Advent Is Made Possible Because of Love

A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick


Advent is a 2,000-year-old story of Jesus the Messiah being born in a cave behind a crowded Bethlehem Inn - this newborn was put to bed in an animal's feeding troth. The question quickly follows, "Why?" Well, according to the angel's message to Joseph, it had to do with saving us all from the power and consequence of sin. O.K., but then the childlikeness in us wants to press the question, "But why? Why did He do that? Why did the very Son of God stoop so low as to come to this polluted planet?" The final answer is found in the one immense word, LOVE. Advent is about love, God's love.

For most people, it's quite obvious - Christmas is about love. However most of the time we're thinking about one of several human loves - friendship love, love of a parent for a child, or the reciprocal love of a child for his or her parent, or the love between a man and wife, and believe it or not, for a brief time there's even a little evidence of love between brothers and sisters! And because these family members are people we see and talk with quite often, it's understandable that for many people, that's it - Christmas is a time to express love for family and a few close friends. Obviously the world loves it that way because retailers can lure us into buying everything from toys to trucks as a way of expressing our love for one another at Christmas. Can you imagine what would happen if all of the Christians in the world decided to utilize Christmas as a time to simply celebrate God's love for us, and our love for God? What if the only gifts given at Christmas time were those we would give to Christ, as in the story of the Three Magi? Of course that doesn't mean just giving to the church and its mission's programs, but would also entail giving to the poor as unto Christ. Instead of giving gifts to people who give us gifts in return, we would give to those who have nothing to give back. What would happen?

The point is, Christmas is about love - God's love for us, and our love for Him. "We love him because He first loved us." (I John 4:19)

When He was sent by His Heavenly Father to fulfill the role of Lamb of God, Jesus didn't come to start a new world religion; He didn't come to initiate a political force to move the world's governing systems closer to the ideal of "liberty and justice for all." Nor did He come to merely teach and demonstrate for us a better way of life - He certainly didn't come to promote worldly prosperity! No, and He didn't come to start a campaign to promote human rights, family values, or a ban on abortion. We can even go so far as to say that Jesus did not come to merely demonstrate that the power of light is greater than the forces of darkness.

The coming of Jesus, the Advent, was for this over-riding purpose, to demonstrate God's love.

It's no wonder that John 3:16 has become one of the all-time favorite Bible verses for so many people: "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."

Clearly, it was God's love that prompted Advent. However, as wonderful as this message is, it can feel a little cold, or rather general. We want to be assured that He not only loves the world, but that He loves the people in the world, namely us!

We are impressed when the Gospel writers tell us that when Jesus ". . . he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them. . . ." (Matthew 9:36), but we are even more impressed when the writers tell us, "Jesus looked at him [the 'rich young ruler'] and loved him." (Mark 10:21), or that "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus." (John 11:5)

Such statements as these help us realize that God's love, as displayed through His Son, Jesus, is personal and individual. It may be even more comforting to some of us that, in the words of the KJV, God "can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way." (Hebrews 5:2) Now we know we are included!

It is John, whom we have called the "Apostle of Love," who reports concerning Jesus, "Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love." (John 13:1) How did He do this? In that particular account, He did it by humbling Himself as a servant and washing their feet.

Of special note in this same chapter, and on at least four additional occasions, mention is made about Jesus' love for a particular disciple, John, the Apostle who wrote the Fourth Gospel.

    At the Last Supper, John reports that, "One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him." (John 13:23)

    At the cross when He was in the throws of his final suffering before being relieved in death, "Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, [and] said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son."

    On resurrection morning, Mary Magdalene, after her encounter with the risen Lord, "came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

    Later when Jesus was about to reveal Himself to His disciples on the shore of Galilee, it was this same "disciple whom Jesus loved" who made sure Peter understood that the man on the shore was Jesus. (John 21:7)

    That same day Peter was referring to John as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 21:20) when he wanted to know what would be John's future.

    The obvious question is this: "Was John a favorite of Jesus?" Did Jesus only love John? Not at all. It is clear that this was just John's way of including Himself in the story without using his own name. I'd like to think that any other disciple of Jesus would have - and could have - done the same thing. In fact, I'd like to think that if any one of us were writing the story, we also would have done the same thing; we would all be able refer to ourselves as "the disciple whom Jesus loved."

To make sure we understand that this was not just Jesus during His earthly time who loved the people He was near, He gives this specific teaching in John 14:21: "He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

    In a later teaching Jesus reinforces this with the words, "The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." (John 16:27)

    In his later Epistle to the churches, John wrote, "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." (I John 4:9, 10)

    In the last book of the Bible, we're told that even God's enemies, those who are "of the synagogue of Satan," will be made to "acknowledge that I have loved you." (Revelation 3:9)

So the Advent is a message of God's love. But why is this message - "God loves you" - so important? Isn't it enough to know the love of our own mother and father? Isn't it enough to know the love of a husband or wife? And as we age, isn't it enough to know that our children love us and will take care of us? Why is it necessary for us to also know that God loves us?

For one thing, all of this world's loves can fail us. Siblings fight, husbands abuse their wives, parents neglect their children in favor of their own pleasures, and children rebel against their parents and refuse to care for them in their old age. Only the love of God is eternal, and therefore reliable. God's love is like a safety net so that when other loves fail, we will forever be safe in His arms.

