The Motive of Christmas

John 3:16, NIV

For God so loved [emphasis mine] the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The motive of Christmas was love. 

God loves you. 

I don’t know how old you are reading this today, but there is never an age in our lives when this ceases to be one of the most vital truths—if not the most vital truth—of our lives. 

The purpose of the birth of Christ was multi-faceted, but the motive was love.

Love for you. 

Love for me.

Love for the ones yet to encounter Jesus.

Love for the ones who have gone astray. 

Love for the co-worker or family member who is difficult to love.

Love for the broken.

Love for the hurting.

Love for the world.

Maybe today you’re well aware of God’s love at a deeply personal level. If that’s you, then praise the Lord—it’s such a process for many to truly receive the gift of God's love at a deeply personal level.

Or maybe you believe God loves you, but you’re struggling to feel it today. Maybe you’ve gotten stuck somewhere in the hamster wheel of doing—and somewhere along the way you’ve adopted the feeling that God’s love depends on your righteousness or on what you do for Him.

Or, maybe neither of the above are true for you. Maybe you once believed in a loving God, but the circumstances of your life have left you doubting.

Wherever you are this Christmas, I pray that you have a personal encounter with God’s high and long and wide and deep love for you (Ephesians 3:18). 

As we prepare our hearts this month to celebrate the birth of our Savior, may we remember that Jesus was God's gift of love to us, and let’s posture our hearts to receive that gift—let’s posture our hearts to love and to be loved.