Christmas Family Devotional Guide

The Fourth Sunday of Advent: Love

The world was filled with sin and death. All mankind was separated from God. God had created the world to love Him and give Him glory. Jesus was there at the creation (John 1, and Col. 1:15-17) and this world was created for Him. Jesus is the King of creation and I can only imagine what our great King thought when He looked down, on murder, hate, anger, immorality, war, selfishness and the worship of anything but the one true God. Jesus would have been just to come and pronounce judgment and sentence every person.

Meanwhile, the small portion of mankind who did seek God thought that there had to be some way to get God to notice them. If they could just do enough, then maybe God would notice them and allow them into His presence. But man did not understand how holy God is and how serious He takes sin. There is only one outcome for sin, death! Mankind did not even realize that all were already spiritually dead. There was no way for mankind to have life. Jesus was going to come and bring judgment and give the death penalty. It had to be paid.

The King came, but in a manger? As a baby? To poor parents? In a small town? Why? The answer to these questions can be summed up in one word, “LOVE”. God is love! It is His very nature. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God became incarnate and dwelt among us. Because of the love of God, there was not judgment, but grace. Because God loved us so much (that I cannot even start to understand this level of love) Jesus came as a baby, a slave, a lamb, and our Savior.

While mankind was in sin and rebellion, while all people were enemies of God, God’s love was so great that He became man and dwelt amongst us. Even though the world rejected Him, the Messiah still died so that we could find forgiveness and peace through Him. That is love!!!

Mankind still has to depend solely upon the love and grace of God. This Christmas, remember the love that was poured out upon us even while we were enemies of God. Praise God for the gift of His love, the greatest gift ever given.
Also reflect upon the fact that we are now to show Christ’s love to a world that is still in darkness. “We love because He first loved us.”

(Light the first two purple candles and the pink candle.)
Now light the last purple candle and say, “I light this candle on the Fourth Sunday of Advent to remind us of the great love that God has for us. This love candle also reminds us that we must show the love of Jesus Christ to a lost world.”

Read Luke 2:1-20 & 1 John 4:7-12, 19.

Light the white candle in the middle of your wreath. Explain to your family that this is the Christ candle. It represents the light that Jesus has brought into a dark and lost world. ( If it is night, turn off all the lights and show how Jesus brought light to a dark world).