Love has Come into our World

In my reading of the Bible, I am struck by the difference in tone between the old testament and the new testament. Realistically, the old testament is a pretty hard read. It is full of rules and regulations. It is full of war, enslavement, and subjugation. It is loaded with condemnation. Over and over it describes an infraction calling for the death penalty. And then, there is the book of Job. The old testament, for the most part, is not an uplifting read. The best parts are when the Prophets hint at a future where things will be better. The new testament, on the other hand, is centered around love, kindness, mercy and reconciliation. This is a much more satisfying read. It is a much more hopeful read. When a new Christian asks, “what should I read first?”, I always direct them to the book of John.

Which begs the question……….what changed? What corner did we turn between the old testament and the new testament? I don’t believe that God changed. But our world……..that is a different story. The new testament turned our world upside down.

What changed is this:

Love came into our world……..specifically, the love of our father…..our creator. It came in the person of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was a teacher. His message had 3 themes:

Love God
Love your fellow man
I am the son of God………I am divine

In everything that he said and did, he embodied……he taught…..these three things. These ideas were revolutionary……..they still are. The powers of the time had a hard time with them……..and so does our modern culture. In fact, a big part of our culture categorically rejects points one and three. We do a little better with point two…….but only a little.

Which brings me to Christmas……..arguably the biggest annual celebration in the world. For the most part, our modern Christmas has become a big party where we give each other gifts. This part does touch on the second idea……love your fellow man. But our modern Christmas has become disconnected from ideas one and three……..love God, your creator, and Jesus is divine.

So, just exactly what is truly at the heart of Christmas?

Or, more to the point, what should be at the heart of our Christmas celebration?

Christmas is a celebration of a turning point in the history of mankind. It celebrates the arrival……in our world………. of the love of our creator………in the person of Jesus Christ.

And things have never been the same.

So…….today……..when you are exchanging gifts, remember to focus on the love of God. After all, love is the reason why God created you……..the very reason for your existence.

God created you to love and be loved.

You know this.

We love because he first loved us.

John, ESV

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

John, ESV

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Paul, ESV