God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loves us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10 CSB)
One of the questions that people struggle with at times is whether they are truly loved. Does anyone really love me? Does God even love me? Often these questions or doubts arise because of the difficult circumstances we encounter, usually things that are outside of our control.
In these verses, however, we find some incredibly good news. God’s love has been revealed to us. God has clearly put His love on display.
How did God show us His love? God sent his one and only Son into the world. The appearance of Jesus was the clearest statement of God’s love for us. God the Father sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ into the world, because of His love for us!
These verses also tell us God’s purpose in sending Jesus into the world. God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him.
The reality for every person apart from Jesus is spiritual death. Our sins have separated us from God forever. But the great news of God’s love for us is that God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him.
Elsewhere John wrote: The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12)
How did God accomplish this? How did He actually make this happen? John tells us that God sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
The phrase atoning sacrifice is translated in other versions as propitiation or a sacrifice to take away your sins. It’s referring to the means of forgiveness.
Here’s the incredibly good news about Jesus. God, out of His great love for us, send His only and only Son Jesus Christ to be the atoning sacrifice. Jesus was born so that He could die. He was born that He could go to the Cross and make a once for all atoning sacrifice for us. As a result, we are now forgiven of our sins, through faith in His death, burial, and resurrection.
As we celebrate Christmas, I encourage you to see the connection between Christmas and Easter. The connection between the manger and the Cross.
Jesus didn’t just come to bring us a bunch of great teachings on how to live. He didn’t come to simply be an example of love and of sacrifice for us to follow. Jesus entered the world to live the life we could not live, perfectly obeying God, and then dying the death that we deserved. Why? So that we could experience redemption. He came to be the atoning sacrifice, the propitiation of our sins, so that we could be forgiven. So that we could have life through Him!
Amid the busyness of this season, I encourage you to take some time to stop and ponder Jesus. Think about God’s love in sending His one and only Son into the world. Invite God to give you fresh eyes and perspective on the revelation of His love for you through Jesus. It’s a prayer that God will no doubt answer!
