Make Room for our Opponents

Introduction

Christmas is a season of joy, hope, and love. It’s a time when we exchange gifts as expressions of care and affection. But today, I want us to reflect on the greatest gift ever given—the gift of God’s love. John 3:16-19 takes us to the very heart of Christmas, showing us the depth of God’s love, the purpose of Christ’s coming, and the choices we must make in response.

Scripture

John 3:16–19 NLT

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

The Gift of Love

Let’s first consider the Gift of Love, specifically, its source, expression, and purpose:

The Source of the Gift: Christmas begins with God. “For God so loved…” reminds us that His love is the origin of everything we celebrate. It’s not based on our worthiness but on His character. God’s love is infinite, unconditional, and all-encompassing. It knows no bounds, is given freely, and for all who will accept it. So the source is God!

The Expression of the Gift: God gave His Son. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, entered our broken world as a baby in Bethlehem. This giving wasn’t just a sentimental act; it was a sacrificial one. Christ came knowing He would bear the weight of our sin on the cross. As we unpack scripture this morning, we will understand that this sacrifice was for an obstinate people who were responding poorly to God, for a people who would continue to try His patience over and over and over.

The Purpose of the Gift: The purpose of the gift is restoration and eternal life. The gift of Jesus isn’t temporary like earthly presents. It offers eternal hope to all who believe. Salvation isn’t limited by nationality, background, or past sins. It’s a gift for whoever believes.

The Purpose of Christmas

A Mission of Rescue: Jesus didn’t come to judge but to rescue us from sin and death. The Christmas story—the manger, the angels, the shepherds—is a rescue mission unfolding. It really is! A pivotal moment moving from despair to hope can be seen in Luke 1:28 “Gabriel appeared to Mary and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!””

Why is this a pivotal moment? For two reasons:

First Reason

The first thing that I want us to review is the fact that Mary is highly favored. You should know that Mary isn’t exceptional by the standards that are often applied. She isn’t a princess sitting in a palace somewhere, nor did she just end a 21-month “Eras Tour” like Taylor Swift who is so wildly popular. She isn’t dating anyone of exceptional note. In fact, she’s just a kid in a normal family betrothed to a young carpenter. Yet, here she is, standing in the presence of the mighty Angel, Gabriel, who was sent by God to tell her that she is highly favored.

Isn’t that something! If others would have known and could have resisted the initial judgmental tendencies that we humans always seem to apply, the rest of the world would have been looking at her in amazement wondering why God favors this unexceptional girl, and it would have been a fair curiosity.

We should get that though, shouldn’t we, because we too, you and me, are looked upon in amazement because we are highly favored. 1 Peter 1:12 talks about God’s plan of salvation for mankind and says that the angels long to look into this. After all, God’s plan is impressively amazing, but it is for such a weak and obstinate people. Favor shown for such irremarkable beings is peculiar. Yet, here we are, looking with awe at God’s amazing favor for Mary while often struggling to acknowledge our own, and certainly that of others.

How beautiful it is to see of Mary, and then to realize of ourselves, not that we should become puffed up with pride because, like Mary, this is an unwarranted favor; we’ve done nothing to earn it. No, this is simply an outpouring of unwarranted love. Like Mary who responded with “I am The Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled”, I pray that we receive His favor with equal humility.

Second Reason

Next, the angel Gabriel said to Mary “The Lord is with you”. This moment is not only profound for Mary, but for all of Israel. Four centuries earlier, Israel had broken the Mosaic covenant with God, an agreement that bound their relationship. They began worshipping other “gods”, and in response, God removed His protective presence, allowing them to become the recipients of defeat and destruction at the hand of the Babylonians. What else was He to do? They suddenly want a polyamorous lifestyle and He had already told them at the beginning of their relationship about His jealous tendencies.

So God forewarns them through the prophets that He was leaving and they would suffer as a result, but because of His love for them as well as promises made to their forefathers, He promised that a savior would come. Jeremiah 33:6 says that through this savior God will give health, healing, peace and security.

The city of Jerusalem ended up being decimated by the Babylonians, and its people taken captive for the next 70 years. They were then allowed to return to Israel but entered into a time of great strife for a period of about 400 years all the while looking and praying for their promised savior. This period was known as the “silent years” because God did not raise up another prophet to speak on His behalf.

How painful must this period have felt. I’ve never been abandoned by God but have had moments where I felt like I had. I’m sure you have as well. But here we are today, hearing Gabriel say to Mary “The Lord is with you”. Like the still small voice of God whispering to Elijah through the thunders of calamity, His presence re-emerges in an equally subtle way, an unborn baby in an unassuming, simple, yet faithful girl.

But what’s really happening as we picture the associated imagery, is that after 400 years of silence and seeming abandonment, the promise is being fulfilled. The kingdom of heaven is bursting onto the scene. For inside Mary’s womb is a tiny portal to the Throne of God. Soon, with the birth of Jesus, God will have stepped through to begin showing the people of earth what the ethical rule of heaven looks like, a rule of love and justice that can be seen as Jesus cares for the poor, heals the sick, liberates the captive, and restores hope to the hopeless. And in our time, His presence continues to advance as His Holy Spirt indwells the believer allowing a relationship with God more intimate than ever known before.

A God of Compassion: Sadly, our response to a faithful God was unfaithfulness. God would have been justified in our absolute destruction, or at least the eternal withdraw of His favor. Yet, even in a world filled with guilt, shame, and brokenness, God’s purpose is to restore. Through Christ, He offers a way out of spiritual darkness into His marvelous light.

The Reality of Light and Darkness

[Key Josh]

The Light of Christ: Jesus is the Light of the World, shining truth and grace into our lives. His birth marked the breaking of spiritual darkness.

The Choice We Face: This passage highlights a sobering truth. While the gift of salvation is freely offered, not everyone accepts it. Some cling to darkness, rejecting the Light. Christmas challenges us to respond to the Light of Christ—will we accept Him or turn away?

The Urgency of Belief: To reject the Light is to remain in condemnation. This isn’t God’s desire, but a consequence of unbelief. The good news of Christmas is that anyone who believes in Jesus can step into forgiveness, hope, and life everlasting.

Application

1.    Receive the Gift: Have you accepted God’s gift of love through faith in Jesus Christ? Christmas is the perfect time to turn your heart toward Him.

2.    Reflect the Light: If you’ve received the gift, how are you reflecting Christ’s light to others? The world is full of people still walking in darkness. Share the hope of Jesus this Christmas.

3.    Rejoice in God’s Love: Amid the busyness of the season, pause to worship and give thanks for the indescribable gift of God’s love

Conclusion

John 3:16-19 reminds us that Christmas is more than a celebration—it’s an invitation to a restored relationship for all eternity. And just as God freely offered a cup of restoration and eternal salvation to an undeserving people, we have to acknowledge and accept that those who we may revile are invited to sip from it as well. How do we appropriately respond to that?

God’s love moved Him to give His only Son so that we might have life. This Christmas, let us not only marvel at the story of Christ’s birth but also respond to the Light that has come into the world. May we receive, rejoice, and reflect the gift of God’s love this season, not only to those we care for, but also to those with whom we struggle. May God’s compassion compel us to be compassionate as well. Let’s pray!