However, there's another reason we think it is so important to know God's love. It seems to me that we are naturally people of the Old Testament - we naturally think that God is nothing more than a cranky old parent who gets His kicks by criticizing and punishing His misbehaving children - children who never live up to His expectations. We have adopted a very narrow view of God as revealed in the Old Testament, a view that for centuries has even been promoted by the church which discovered that fear was an adequate motivator to get people to comply with the church's programs of morality, religious observances, and building programs.

The sad truth is, in doing this, we have overlooked some very important passages in the Old Testament.

    Moses spoke God's word to God's people of his day, "If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land -- your grain, new wine and oil--the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you." (Deuteronomy 7:12, 13)

    Solomon gives us this Proverb, "I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me." (Proverbs 8:17)

    The prophets also clearly speak of God's love for His people:

    I cried like a swift or thrush, I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens. I am troubled; O Lord, come to my aid!" But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. Lord, by such things men live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back." (Isaiah 38:14-17)

    But now, this is what the LORD says -- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

    When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life." (Isaiah 43:1-4)

    Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10)

    The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." (Jeremiah 31:3)

    "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them." (Hosea 14:4)

So the message of God's love is certainly there in the Old Testament, but it's as though God looked down from heaven and said, "They still don't get it - how can I prove to them that I love them? I will send my own Son."

The Advent is proof of God's love.

If Christmas love is friendship love, it will fail, but we are reminded by the Proverbs that "there is friend that sticks closer than a brother." (18:34)

If Christmas love is family love, we know it too is prone to fail - children will rebel and distance themselves from their parents, and parents at times even disown a wayward child, but the Psalmist assures us, "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up." (27:10) And the Lord Himself promises, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

The love of God is set apart from all other loves because it is an enduring love, it is a holding love. That's what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he concluded one of the truly great chapters of the Bible, Romans 8, with these words:

    Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died -- more than that, who was raised to life -- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

    No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

    For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:34-39)

So at Advent we celebrate God's love for us, but what is love's greatest proof? We prove our love when we demonstrate a willingness to sacrifice something of ourselves for the benefit of another person. And that's what God did. Jesus explained it this way, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command." (John 15:13, 14)

And Paul picks up the idea and expands it when he writes, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)

And one final word, love is the essence of forgiveness. To know God's love is to know God's forgiveness. All we need to do is ask. John explains, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)

The ultimate question is not whether or not God loves us, but whether or not we will receive His love. We receive His love simply by asking forgiveness.

Please allow me to conclude this message with a poem by Debbee Combs

LOVE HAS A NAME

When your life is a wreck, you've no purpose or aim - Love has a name.

When you've gambled it all and you've lost at life's game - Love has a name.

If your relationship has crumbled, all that remains is the blame - Love has a name.

When you've used and abused but you never reached fame - Love has a name.

When your health is destroyed, your body failing or lame - Love has a name.

If your children become creatures, more like animals you can't tame - Love has a name.

And your world seems destroyed, there's no hope only shame - Love has a name.

The "Name" that restores, that can heal and replace
All that you've lost, that can bring you the grace
To start a new life, to heal family and soul,
Is the "Name" of the One
Who refines us like gold!

Just whisper, "Jesus," in your depths of despair
And whatever He's doing, He's already there
To strengthen you, hold you, to fill you with power
To defeat all your foes so you no longer cower.
The matchless name of "Jesus - He's your Truth, He's your Light,
Your Redeemer, your Salvation, your very Breath, your Life!

Love has a name - His name is "Jesus"

Discussion Questions
Advent Is Made Possible Because of Love

1. What did the angel tell Joseph was the reason to give to Mary's child the name Jesus?

2. If Christmas is about God's love for us, why is it that we give gifts to each other?

3. Why are we reluctant to consider Christianity a "religion"?

4. When we hear that "God loved the world," may we feel a little unsatisfied - how would we rather hear this message?

5. Why do we think that the words, "the disciple whom Jesus loved" refers to John?

6. Do you think Jesus had a "pet" disciple?

7. Why is the message "God loves you" so important?

8. In what way are we prone to be "Old Testament Christians"?

9. Why is it insufficient to view Christmas as a time to express family or friendship love?

10. What is the greatest proof of one's love?

11. According to the closing verses of Romans 8, what love is it that we will not be separated from?

12. What is the connection between love and forgiveness?

13. How is God's forgiveness obtained?

  • - - Return to Top of this Page
  • - Email a link to this page
  • - Go To Next Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick
  • - Back To Sermons Page or to the Sermons Alphabetical List
  • - - Download This Sermon
  • - - Download a Power Point Presentation for This Sermon
  • - - If you have enjoyed joyfulministry.com, you may send a referral letter - Click Here, and enter email addresses of your friends. 
    This Page's Title Is:

                       
    Your Name Is:

                       
    Your Email Address Is:

                        
    Your State and Country:

    Please identify your vocation:

         Senior Pastor.     Associate Pastor.
            Youth Pastor.    Lay Minister.
                  Church Member.

    Which section of this site would you most likely return to?

         Sermons     Articles     Stories   
             Poems     Hymns    Articles for Leaders
               Marriage Articles         A Bit of Humor

    Would you like to receive the free weekly E-mail Circular?

      YES

    If you have a web page, would you like to establish a reciprocal link?

      YES

    Feel free to add a comment or prayer request: