The Gift of Love: Receive It, Live It, Share It

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.”

Few words in Scripture capture the heart of Christmas more completely than these. Christmas is ultimately about a gift—a gift that was motivated by love. Not ordinary love, but the selfless, unconditional, sacrificial love of God.

As we arrive at the fourth week of Advent, we celebrate the gift of Love. Advent has been a season of remembering the past, celebrating the present, and joyfully anticipating the future.

And what better gift could we celebrate than God's love?

The birth of Jesus is the physical evidence that God loves us. First John 4:9 puts it this way: “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.”

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God didn't simply tell us that He loves us.

He showed us.

God's Love Has Always Been the Plan

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We sometimes think of Christmas as the beginning of God's plan to rescue humanity, but Scripture reveals something much bigger.

God's love for us didn't begin in Bethlehem. It didn't even begin in the Garden of Eden. His love extends from before creation and into eternity.

Ephesians 1 describes God's plan as something established before the foundations of the earth. He had already determined that we would be adopted into His family through Jesus Christ.

That's an incredible thought.

Before humanity sinned, God already knew we would need a Savior.

Before the manger, there was a plan.

Before the cross, there was a purpose.

Before we ever understood our need for God, God had already demonstrated His desire for us.

Throughout the Old Testament, we see God's relentless love toward His people. They were often stubborn, rebellious, selfish, ungrateful, and prone to chase after the things of the world. Yet God continued to pursue them. Why?

Because love doesn't give up easily.

God's love kept pursuing humanity even when humanity repeatedly turned away from Him.

That same love ultimately brought Jesus into the world.

Love Came in the Form of Jesus

The Christmas story is remarkable because Jesus willingly left the splendor of heaven and entered our world.

Philippians 2 tells us that although Jesus was fully God, He humbled Himself and took on human likeness, becoming a servant.

Think about what that means.

The Creator entered His creation.

The eternal entered time.

The divine took on humanity.

God came near.

Jesus didn't come because humanity deserved Him. He came because God loved us.

And Jesus didn't come simply so that we could celebrate His birthday every year.

He came with a purpose.

He came to fulfill the Father's will.

He came to become the ultimate sacrifice for our sins—past, present, and future.

The manger points us toward the cross.

The cross points us toward the empty tomb.

And all of it points us toward the incredible depth of God's love.

Do You Really Know That God Loves You?

It's one thing to know about God's love intellectually. It's another thing to actually believe that God loves you.

Many of us carry our past with us.

We've made mistakes.

We've disappointed ourselves.

We've disappointed others.

There may be things we have done that we wish we could undo.

Sometimes those experiences convince us that we are somehow disqualified from God's love.

But that's exactly why Jesus came. John 3:16 says that God loved the world so much that He gave His Son so that whoever believes in Him would have eternal life.

That word “whoever” matters. You are a whoever. God's gift of love is for you.

When you receive Jesus as your Savior, you become a beloved child of God. First John 3:1 reminds us, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”

That's your identity.

Not your past.

Not your failures.

Not your regrets.

Not your mistakes.

You are a child of God.

Psalm 103 reminds us that God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love. He does not treat us as our sins deserve. Instead, He removes our transgressions and shows compassion toward His children.

This is the love we celebrate at Christmas.

Love Is Meant to Be Lived

But receiving God's love isn't the end of the story. It is the beginning.

Jesus demonstrated the Father's love during His earthly ministry, and then He gave His followers the responsibility of continuing to demonstrate that love after He was gone.

In Matthew 22, Jesus identified the greatest commandments: love God with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself.

Then, in John 13, He gave His disciples another command:

“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

He went on to explain that this love would be one of the ways people would recognize His followers. That's a significant responsibility.

Jesus didn't say the world would recognize His disciples by how loudly they worship, how much Scripture they know, or how often they attend church. He said they would recognize us by our love.

Unfortunately, the church sometimes gets distracted by disagreements, offenses, and divisions. We can become so focused on being right that we forget to be loving.

When that happens, our behavior sends the wrong message about Jesus.

First John reminds us that love comes from God and that we demonstrate God's presence when we love one another. Love isn't simply something we talk about.

Love is something we do.

Who Needs to Experience God's Love Through You?

As we joyfully anticipate Christ's return, we have work to do.

Jesus gave His followers the Great Commission—to go and make disciples.

But where do we begin?

We begin with love. God's love crosses every barrier. His love is for the poor and the rich.

The weak and the strong. The sick and the healthy. The prodigal and the faithful.

We don't get to decide who is worthy of receiving God's love because God's love was never based on worthiness in the first place. It is a gift offered to all.

That means our assignment is simple.

Look for someone who needs to experience God's love.

It doesn't have to be complicated.

Buy someone's coffee.

Help someone carry groceries.

Encourage a coworker.

Call someone who is lonely.

Pray with someone who is hurting.

Forgive someone who has offended you.

Show kindness to someone who doesn't expect it.

Sometimes the smallest acts of love become the most powerful reminders that God has not forgotten someone.

Don't Keep the Gift to Yourself

Christmas is only a few days away. The coming days will likely be filled with last-minute shopping, gift wrapping, gatherings, and preparations. But in the middle of all the activity, don't miss the opportunity to give the greatest gift you've received.

Love for Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Advent reminds us to remember the past, celebrate the present, and anticipate the future.

When we look backward, we see God's relentless love demonstrated through history and ultimately through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

When we look at today, we can celebrate the incredible truth that we are God's beloved children.

And when we look toward tomorrow, we can joyfully anticipate the return of Jesus Christ.

Until He comes, we have a mission.

Receive His love. Live His love. Share His love.

The world desperately needs to see what God's love looks like.

And perhaps the person who needs to see it today is someone God has placed directly in your path.

So this Christmas, don't simply celebrate the gift.

Become a carrier of the gift.

Let the love God has poured into your life overflow into the lives of others.

Because the greatest gift ever given wasn't placed under a Christmas tree.

It was placed in a manger. And that gift has a name.

Jesus.