Advent is about looking both ways: Jesus has come already, He is here now, and He will come again. By looking into the past we are reminded of all that Christ has done, by looking into the future we are expectant of all that Christ will do. We live in the “land between” the times and there is work to be done.
The most wonderful love story is told in the Bible. It is the story about God’s love for us. “In the beginning God…” created everything wonderful. Then death and sin entered into the world. But God loves us so much that he wants to restore the love between us.
God’s Redeeming Love
Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites continually loved and then rejected God. Even through the sin and rejection, God continued to love them and made covenants with Abraham and David, trying to restore the love relationship. Genesis 12:1-2, Exodus 19:6, and 2 Samuel 7:11-16 show the covenants that God made with Abraham and David that He kept and later were fully realized in Christ. God’s love story for us unfolds in repeated brokenness and forgiveness.
Matthew 5:17 (NIV) “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
With the birth of Jesus, God fulfilled all the promises made throughout the Old Testament. Because those promises were fulfilled, we can have hope that God will do what He says He will do – He will come again.
Matthew begins telling the story of Jesus with his genealogy, so he can show that Jesus is the fulfillment of the covenants.
Matthew 1:1 (NIV) “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
The story of Joseph and Mary is told in Matthew 1:18-25. Matthew, by noting the lineage, is trying to show that Jesus was the Messiah, not an imposter or false prophet. Matthew also describes that Jesus is not what the people are expecting.
Love Heals Relationships
Joseph had every reason to doubt or feel shame when Mary became pregnant. But Joseph was a righteous man, and when the angel told Joseph not to be afraid, he decided to trust God and Mary.
In the book of Matthew, two names are given for Jesus. First, Matthew 1:21, gives the name Jesus, which means Joshua, or ‘Jehovah is salvation’ or ‘Yahweh saves.’ Jesus is going to be salvation for all generations to come. Then in Matthew 1:23, Jesus is given the name Immanuel which means ‘God with us.’ This baby who was born was fully God and fully man and he came to save all of us from sin. This was very different than what the Israelites were expecting.
1 John 4:9 (NLT) “God showed how much He loved us by sending His only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love…that God sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
This is the ultimate love story, that God would send Jesus to create a new covenant with us. Jesus can take our pain away so we can love more freely. Jehovah is salvation and he came for the forgiveness of sins.
Matthew 26:27-29 (NIV) “Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”
God sent his son to us and sacrificed himself so that we can go and love others. Jesus came to show us how to love other people and restore relationships. God’s love story continues on with each and every one of us today. With the life that we live we get to write the last chapter of this love story.
1 John 4:19 (NIV) “We love because He first loved us.”
Love Is A Gift From God
John 3:16 (NIV) “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.”
God came to earth in Jesus for everyone. Because Jesus was fully God and fully human, he is accessible to us.
Hebrews 13:5 (TEV) “God has said, I will never leave you, I will never abandon you.”
During this Advent season, you can know that you will never be alone again. God is always present and He is with you.
Love Shines Brightest When Given Away
Joseph did what the angel asked him, regardless of the pain. We are called, because we have been forgiven, to extend forgiveness and love to those around us.
Matthew 1:24 (NIV) “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him…”
1 John 4:17 (NIV) “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.”
Jesus was the ultimate gift of love. We are called as his people to show love to those around us. May this Christmas be different! Dare to risk loving others with unconditional love, extend forgiveness and be part of God’s great love story of restoring broken relationships.
Questions for thought
Will you step out of your comfort zone to risk loving other people?
How can you share the gift of God’s love with others this week?
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