Exposition:
Another lesson we can pick from this popular text as lesson for our devotion today is God’s love for humanity. His love for us is not discriminatory. It is tangible. It is infectious! God so loved the world (sinners) that He gave us Jesus to deliver us from sin. He hates sin yet He loves sinners. The “gift” called Christ Jesus is the expression of the love of God to us. Sinners could feel and tell God’s love because He gave us Christ.
The quality of this gift also tell of the depth of His love. Giving is a great indicator of love (John 3:16) and God did show the world love by expressly giving us an indescribable gift – our Lord Jesus Christ. Love is God’s nature. The Bible states “God is love” (1John 4:16).
The love of Christ is a central element of our Christian faith. The very thing that moved God and drove the Son of God to pay the penalty of sin for humanity was nothing but unconditional love. You know the depth of one’s love for another by what it cost him. It cost Christ His life to save humankind! This assures us of His deeper love.
Again, we know the depth of one’s love for us by how little we deserve it. Christ loved us even when we have offended, shunned and despised him. The more undeserving we are, the more amazing and deep His love for us.
Lastly, we know the depth of Christ love for us by the greatness of the benefits we receive in being love. The benefits of His love for us are enormous. But this stands out. If we are rescued from eternal torment and given a place in the presence of God with fullness of joy in our hearts, we know the depth of His love that surpasses all others. Christmas is a season of giving; a time to also show the world the love of Christ. God giving us His Son did not begin at Calvary where he died but at Bethlehem where he was born. The love of the Son of God is infectious. It was seen in every facet of His life on earth.