WEEK FOUR: The LOVE OF IMMANUEL

Ann Swindell

At the center of the Advent story is the coming of the Christ child, and for the last three weeks, we have meditated upon the joy, hope, and peace that Jesus offers to us. In this, our final week of Advent, we focus now on the love of God displayed through the coming of Immanuel.

Read again Luke 2:1-7, and partner it with it a glance through all of Matthew, chapter 1. The birth of Jesus has been foretold for generations, and now, through the genealogy that Matthew provides, we see how God has laid out the plan for Christ’s perfectly timed arrival over centuries.

And when Christ arrived, he did not come as a conquering king, or as a powerful dictator: he came as an infant, helpless to care for himself and helpless to protect himself. He came as all of us come—needy, hungry, and dependent upon others to keep us safe and sustained.

Jesus’ arrival as a babe is a glimpse into the depth of the love he has for us, his people. For in order for us to become children of God, the Lord of the Universe—through whom all things were made and are sustained (read John 1:1-4)—had to become a child himself.

Consider afresh the humility of Jesus, to leave his throne in heaven for us! Meditate again upon the love of Christ: How deeply he loves us, to become one of us! How selflessly he loves us, to willingly and fully submit himself to the life of a human, with all of our weaknesses, illnesses, and dependence. To come as a newborn was to come in humanity’s weakest state—and he did this for us out of his great love!

Jesus spoke of this immense love to his disciples:

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” -John 15:9-13

Through Christ, who became a child who grew and would one day lay down his life for us, we have become not only his friends, but children of God:

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” -1 John 3:1

Jesus considered us worthy of the greatest sacrifice of his perfect life—because of his great love for us. Let us live as people worthy of that love as we worship and celebrate King Jesus this Christmas.

Alleluia!