The Sacrificial Love of Jesus

Merry Christmas, friends! 

I’m sure you’ve been hearing the Christmas story a lot lately. 

People talk about Jesus coming to the earth as a little baby, being welcomed by some animals and shepherds and a giant star that announced His coming to those far and near. 

But lately when I think of this story, something that comes to mind is sacrifice.

Because Jesus knew that many wouldn’t believe Him. 

He knew that the hearts of the people He was trying to reach were fickle and hard.

He knew that the people He was suffering to save would put Him to death.

But still He came. That the King and God of all things would come for people—many of which would hate and hurt Him—is mind blowing. 

I was recently listening to some Hebrew worship music, and the lines in one song struck me as so profound. Translated, it said, “How much love, how much patience, that the King of the World will wait for us. How much humility, how much gentleness, that the King of Glory is waiting for us.” 

He’s God—He doesn’t have to wait for us. But He does anyway. Because He adores you, He did His part so that you could be in relationship with Him. And now He’s waiting for you… waiting for you to step into that relationship with Him. 

Jesus came to this earth intent on one thing—doing His Father’s will by destroying the works of the devil and giving people life (John 5:19, 1 John 3:8). This kind of love is so mind blowing, so I’d like to share a few of my favorite verses about God’s love. 

• Romans 8:38-39 

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• 1 John 4:15-19 

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.

• John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

• Psalm 147:3

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

I’m going to keep this short—I know that Christmas is a very busy + full thing for a lot of people. I just want to remind you of this: you are loved. 

Regardless of what it looks like. 

Regardless of what it feels like. 

Whether or not you’ve been hurt, betrayed, or treated unjustly. 

Jesus made His sacrifice with you in mind. He is waiting for you to come to Him with your sorrows and pains and brokenness so that He can hold you close to Himself and heal you. 

You are so loved.