John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Love is often spoken of as a feeling, something warm and internal. Scripture, however, consistently portrays love as something God does. John 3:16 does not begin with how God felt about the world, but with what God gave. God’s love moves outward. It crosses distance. It comes near.
Advent reminds us that divine love is not abstract or sentimental. God did not love the world from afar; he entered it. He took on flesh, vulnerability, and limitation. In Jesus, love is no longer an idea but a person who can be touched, rejected, and ultimately crucified. This is the kind of love that risks itself for the sake of the beloved.
As we approach Christmas, it is tempting to reduce love to kindness, generosity, or good intentions. While these matter, Advent calls us deeper. Love is costly. It requires giving something real: time, attention, comfort, pride, or resources. God’s love for the world was not efficient or safe; it was sacrificial.
This season invites us to ask hard but honest questions. Where is love calling me to move closer rather than withdraw? Love, as revealed in Christ, is not compelled by worthiness but by grace. Jesus came not because the world was lovable, but because God is love.
As we wait for Christmas Day, let us receive again the truth that we are loved not at our best but in our need.
Having received that love, may we allow it to take shape in how we give ourselves to others.