Advent is a time to celebrate, a time to anticipate, and a time to participate.
God expressed His love to the world through Jesus.
John
3:16 (ESV)
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Isaiah 9:6 (NJKV)
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
We celebrate the gift of Jesus, we anticipate being with Jesus, and we participate in imaging the love of Jesus to the world.
Philia - brotherly affection
Eros - romantic love
Storge - love for family
Agape - the God kind of love
1 - God’s love is unconditional.
Genesis
3:15 (NIV)
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.”
God demonstrated His unconditional love in the moment man fell. He had already set in motion His redemptive work.
Romans 5:8 (NIV)
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
2 - It takes God to love like God.
Conditional love is only given as long as the condition continues to be met.
Agape is pure and cuts across anything.
God sent His Son to us because He crossed all barriers.
He paved and showed us the way of love.
1 John
4:16-18 (NIV)
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God is in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
As we celebrate the Advent season, we have the opportunity to express love right where people are, without condition.
3 - Love lays it all down
Song of Songs 5:2-7 (NIV)
“I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My beloved is knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.’ I have taken off my robe— must I put it on again? I have washed my feet— must I soil them again? My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him. I arose to open for my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh, on the handles of the bolt. I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer. The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. They beat me, they bruised me; they took away my cloak, those watchmen of the walls!”
We cannot properly anticipate wrapped in the layers of this world, keeping our comforts.
Psalm 130:6 (NIV)
“I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.”
Advent draws our hearts to the reception, celebration, and reflection of God’s love.