In the month of December, I’m running Advent Series all over on, the Soul H2O Radio & Podcast Show, through the devotions, and on Instagram Lives. This week, the focus is on Christmas Love.

Soul H2O Radio & Podcast Show: Hope, Love, Joy, Peace, Jesus

Soul H2O Devotions/Posts: What’s The Right Way To Celebrate Advent, Hope, Love, Joy, Peace, Advent Inspiration For Your Christmas Season

Instagram Lives: Wednesdays at 12-12:10pm EST in December

Soul H2O Devotion

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Well, I think Christmas and love are pretty much synonymous. Christmas is celebrating the moment in history when Christ, because of His love, left heaven and came down to earth. Jesus fully God, took on humanity; what theologians call, the incarnation. That Jesus forfeited the comforts of heaven to reach the hearts of people in this world still baffles me. That God the Father allowed His son to come overwhelms me. John 3:16 expresses the motive of love best when John says:

God’s love compelled Him to send Jesus, and in case you’re worried that God was a cruel Father to send His son, I hope you’ll see that love was also Jesus’ motivation for coming as you listen to what he said in John 10:17-18.

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.
John 10:17-18 NIV

Jesus also says,

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
John 10:11

And then in John 15:12-14 He says:

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. You are my friends if you do what I command.
John 15:12-13 NIV

The nativity is a beautiful picture of how Jesus’ love compelled Him to come.

Jesus wasn’t forced to leave heaven and give up His life for you as a baby in the manger, or as a man on the cross. He had the authority to do whatever He wanted and, because of His love for you, He came as a baby, grew up and lived as a man, died, rose from the dead, so you could have eternal life and is coming back to live with you for all eternity!

This hope of Christ’s second return is the root focus of Advent. It’s great for you to celebrate His birth and the love that compelled Him to come, but never lose focus that because of His love, He’s not going to leave you in this mess we call the world. Jesus will come back and right now, He’s preparing a place, just for you!

So, what’s love got to do with Christmas? Everything.

Prayer

Father…I thank You for being willing to let Jesus come. Jesus, I thank You for your love and being willing to leave heaven, so You could become my Emmanuel. Knowing that You are willingly with me and are coming again, gives me the strength to face each new day, each new challenge with hope. In Jesus Name…Amen