Christmas Eve: Epistle, 1 John 4:7-16                                      

1 John 4:7-16

If you crack the cover of John’s first epistle you’re going to run headlong into love. And the focus is the love of God for us. For sinners. John makes sure where the focus is: “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). John goes on to describe that God’s people see it. And the wonder of that lies in the fact the source is heavenly. The things of heaven are not readily visible. This is.

The love of God is seen and understood by a beloved Son giving His life for those whom the Father has sent Him to rescue. And when you see it, when you take it in, life will never be the same. “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us” (v. 16a). Seeing God’s love, hearing God’s love through His Word causes us to believe that love. To believe the God whose love it is.

Father, this Advent and Christmas season, open our eyes that we may again see Your great love. Amen.