Session Two: Love God

What comes to mind when you think of the love of God?

How have you experienced God’s love?

What questions do you have about God’s love?

We will be taking a look at the Trinity this week and use it as an example of the love relationship we should have with God and each other.

John 1:1–10 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.

In this part of the Bible at the beginning of John we can see Jesus being called another name, the Word. By this we can see Jesus was with God from the beginning. We also see that all things were made through him, the Word. The Word would eventually become flesh and live among us even though His creation wouldn’t recognize Him.

The only part of the Trinity missing in these verses is the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 3:13–17 ESV

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

How do you recognize the involvement of each of the three persons of the Trinity within this passage?

Jesus was the one being baptised. The Spirit of God - the Holy Spirit - came down in the form of a dove. God spoke from heaven.

How is your love of God increased when you consider how much greater He is than you and how graceful He is to love you in spite of your weaknesses?

To know a being like God who knows all and sees all, still loves me enough to send His Son to come to earth to be the sacrifice for my sins is beyond belief. Also to realize He knows I am going to sin before I do, He knows the mistakes I’m going to make, yet He loves me and forgives me for those weaknesses. How do we comprehend this? We should express it through showing our love for Him in daily personal worship, corporate worship, and living our lives to serve Him as best we can.

John 1:11–14 ESV

11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

As we read this section of scripture, we see Jesus own people didn’t recognize Him. However, this didn’t stop Him from doing what He came to earth to do. For those who did accept who He was, they became children of God.

How did Jesus make His love known to you?

What was the deciding point in your life that caused you to become a Christian?

Let’s look at John 1:14 again

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This verse gives us a very good picture of the love God has for us. God not only sent His Son, but His Son - the Living Word - dwelt among us. He did this even though there were many who didn’t want to recognize who He was.

Why would Jesus come and live among a people who were not interested in loving Him in return?

How should this shape the way we live?

John 3:10–21 ESV

10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

In this section of John, Jesus has been talking with Nicodemus. N was wanting to focus on the laws people needed to follow in order to be true followers of God. He believed the only way to show devotion to God was to follow these rules and laws.

Jesus on the other hand was wanting to show N the love God had for him as well as everyone.

How do you think you would have responded if you had been Nicodemus?

I think I would’ve thought my world had been turned upside down. He had been taught by this teachers and mentors to follow the laws. He was probably told how low he was when he messed up. Now to be told the laws didn’t matter as much as your relationship with God would’ve probably rocked my world.

How differently might your evangelistic conversations go if you focused more on God’s love and less on law and rules?

We need to stress to people, getting their lives in order isn’t what they need to do before they come to Christ. We need to focus on their need, not their mistakes. Everyone who doesn’t have Christ as their Lord and Savior needs Him. It doesn’t matter their background. We also need to realize there are a lot of people who will do some things to make them look good to us, but we need to look at the fruit they are producing throughout their lives.

Questions to think about

Read John 3:16-21 every day this week and reflect on the love God has shown you through Jesus.

The love of God in Christ impacts our relationships within the church. Who is one person in our church you will reach out to and encourage this week?

Jesus knew that He had to die for the world to be saved. Do you have a friend, relative, or neighbor who needs to know that Jesus loved them enough to die? Say their name and pray for them every day this week.