Last Sunday we continued with the third Sunday in Advent. Our theme was love. George and Patti Saunders shared about God's love from John 3:16 and an excerpt from "The Problem of Pain" by C. S. Lewis. Then they lit the third candle.

I shared from John 1:14-18

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

How much did God love us? Think about it. In this passage John the Baptist is crying out about Jesus, his cousin, and stating that Jesus has surpassed him because he was before him. John knew that Jesus was six months younger than he was. What does he mean, "He was before me?" To answer this we must understand something of the trinity and the incarnation. Jesus was born in a manger in approximately 4 BC. He was a normal human baby who had to be nurtured and allowed to grow into adulthood. The difference is that the doctrine of the incarnation tells us that Jesus wasn't "just" human. Oh, he was 100% human, but he was also 100% God. How does God do this -- I don't know. But, this explains the "before me" word of John. Jesus (not the human born in a manger), but the second person of the trinity; the son of God, the Word, always was. John's gospel starts, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." The Word of God always was.

If this is true, look at the love he has for us. The Son gave up his heavenly position with the Father. He allowed himself to be born -- in very humble circumstances. He lived a lowly life and was finally executed on the barbaric cross. He did it because he loved us. Yes, his death was for us. It is in this act that we become reconciled to God. We enter into eternal life. Oh yes, eternal life is not just what happens after death. Eternal life starts now. Once we have come to know Jesus, our life is qualitatively different. We have been born again.

This is something to celebrate. Come Lord Jesus. Merry Christmas!