Mary 2

John 3:16

It is a nightly ritual between my wife and I to say “I love you” before we go to sleep. We try to say it to our children as often as we can so they will know, without question, that we indeed love them. But words can become empty, especially when they are said almost out of habit.

We try to show love too, not with words, but with actions, by caring and providing for each other, and by sacrificing our time and efforts for each other.

“I love you.” Three simple words that can mean so much to so many people. Three simple words that can also have no meaning if no emotion is behind them.

But God has said “I love you” to all of us. And today’s passage is an expression of that love. What did God do to show He loved us? What benefit is there for those who believe in Jesus?

The celebration of Christmas is a celebration of love. The birth of Jesus Christ is a gift from God. It was an expression of God’s love to all humanity.

He gave His son, Jesus, to the earth. He gave Jesus so that he could show the way for all of us to have that eternal life in heaven.

The sin of mankind – the wrong thoughts and wrong actions we can all fall into – has broken the relationship between man and God. Because of that brokenness we cannot be in the presence of God. But God showed love by making a way for us to be forgiven, for us to have eternal life.

God’s love is expressed not in empty words that have lost meaning, but in the act of giving His son. His love is expressed in the action that was the life, teaching, sacrifice, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And for all who believe in who Jesus was, all that he taught, and those who believe in the sacrifice that he made to redeem us from our life of sin, the promise of eternal life is given.

That also is a gift of love from God. Jesus was the embodiment of the active good will of God to all humanity. To receive it we simply need to accept and believe. We need to have faith that God is with us and live the life that Jesus exemplified while he was on earth.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Accept the gift of love from God by confessing the sins you have committed, receiving the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice, and believing in the Savior.