Advent Season Week Four • A Boundless Love
“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” — EXODUS 34:6
“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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” — JOHN 3:16-17
From beginning to end, the story of Scripture is that of Love. In Genesis 1, we see God create a lush garden, sprouting with delicacies that wouldn’t be just good to eat, but pleasing to look at. Then we see in Genesis 3 the fall of man lured by the prince of darkness in the form of a snake, but as God meets his creation, Adam and Eve, he meets them with love. He saw their feeble attempts to cover themselves with fig leaves, and rather than leave them in their filth, He performs the first blood sacrifice to clothe them in garments that would properly cover them. And in the same breath promises that He will send One to crush the head of the snake once and for all to cover all their sin and shame. And for centuries, we see His love on display for his people, carrying Noah safely through the raging waters, Abraham’s promised son, the rescue of Joseph to ultimately rescue his people, the rescue of his people from exile, to a promised land through an unlikely candidate. We see God (in love) rescue Ruth from a destitute future. In love, God gave the people of Israel a king like they asked for, and in love gave them a King after his own heart. In love, he sent prophets like Elijah and Elisha to raise the dead and declare His love for His own.
All love poured out on his people, pointing to the One who is Love. The One who would remove his priestly garments, and trade them for the flesh of a needy baby. Immanuel—God with us. God with us in Jesus—a baby who would scream and cry. A baby who would sleep under the stars he made. A baby in need of His mother’s breast to sustain Him. A baby who would grow to a man, who would ultimately bear lashes and be pierced. But not only that, He bore the weight of every sin on His shoulders. As He hung there, arms strewn and body feeble, He gasped for air as the lungs that were His very design gave way to death. This man, in dying, declared victory for His people, and conquering death through His victorious resurrection secured victory for His own for all time.
And this is where we find ourselves today. Remembering the Love that comes to the earth He created, wrapped in clothes laying everything down that we may live. That He might once again call His children out of hiding, that we might be free of our feeble attempts to be “good enough” to approach our Savior, and be clothed in the righteousness of His sacrifice. This love that looks on us with compassion instead of condemnation. This love that takes us, once enemies and calls us children. This Love that was given is the culmination of all our hope, peace and joy. This Love’s name is Jesus. An enduring, unshakeable, Love. Let us look to Him this Christmas season and celebrate this Love that came down and will come down again for all of His own!
A PRAYER OF LOVE:
The Valley of Vision
Love brought thee from heaven to earth,
From earth to the cross,
From the cross to the grave.
Love caused thee to be weary, hungry, tempted,
Scorned, scourged, buffeted, spat upon, crucified, and pierced.
Love led thee to bow thy head in death.
My salvation is the point where perfect created love
And the most perfect uncreated love meet together…
Thy love is not intermittent, cold, changeable;
It does notecase or abate for all my enmity….
Thy infinite love is a mystery of mysteries,
And my eternal rest lies in the eternal enjoyment of it.
—Devotions prepared by Cheyenne Boluyt