Jesus is Love

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Introduction

OT Reading: Exodus 33:18-23 Psalm: Psalm 77:11-20 Gospel: John 3:16-21 Epistle: 1 John 4:7-12
Beloved friends, as we come to the table today, let us prepare for the feast of our Lord by meditating on the holy scriptures. In the Gospel according John, chapter 3 verse 16 it says

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

This is a verse we all know so well, it is on bumper stickers, bookmarks, even on the eye black of professional athletes. I’m sure for many of us here this is the first verse that we ever memorized. It is the most well known verse in our Bible. To the point that non Christians can quote this verse. One exuberant profesional wrestler adopted 3:16 as part of his monicor. This verse is well known but do people understand its implications. Do people know the richness of the love of God and the trinitarian community that is described in this verse.
This evening I want us to consider as we come to table of our Lord. A table of fellowship, of communion, of love. This feast is special, for a multitude of reasons, but as you will see it is an uniquely trinitarian form of our God’s love for His people. A special relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that culminates with the meal we are about to partake in.

The Father Sends the Son

When we hear John 3:16 we can often think of this as a verse that speaks only about the incarnation, for God so loved the world that He sent his Son to Bethlehem, to be born and live, and die for our sins. But my friends it is so much more than this. God loved the world so much that he sent his Son. Jesus is the culmination, the living reality of the love of God. He is love itself because the love of God is the act of sending the Son. Jesus is love incarnate, love eternal, love in the flesh.
Remember that the promise of salvation of John 3:16 is given to all. It is given to you, to me, to our children, to generations far after we have died, but it was also given to those prior to the incarnation. For God so loved Abraham, that he sent His Son so that the gospel might be proclaimed to Abraham and Abraham would be called righteous. God loved his world so much that long before the manger, long before the cross, God sent his son so that all those who would trust in God would believe in the gospel and be justified.
Also remember that the sending of the Son did not only occur at the incarnation but we see this first occur in Genesis 1. We are told that in the scriptures that all things were created by and for Jesus. So in the very beginning God so loved the world that He gave his Son to create all of our world. Every single atom of our creation has been formed and crafted by the Son through the will of the Father. God so loved the world that He gave his Son to create light, land, water, animals, and man himself out of the dust.
John 6:46 tells us that no one has seen the Father, they have only seen Him who is from God, that is Jesus. So when we see God come to his people in the Old Testament, we are seeing the truth of John 3:16 playing out in a glorious way. The story of scripture is one in which the appearance of God is an appearance of the Son. The Son who does the will of the Father and the will of the Father is to love the world.
The Lord appearing to Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, David, and many others are appearances of the second member of the trinity coming to express the love of God unto the world. The appearance of the Glory of God in the tabernacle an temple are manifestations of the love of God dwelling amongst his people. This is how much God loved the world.
But the climax of this love was the sending of Jesus Christ, the incarnate love of the Father, came to the world. God loved the world so much that he sent the Son to the cross to bear the wrath of sin, he sent him to hades to proclaim victory to the souls there, and then something glorious happened. The saviour rose from the grave. Death could not hold him. This Christ could bear our sins, suffer, die, and yet come back to life. And he not only did he come back to life but He ascended to the Ancient of Days to claim David’s throne, to rule and reign over all creation. This is the love that God has for the world.

Application

This is where we come to in the story. Following the life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. This is the love of God exemplified. Jesus himself is the love of God. He came into the world to demonstrate the love of God that whosoever would believe in the Son would have eternal life. This life though is not a life without substance it is a life that needs nourishing and that is how we come to the table. We come to the table to conitnue to receive the love of God. God loves us so much that he continues to feed us his love, and this is seen by the fact that we come to feast on the body and blood of Jesus himself.
This is how God shows his love to us today. By giving us his Son as a meal that gives us love and grace. Jesus himself is the love personified and together we come to together to eat of this love. Scripture tells us there is no greater love than him who gives his life for another, and Jesus gave his life for his bride. This is true love. And because of this love Jesus continues to give of himself to his bride.
So church I invite you, come and eat. Come and eat the love of God. Partake in the body and blood of our Saviour, the one who’s body was broken for you and blood was spilled to establish the new covenant. This is the highest possible form of love. The love that is spoken of in John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, and this table before us is where God is currently giving us his son. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we are brought into the presence of God to eat of the body and blood.
So come friends, come young and old, downcast and joyous, healthy and sick, doubting and assured. Come all. For the Father has loved you, yes you so much that he has given his son. To live, to die, to rise, and now to be taken in by his people. This is the love of the Father.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
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