The Gift of Love | Sunday, December 11, 2022

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become like a sounding brass or clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. (1 Corinthians 13)

Love is a good gift from God, demonstrated supremely in the coming of Christ—given for our joy, for His glory, and to be shared with others.

The Gift-Giving God

If you have ever been to a wedding, you have likely heard those words from 1 Corinthians 13, commonly referred to as the love chapter. Today, as part of our Advent series approaching Christmas, we are talking about love.

I don't think there's a single person who doesn't love receiving and giving gifts. For most children—my kids included—the gifts are the best part of Christmas. But as you get older, you discover that Jesus's words are true: it is more blessed to give than to receive. I think we love to give gifts because God, the Creator who made you in His image, is the gift-giving God. God loves to give gifts.

In this series we are talking about some of the gifts God has given us. Those good gifts from our good God have been given for our enjoyment, and as we enjoy them, joy abounds to the praise and glory of God. By those same gifts, we are able to be a blessing to others. God has blessed me and blessed you to be a blessing. Some of these gifts are general, shared by all of us; some are more specific to each one of us. He wants us to enjoy them, to use them for the praise of His grace, and to steward them as a blessing to others.

To say it plainly: love is a good gift from God, demonstrated and given to us for our joy and enjoyment, for the praise of the glory of God's grace, and for the blessing of others.

What Is Love? The Failure of Science

But before we get to that point, I want to back up. We live in a culture that is scientifically reductionistic, focused on natural causes for virtually everything. We like to break everything down to its basic constituent parts and explain it. So when it comes to love, we tend to reduce the whole thing to its biochemical mechanics.

You've probably heard that song from the early '90s asking, "What is love?" Science tries to answer, but the answer leaves something to be desired. According to science, love breaks down into three categories, each characterized by its own hormones. First is lust, characterized by testosterone in males and estrogen in females. Then comes attraction, characterized hormonally by dopamine and serotonin. From attraction we move to attachment, characterized by oxytocin and vasopressin. In our reductionistic society, the answer to "What is love?" is just a biochemical interaction and our brain's response to it. And that is not a good answer.

We all know that is not a sufficient explanation. But here's the problem: love is not easily defined or explained. Science has a difficult time with it. It's similar to a Supreme Court case from the 1960s dealing with lewdness and pornography. Justice Potter Stewart famously wrote that such obscenity is difficult to perfectly define, "but I know it when I see it." Love is the same. We may not be able to perfectly describe it, but we know it when we experience it.

Three Kinds of Love in the Bible

The Bible, somewhat like science, also speaks about love in three categories. First is lust, using the Greek words epithymia or eros—where we get the idea of erotic or romantic love, a longing and desire for someone. Second is affection, using phileo, brotherly love or kindness, and storge, the affection felt within a family. Third is devotion, the Greek word agape, sometimes translated as charity—a sacrificial, devoted love.

You're probably not a Greek scholar, and neither am I, but it's helpful that the language of the New Testament has multiple words for love, because English is deficient here. We say, "I love my dog," "I love Chick-fil-A," and then "I love my wife" and "I love my children." We intuitively mean different things, but the language doesn't make it clear. You would hope my love for my wife is greater than my love for Chick-fil-A, but you can't tell from the English word alone.

If you want more on this, C.S. Lewis wrote a great book on this exact subject called The Four Loves. He writes that without eros, none of us would have been conceived; without affection—phileo and storge within a family—none of us would have been reared. And though it's probably not the smartest thing to add to C.S. Lewis, I'll do it anyway: without agape, that deep sacrificial devotion, all of us would be damned.

Love Is Essential for Life

The gift of love is essential for life. This is true from the initial act of creation—God created all things because of love—and it's true for every act of procreation that follows. We even call it "making love," and the true fruit of making love is children. There is no life without love, and it is just as valid to say there is no life without God. Both statements are true, because, as the Apostle John observes in 1 John 4, God is love.

Christmas: The Demonstration of God's Love

Christmas is an annual reminder—as is Easter—of God's great love. The celebration of Christmas is the celebration of the Incarnation, God coming into the world 2,000 years ago as a little baby born in Bethlehem. He did so because of love. Why did Jesus come into the world?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

A very similar verse appears in 1 John 4:

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

That cheesy song asked, "What is love?" Our culture and science may not be able to define it, but love is most clearly pictured and demonstrated in Christmas and the Easter that follows—in the coming of Christ and in the crucifixion of Christ. The gift of love shines in the Incarnation, and Christmas is all about the Incarnation.

