sufficiency in all facets of life.
God knew what man was going to do relative to the two trees. He knew man would make a wrong choice and disobedience to His word would enter the scene. In other words, man was tempted and temptation won causing the remainder of all mankind to suffer down through the years.
Man lost the perfect close relationship that had existed before the sin of disobedience occurred. Prior to the original sin, there was no such thing as death. When death through sin entered the world, God went to plan two which was to give man the opportunity to regain that right relationship with Him.
Isaiah talks about God’s special valentine who is the Messiah. “See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted” (Isaiah 52:13). The servant Isaiah speaks of is none other than the Messiah or our own Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus would be highly exalted because of his ultimate sacrifice. This servant would suffer, but ultimately be highly raised.
Isaiah said, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:3, 5, 7).
This was a picture of the suffering future Messiah who would pay the price for our iniquities. This was the Messiah who would make it possible for people to gain a right relationship with the Father. This was God’s love to every man, woman, boy and girl. This was the greatest valentine, the greatest gift of love, the greatest show of compassion and understanding and the ultimate expression of salvation and redemption.
Verse 14 tells us, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
This particular Scripture appears in the Old Testament in the Book of Number chapter 21 and verse 9. This tells us that God’s plan was a plan of salvation. In Moses day, people complained and were impatient as they traveled to the Red Sea.
“They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!’” (Numbers 21:4, 5)
The Lord did not love His people less because of their complaining, but He did not like the fact they were complaining because their complaining led to sin. His plan was to teach them a lesson.
“Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people” (Numbers 21:6,7).
People complain today when times become difficult. In many cases they complain to and about God. This complaining leads to disobedience because people begin to live worldly instead of heavenly. Their attitudes change, their actions become worldly and their faith weakens.
In the case of Moses and the complaining people, the LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live. So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived” (Numbers 21:8-9).
It is interesting to note what God said about the bronze snake on the pole. When a person was bitten by the poisonous snake, all they had to do was look at the bronze snake on the pole and they would live.
Think for a moment, what was the connection between the bronze snake on the pole and healing from the snake bite. First of all, there was no power in the bronze snake, but there was power in the Word of God.
That power became reality to the person whose faith led them to follow God’s instructions to look at the pole with the bronze snake. Their faith led to obedience and obedience led to giving them life.
The hidden meaning in this Scripture points to the Messiah, God’s Son, who would be raised upon a cross for the redemption of each of His children. Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14, 15).
The Israelites who were bitten by the poisonous snakes looked to the bronze snake and believed they would be healed. God loves His children so much, He sent His son to the Cross to pay the debt for their sin. Our salvation is based upon us looking to the Cross and believing Jesus will save us from sin’s deadly bite.
“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). God showed His love to all of us by giving us the most precious valentine gift possible. There is no card, candy or flower that compares to the gift God has given us.
God’s gift demonstrates that true love is given freely, openly and stretched to the point of self-sacrifice. God’s love involved giving the life of His Son to pay the price of redeeming us and saving us from spending eternity in Hell.
God’s valentine to us offers us a new life, a new beginning and a life in His eternal kingdom. Our new life changes our way of living, thinking, talking and acting. We begin to live heavenly instead of worldly.
We think, read and listen to the Word of God. Our speech is noticeably different to those who know us. Our actions are those of one who knows and follows in the footsteps of Jesus.
God’s valentine is one we can share with those who cross our path. We can share what Jesus has done for us and how He has changed our life. The love and compassion we receive from our Valentine can be shared with others. His light that shines down upon us can be reflected out to touch others.
God’s valentine to us enables us to love others as we love ourselves. His valentine gives us “…love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22, 23).
Valentine’s Day is a day to show our love to our family and friends by various means. The usual means is to give a card, candy or flowers. I question whether this is sufficient and I question the fact that it is only one day a year. What happens to the other 364 days of the year?
Maybe on this one special day, a kind word to one who is hurting, a hug to the one who is lonely, a visit to one who is unable to get out or food to one who is hungry. If we can do something to show love 1 day out of the year why can’t we do it to show love throughout the entire year?
God’s valentine to us has no time limitations. First of all, God was motivated to give His love to us because He created us, He liked His creation and we are special to Him. His love was so strong for us that He demonstrated this love by turning His love into action. His love was to restore us to a right relationship with Him.
God knew we had a need and He wanted to fulfill that need. This is the way we should show our love to people around us. God sacrificed His Son for us permitting Him to be nailed to the Cross. True love says that we should sacrifice to show our true love to those in our presence. God gave without expecting anything in return and we should follow in His path.
Conclusion:
Valentine Day is a special day of the year. This is a day we share our love with other people by doing something for them or giving them something. Cards, flowers or candy are very nice gifts, but they do not last.
Sharing God’s valentine with other people is something that will last. God’s valentine can turn an individual 360 degrees and begin life anew. His valentine can lift one from the bottom of the pit to the top of the world. God’s valentine can save one from self-destruction. His valentine takes the burden from a person’s shoulders and places the burden upon His own shoulders. His valentine provides eternal life to the person who believes and accepts Him as their own personal Lord and Savior.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Amen.
