Jesus, Our Love

Jesus, Our Love

Read: John 6:35-40

“I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.”

John 6:38

“Love came down at Christmas.”

—Christina G. Rossetti

IN WORD Why did Jesus come? Why did the Creator decide to clothe Himself in creation and enter this world through a young girl late one night in the company of livestock? We know the answer, of course. The Bible is very clear: Jesus came to save us. But His incisive declaration in John 6:38 should tell us something about the will of God: It is good. Jesus defines it for us: “This is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day” (v. 39).

For everyone who has ever wondered how God sees him or her; for everyone who has ever doubted God’s love when a prayer has gone unanswered or a life has become broken; for everyone who has cried out to God, “Are You there?” or “Do You care?” Jesus has this answer: He has come to do God’s will, and His will is very, very good.

The goodwill of God is a natural, theological belief for those who hold to 1 John 4:8—“God is love.” But as a practical belief, we often fall far short of affirming this. Causing us to doubt God’s love is one of the enemy’s most frequent points of attack and one of the flesh’s most devastating points of corruption. In fact, everything but the Bible itself sometimes seems arrayed against this belief: circumstances, moods, relationships, and the harsh words and deeds of other people. Nevertheless, it is true. Hold out for it. The Bible promises that if we will only believe, God’s will toward us is a cause for celebration, not despair.

IN DEED Jesus came into this world as an act of divine love, not vengeance. When we’re suspicious of His agenda, we need to remember: There is nothing of judgment in His work until He comes again. So relax. We need no clearer illustration. He is here by God’s will, and it is God’s will and great pleasure to love us.