When we think of God's love demonstrated, we typically think of the death of Christ on the cross, and Paul does express that in Romans. But there is no cross on Good Friday and no Resurrection on Easter without the Incarnation at Christmas. God demonstrates His love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us—and that love started when Jesus came into this world. As Philippians 2 says, He made Himself of no reputation, took on the form of a servant, came in the likeness of men, and humbled Himself. All of that is an expression of God's love for us.

Jesus Is the Reason for the Season

Many Christians struggle with the Christmas season because of its commercialization and distractions. I understand that concern. My wife and I both love the animated classic A Charlie Brown Christmas. What was Charlie Brown's problem with Christmas? The distraction of commercialization—and it's far worse today than when that special aired in the early 1960s. At the climax, Charlie Brown cries out, "Does anyone know what Christmas is all about?"

A lot of attachments have been added to Christmas, and they can distract from the real point. But amid all the joy and celebration, we need to remind people that this holiday is all about the love of God expressed in the gift of Jesus Christ coming into the world. The gift of love is Christ Jesus. He is the reason for the season. It's cliché, but I don't mind, because that means it's stuck in our cultural consciousness—and I hope it never goes away. We need to be those who remind people as often as we can that Jesus is the reason for this season, which points to the love of God, because Jesus is the love of God coming into this world.

Joy to the World: The Light in Isaiah 9

Jesus is God's gift of love, given for our joy, that we would enjoy and rejoice in Him. That's why we sing, "Joy to the world, the Lord has come; let earth receive her King." His coming is the advent of love and the advent of joy. We see this in one of the classic Christmas passages, Isaiah 9.

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed... The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.

Isaiah is writing to Israel before a distressing, dark time of oppression from their enemies. He promises that a great light will shine into the darkness, in the region of Galilee, hundreds of years before Jesus comes.

You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; they rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You have broken the yoke of his burden... as in the day of Midian.

Even though Israel will go through a dark and gloomy time, they will experience great joy—joy like bringing in a harvest, joy like winning a great victory. And then he tells us the source:

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end... The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

The source of this light and joy is a Child born, a Son given, a King who will have an everlasting reign. Jesus is the light that shines to those in darkness. He brings joy greater than any harvest, any bonus check, any victory in any battle. This is why the message of Jesus is called the gospel—good news. His coming means great joy and the endless reign of a righteous King. He is the Incarnation of love that brings great joy.

Love That Must Be Shared

This gift of love is meant to be enjoyed by us and to bring glory to God's grace—but it is also meant to be shared. Returning to 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says we can have and give every possible earthly gift, but if we do not have and give the most important gift, love, then all those other gifts are pointless.

This Christmas you may have many gifts under the tree for your kids, your spouse, your family and friends. But if you do not have the love of God in the form of Jesus Christ—the incarnate love of God—or if you have it and don't give it out to others, then you are missing the point of this awesome holiday. The gift of God's love in Christ is meant to be shared with all people. That's what God was doing when He came into this world 2,000 years ago, which we commemorate when we partake of communion.

Communion: Remembering His Love

The ultimate culmination of God's love demonstrated would come decades after Jesus was born in Bethlehem—on the cross. His advent is the advent of love. One way we remember what He did is by doing what Jesus encouraged His followers to do: partake of communion.

If you're watching online and don't have the elements with you, you can pause and grab them, or partake later in the week. Communion is an opportunity to remember God's love in sending His Son at Christmas, to die for us on Good Friday and to rise from the dead on Easter Sunday—all these things go together. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

So take the bread and the cup, and remember His body that was broken for you and His blood that was poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. None of that could have happened had He not come at Christmas. The demonstration of love at Easter started with the Incarnation of love at Christmas. His coming into the world is the gift of love that brings life—eternal life.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the life that we receive from You because of Your love. Because You loved us so much, You have given us life, and You desire that we would experience life forever and ever. We thank You for revealing that to us and reminding us of it this season. I pray that we who already know this, who are already believers in You and know the Scriptures, would share it with our family members, friends, and brothers and sisters. As we give and receive gifts this Christmas, may we give the most important gift, because though we have all kinds of gifts in this world, if we have not love, we are nothing—and if we do not share this love, we miss the entire focus of this holiday. God, help us to be those who give and extend Your love in the form of Your grace to other people. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.