December 24 - Full of Unfailing Love
By Audrey Bauman
John continues telling us who Jesus is. I suspect he can't help but repeat himself. Jesus is so amazing!
John 1: 6 – 18 (NLT)
“God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”
16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.”
Can you go back through those verses and pick out 8 facts about Jesus? Try it. Sometimes things sink in more when we take the time to put ideas into words. You don’t have to say them out loud, but it helps if you do or if you write them down. You are more likely to remember them using more than one learning style.
One of the things that impresses me the most is that Jesus is so loving and accepting even though He wasn’t accepted. How could the world not recognize that here was someone really different and special? Verses 10 and 11 are so sad! “He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.” The Jewish nation and religious leaders rejected Him, and even started the push to have Him crucified. The world in general didn’t recognize Him either. Maybe having someone so loving and right in all his decisions made them uncomfortable. That’s sometimes the way we respond to people who we realize are smarter or richer or nicer than we have to admit we are. So, we avoid those folks.
Yet despite the fact that most people rejected Him, He didn’t give up and decide loving them wasn’t worth it. Instead, He “made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.” “From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.”
“God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.”
I wonder how a marriage would work out if one person in the marriage only had 1 hour a week to spend with their partner? Or if one person in the marriage only talked to the other one when they wanted something? Yet, I’m ashamed to admit that sometimes that’s how I treat God. I’m so busy with all kinds of stuff, but I do manage to get to church on Sunday morning. I am so busy with daily responsibilities that I don’t have time to pray and spend time with God, but I do ask Him to help me out when I’m feeling upset and anxious.
When I think about the flawed way we operate on this earth, I am again so awed and thankful that God doesn’t give up on us. God created this universe and this planet, and human beings. He had hoped for a relationship with us as He made us in His image. Yet we’ve rejected Him, even though “from his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another”.
That just really speaks to me today – to slow down and develop that relationship with God who is sooo patient and loving with me. Don't make all the Christmas decorations, gift-giving, cooking, family visits - you name all the things that create a super busy time of the year - stop you from realizing who God is and that He loves us incredibly.
Our song for today is Miracle of Love by Chris Tomlin.