A Story of Christmas Love
Today let’s explore the ultimate gift, which is God’s gift to us – salvation through Jesus Christ whose birth we are celebrating. Today we are exploring the first part of our story.
How do you measure the value of a present? How do you judge its worth? By its size, or by its weight? Do you judge it by its cost, or perhaps by its usefulness?
Let’s examine God’s present to us. It was wrapped up in strips of clothes instead for fancy foil paper. It was laid in a smelly feeding bin, and not placed neatly under a scented pine tree. Regardless of these humble beginnings, God’s gift is the most important gift we will ever receive. It is a gift that we can share with everyone and yet retain it for ourselves.
Let us examine God’s Word in 1 John 4:9-11, “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.”
How do you measure the value of God’s gift to you? I would suggest three ways.
1. God’s gift to you is measured by its usefulness.
What is the usefulness of His gift to us? Notice the usefulness of the gift in verse 9 above, “…so that we might have eternal life through him.”
Jesus said it this way in John 10:10, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
What a promise that is! Not just life, not just existence, but a life that means something–a life that has worth, a rich, full, and satisfying life. A life with a purpose. A life that has value. A life with meaning. A life that will have eternal consequences and benefits.
Ephesians 1:4 says, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”
FACT: You are here for the glory of God.
Your purpose is to live a life that magnifies the Lord, to encourage and support fellow Christians, to become more like Christ, to use your gifts and talents in helping others, and to tell those who don’t know Jesus that there is Good News. Your purpose is to bring glory to God in all you do and say. And when all is said and done, you should long to hear the words written in Matthew 25:21, “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’”
God says you have brought me glory. You have enlarged the kingdom of God. You have done well. God’s gift of salvation to us is useful. It gives us meaning and value. Our purpose is to bring glory to God.
Because of God’s love for us, He has provided the best Christmas gift to us–a rich and satisfying life on earth and a life for all eternity. God, through Jesus Christ, took on human flesh and dwelt among His creation so that He could redeem us. This Christmas take the time to reflect on the wonderful gift that God has given us and fulfill your purpose of bringing glory to God.
2. God’s gift to you is measured by its cost.
As we serve such a loving and Holy God, we are to give Him our best. He doesn’t want our leftovers. He doesn’t want cheap stuff. He wants the best you and I can give Him. Remember the story of the wise men when I referenced how King David insisted on paying the price for his offerings in 2 Samuel 24:24, “But the king replied to Araunah, ‘No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.’ So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.”
David said if he was going to give a sacrifice to the Lord he was going to give his best – something of value, something of worth. Why would David say that? Because that is what God has done for us. He has given us the most precious gift He could possibly give–something of worth, something of value, something that is one of a kind. He gave us His son.
Look at 1 John 4:10 again, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
God knew what had to be done. He knew what price had to be paid. He knew what it was going to cost Him, and He sent the best for you and me. He sent Jesus Christ–born as a child for the salvation of the world. If He gave that much to me, what should I give Him?
FACT: God’s gift to YOU is valuable.
3. God’s present to you is measured by its effectiveness.
If you get a toaster for Christmas, you expect it to be able to make toast. If you get a coffee machine, you expect it to make coffee. If you get a hair curler, you expect it to be able to curl hair. So the question that needs to be asked is “Is it effective? Does it do what it was intended to do?”
What is the love of God intended to do? CHANGE YOU.
Look at these three verses again in 1 John 4:9-11, “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.”
To me, they seem almost like a mathematical formula. 1+1=2. See how it all adds up. God’s gift is useful PLUS God’s gift is valuable EQUALS we ought to love one another.
Verse 11 says this, “Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.”
“Ought” sounds like a suggestion, but it’s not. It’s not just some suggestion that God is making to us. The Greek word for “ought” could be translated “must.” The root word actually means “to owe something.” You owe a payment. You are under obligation. You must pay it back! Let me restate the last part of verse 11 again.
…since God loved us that much, we MUST love each other.
Why? Because God is not done loving the world yet. He wants to keep loving the world–through you and through me. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
Does God’s love change you? Does it affect your behavior? Does it affect the way you treat people? You see that is what love is intended to do. It doesn’t make toast. It doesn’t make coffee. It does not curl hair. It changes us into loving compassionate people who care for the needs of those who around us. God wants to love the world, but He has a desire to do through you. Are you willing to let God show His love through you?
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other,” 1 John 4:9-11.
FACT: We certainly MUST love each other.
Because of God’s love for us, He has provided the best Christmas gift to us–a rich and satisfying life on earth and a life for all eternity. God’s love is useful, God’s love is valuable, and God’s love is effective. This Christmas, take the time to reflect on the wonderful gift that God has given us, and fulfill your purpose of bringing glory to God.