The Advent of Christ - Love Incarnate

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:9-10

Friends, when I say "Love" and "Christmas," where do your thoughts go? Do you think of all the frills of Christmas that come with this time of year: the tree, the gifts, the concerts and parties, your favorite foods and baked goodies, the lights and decorations? Maybe what comes to mind is Christmas music, along with all the Christmas movies you bring out this time of year. I mean, who doesn't love "Elf," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," or "It's a Wonderful Life"? Perhaps your thoughts go to deeper places when you think about what you love during the Christmas season: precious memories of past Christmases, treasured traditions, the spirit of generosity, and quality time spent with family and friends.

I personally love the feelings that Christmas evokes: the festiveness of the season that brings a sense of excitement, joy, warmth, generosity, gratitude, and nostalgia. But can I also be honest? Some of the emotions this season provokes in me are stress, overwhelm, shopping anxiety, and even a little bit of sadness as I miss my mom and grandmother, especially around Christmastime.

Here’s an example of my fickle kind of love this time of year: I love having a Christmas tree. I love everything about it. Going up the mountain with my family and finding the "perfect" tree; the smell of pine that fills my house; all of the decorations I’ve collected over the years; the deep sense of peace as I sit in quiet beside the gentle lights of the tree early in the mornings with my coffee and Bible. But this year, what I absolutely DID NOT LOVE was when, in the middle of the night, our fully decorated tree crashed to the ground, throwing ornaments across the room and soaking the carpet with tree water. Nope, no love of Christmas in that moment.

I'm likely not alone in experiencing the fleeting sense of love at Christmas. I suspect that some of you may be experiencing anxiety, deep loneliness, disappointed expectations, sorrow, and pain right now. There are times when the realities of our lives create emotions that do not elicit love. Sometimes, we almost have to summon a false sense of cheer and love in order for it to feel like Christmas.

But what would happen if we circumvented our thoughts around love at Christmastime to focus on what love truly has to do with Christmas and the story surrounding Christ's birth?
Love is at the heart of the Christmas story:  An act of selfless and boundless love for all of humanity as the Father sent His Son to redeem a lost and broken world. Christmas is the proof of God's love for each one of us, and He demonstrates this best in the beautiful mystery of the incarnation.

That beautiful mystery of Jesus Christ who willingly entered into human existence to be fully present with broken humanity, experiencing both our joys and sufferings firsthand, ultimately sacrificing Himself on the cross to redeem us from sin. This was the ultimate act of selfless love and commitment, essentially becoming one of us to intimately have relationship and connection with His people and offering salvation at the expense of His own life.

This love of God is sacrificial. The most obvious proof of that sacrificial love is the cross, where Jesus gave His life for all of humanity, but the other proof of Jesus' sacrificial love is the manger.

Jesus, the One Who was there at the beginning and helped the Father at Creation. The God of the Universe, who gave us breath and life and also hung the sun, the moon, and the stars, chose to come down to us as a weak and helpless infant. He gave up the glory of heaven to walk in the messy brokenness of earth to reveal Himself to the world.

Sometimes, our flesh looks for earthly things to satisfy our deepest longings for love. Eventually, those fleshly desires will end up disappointing. And into all that heartache steps Love Incarnate, the only One who can rescue us from such pain. Jesus not only offers love, He is the embodiment of love.

This is true love. This is love incarnate.