Untitled Sermon

Love, Without It There Is No Christmas

Love, Without It There Is No Christmas

The ring was special! It signified she belonged to the organization. As she wore it, she was aware of all it represented and of who it said she was. With it she was more conscious of how she acted.

As a follower of Jesus, YOU wear a distinguishing mark as well. Is it visible? I certainly hope so. It is a special gift that God Himself gave us – do you know what it is?

You wear His love.

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

When Jesus came to this earth, He brought a special kind of love. This love is unselfish, compassionate, unconditional. He loves us just as we are. Our condition is irrelevant to His love. It is a love that picks us up just where we are in life and carries us further than we could ever go on our own.

He gives us His love so we can give it away in the same unselfish, compassionate, unconditional way He gave it to us. He tells us this love will be our trademark. It will distinguish us as followers of Jesus.

Your actions reflect Jesus to the world around you. You can choose to offer love or to hold it back. In situations where it is hard to offer love, ask Him to give you an abundance of His own in your heart so you are able to give it away.

As you move into Christmas this week, be reminded of the distinguishing mark you carry as a follower of Jesus. Ask for His love to be evident in your words and actions as you interact with others. Seek to bring unity and balance into relationships or situations. Listen to people with sincerity and interest. Ask for a graciousness that comes from His Spirit as you mingle with those in your circle.

How many ways can you name how Love shows up in the Christmas Narratives, here are just a few?

When Mary visited Elizabeth, her baby leaped for Joy in her womb. Her child, John felt the Love of God and reacted as I’m sure we will when we meet Jesus. Mary felt the Love of motherhood but a special love for the things her Son is about to bring us. The unfathomable Love that God has for us to give his Son over to the sinners of our world. Could you or would you do that? The Love of Christ who is Love, He shared himself with us sinners, even to death on the cross. Joseph Loved Mary and didn’t want to shame her, so he was going to break their engagement but, an Angel of the Lord showed him in a dream that he was being blessed by the greatest Love the world has know and he was chosen to love and protect Mary and the Christ Child and he was given the privilege of naming him Jesus. All these are examples of God’s love. I ask you to think on these as we go to the stable again this Christmas. This Christmas especially we should bow down to the infant King and share His love to everyone we meet this year, we need His Love even more than ever now, do we not?

Wear the love of Jesus as your distinguishing mark as His follower.

Can we seriously have Christmas without LOVE? Let us see what Hope Bolinger, a righteous woman of God says -

Much of the following has been taken from an article by Hope Bolinger at Christianity.com an online resource for Christian teaching. Over the last four weeks I have been preaching about the reason for each candle. So, let us continue our lessons of Advent.

What Is the Candle of Love?

Before we dive into this, we should keep in mind, some church traditions vary on which candle goes on which Sunday. Some may light the “love candle” on the second Sunday of Advent instead of the fourth. Others have lit the candle of Peace on the fourth week of Advent instead of the candle of love.

Or, as stated in this article, some churches will light a candle of faith on the second Sunday instead of a candle of peace.

No matter what the church tradition, we can assuredly know that virtues such as love, hope, peace, joy, and faith are important in the Christmas story as well as in our daily walk with Christ. Whichever way we celebrate on whatever Sunday of Advent, we know all of them are important hallmarks of the Christian faith and journey.

With that being said, let’s discover the symbolism of the love candle. Otherwise known as the Angel candle, this candle can represent purity.

We see the other candles representing a part of the Christmas story in addition to virtues.

Week One - The prophecies about the coming Messiah Week Two - Bethlehem, Jesus’ birthplaceWeek Three - The shepherds who came to see Jesus Week Four - The angels who proclaimed the good news of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds

Love, as stated in this article, plays a vital role in the Christmas story. Because of Joseph’s love for Mary, he didn’t have her stoned when he found out she was pregnant with what he thought was a child out of wedlock with another man (Matthew 1:18-19). Mary has a natural motherly love for Jesus, and ultimately, we see God’s love for everyone by sending his son for us (John 3:16).

Jesus focused on preaching love throughout his ministry. Two of his greatest commands involve love: Love God, love your neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40).

Love is the greatest of all the virtues on the Advent wreath and encompasses Jesus’ entire purpose for being on earth (1 Corinthians 13:13).

What Does the Bible Say about Love?

Not surprisingly, the Bible has a lot to say about love.

Depending on your translation, the word appears 100-300 times throughout Scripture. It makes sense. God is love (1 John 4). They know we are Christians by our love (1 Corinthians 13:1). Love sacrificed Jesus’ son for our sins.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 alone tallies off a number of characteristics of love: 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. We cannot walk with Christ without it, and we cannot have the Christmas story without it. As Linus states in A Charlie Brown Christmas, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

Some churches, on Christmas or the Sunday after Christmas, will remove the other candles and leave the Christ candle, showing that the old has passed away and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). In other words, the law the Jews followed in the Old Testament, the sinful nature of man, all of it has passed away and Christ has brought the new covenant, a new promise of salvation.

Often, churches will make the Christ candle larger than the rest to show that Christ is the reason for the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love that we have. Jesus is the reason for the season.

What Is the Christ Candle?

In addition to the love candle, churches will light the white candle at the center of the wreath on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve.

The white tends to symbolize Christ’s purity, showing Christ’s blamelessness. We do have to keep in mind, churches can vary on candle colors, and not everyone chooses to light a white candle for Christ.

Not surprisingly, the Christ candle represents Christ and the role he plays in the Christmas story. Jesus brought light into the world through his arrival on earth as a baby.

Why Does This Matter?

We cannot be Christians without Christ and without love. Love is at the root of the whole Holy Season Love IS Christ. This is not the love we know as humans; it is God’s LOVE which passes all understanding.

Without God’s love, our works and our purpose on earth are for nothing. We need Christ and we need Christ’s love to share the Good News of salvation throughout the earth.

Christ connects all the Advent candles. Through him, we can have hope, peace, joy, and love. Without him, why have any of those things? We probably would not know any love without Him, Christ steps down into darkness to light the world (John 8:12). Because of him, we can be a light unto others, showing them the true meaning of Christmas.

Advent Wreath Prayer Week 4 — Love

Heavenly Father, the whole meaning of Christmas can be explained in one little four-letter word…LOVE. You sent your gift of pure love to us that first Christmas. Love descended from heaven to be born of a virgin. Love lay in the scratchy hay of a manger in a meager barn in Bethlehem. All your love, God, was robed in the delicate skin of a baby and wrapped in swaddling clothes. This final week of Advent helps us to reflect on the magnitude of love that was made manifest in Jesus.

You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Messiah, and Ruler of All, yet you came not as a lion but as a lamb. You came as an innocent baby whose purpose was to walk this earth in complete love and then to sacrificially give your life as an atonement for the sins of your children. Emmanuel. God with us. Love in the form of a man.

There is no greater gift than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends. You willingly gave the gift of your life because of your love. Your righteous blood covered our sin. You redeem and restore us when we confess you as Lord and Savior of our life. In that moment, you give us the gift of your love for all eternity. We receive grace upon grace and mercy upon mercy in that moment.

The greatest gift of all came that first Christmas. It wasn’t wrapped in a beautiful package and set under a decorated tree. The greatest gift came wrapped in the flesh of baby Jesus and laid in the rough wood of a manger. Our perfect gift would later be rewrapped in the scars of our sin and nailed to the rugged wood of a cross on Calvary, all because of love.

Father, this final week of Advent, fill our hearts and minds with the significance of that truth. Thank you, Lord, for loving us enough to send Jesus. In Jesus’ precious name we pray. Amen