Advent 2017: The Greatest of These

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Love. This seems to be the overwhelming thought I am having as we begin this Advent season. The amazing love God must have for us as we prepare to celebrate the birth of His only child and our Savior. The love I have for our Father and for Christ because I was chosen by them to part of His family. The love I have for my family and for my church family. The love I have for my own children as they grow and come to understand what Christ means for them, too.

I have often thought that God called Jesus His Son so we could more easily understand the relationship between them. Jesus, His son and only child. God the Father. God our Father, too. The unconditional love of a parent for their child. I first came to understand unconditional love with the birth of my own children. I cried at the birth of all of my kids and felt love I never had known before or since. Amazing love!

With this celebration of the Messiah’s birth, we see the amazing love shown for us by God our Father. God loving us so unconditionally that He sent His only child here to our mess when we needed Him most. With Him came—amongst other things—hope, joy, peace, and I believe most of all love. An unconditional love so amazing that not only was Christ sent to our mess, He was sent to pay the price for our mess. A price I sure could have never paid. A debt paid so we could all join the family.

An amazing love that allowed His Son to die for me? WOW. This is a love beyond comprehension for me. I love a lot of people, but I don’t believe I can think of a single one who I would allow any of my children to pay that kind of price for.

This is truly unconditional, amazing love.

Recently my family, and church family, too, happily celebrated the re-birth if you will of my daughter Abby. What a special, special day! The unconditional love I felt for her as she stood before all of us and claimed to the world that she now belonged in Christ’s family, too. Amazing love.

Just for the record, I cried at this birth as well.

What an amazing season, and what an amazing love! The hope, joy, and peace I have because of this unconditional, amazing love. The unconditional love of our Father for his Son Jesus and the rest of his children too. What a love.

Amazing love, indeed!

Jeff is a father of five and husband to one. He loves his family, loves his church, and loves his motorcycle and not necessarily in that order.