This Christmas, what are you expecting? What do you want out of Christmas this year? Of this past year, what is one thing you have learned? One thing I have learned is to love and love with the overflow of God’s love. Matthew 22:35-44 says this, “And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” While the Pharisees were together, Jesus questioned them, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose Son is He?” “David’s,” they told Him. He asked them, “How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls Him ‘Lord’: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet’?
Two commands wrap the ten commandments up in this Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Then love others as you love yourself. This is God’s hope for you, me, families, humanity, and the whole world is that we hang onto love. The Greek word for “hang on” means to suspend. A few suspending meanings are hanging by attachment to something above: to suspend a chandelier from the ceiling; To attach to allow free movement: to suspend a door on a hinge; To keep from falling, sinking, forming a deposit, etc., as if by hanging, suspend solid particles in a liquid; To hold or keep undetermined; refrain from forming or concluding definitely: to suspend one’s judgment.
Now let’s look at Jesus and Him hanging on the cross. He was born to show His love for us. He rescued us by dying on the cross for us. His destination was the cross, not the throne of the Roman Empire like the Jews thought. Instead, God reaches out to us by sending His Son in our place. He gives us a way out of our bondage of sin and offers us freedom. This is love. This is God’s love for us.
Do you have an area in your life where you feel unloving? Relationships strained? Our Redeemer can do the deep work within you that only He can.
God’s love is simple. All we have to do is love God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. All we have to do is be obedient. We can be obedient because of our love for Him. Today, Drink in His love for you.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your love. Thank you for the simplicity of it all. I pray that we will love you and follow you. Thank you for sending your son to earth to be with us.
In Jesus Name
Amen
