“This is how God showed his love for us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”
-1 John 4:9
This verse captures the essence of the Christmas message. I want to emphasize three words.
Love.
Sent.
Life.
Love:
Why did God choose to be born as a child and live the life of a human? When you really think about it, it doesn’t make much sense! The human experience can be tough. We have to deal with pain, heartbreak, illness and death. Why would God choose to experience these things? Simply put; love.
God desired to show how much God loved us by coming into our world, living as we live, experiencing what we experience…and redeeming it all.
The Christmas story is a love story.
Sent:
To be sent is to have a purpose. I may be sent on an errand by my family. You could be sent by your job to a new city in order to establish a new market. There is always a reason why you are sent. The same is true for God. God sent Jesus into the world for a purpose. What is that purpose? Jesus came to give us life.
God sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
Life:
I feel most alive when I am connected with God in my daily activities. This is by design. We were created to live through Christ. That is our purpose. There are times when we mix this up. I’ve heard of parents that live through their children. Sometimes one sibling will live through another sibling. To live through another person often means ceasing to live your life and instead vicariously living through another person’s life.
Jesus offers a new way to live.
We live our most true, abundant lives when we live through Christ. I encourage you to begin to view your life as an extension of God’s purposes on earth. Live through Christ.
This Christmas season, you have the opportunity to live through God by reflecting God’s love into the world. Have fun with this! Be creative! Celebrate the wonderful news that God has come into our world.
This Sunday we celebrate the second Sunday in the season of Advent.
See you on Sunday!
-Pastor David
