God’s Love Through Jesus: An Advent Reflection on John 3:16

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NLT)

How Do We Know We Are Truly Loved?

How do we know we are truly loved—by words that are spoken, or by love that is shown?For me, it is love that is shown.

And no greater love has ever been shown than this:

God sent Jesus into our world—smack dab into the middle of our sin. He quietly entered a dark world, separated from God not by distance but by sin—a world perishing without Him.

Death Was Never God’s Design

But death was never God’s plan for His creation. Eternal separation was never His design. And as my two-week-old grandson lies in an ICU crib with a blood clot on his brain, uncertainty hanging heavy in the air, I am so thankful for that truth.

It is the love God has given to this world—to you and to me—that is holding me together right now, because it was not given lightly; it was given at the cost of His own Son. A love that deep can be trusted in my deepest fears.

Situations like what my family is currently experiencing have a way of stripping life down to what matters most. Likewise, John 3:16 strips the Advent message of love down to its very heart.

When God’s Love Came Near

When God entered our world as Jesus Christ, He came near to us—and He remains near. He came near because of His great love, and that same love keeps Him near still.

God didn’t merely tell us about His great love—He showed it by giving us His very own Son. By stepping into our world, He brought a hope that did not exist before Him and cannot exist apart from Him.

Love Came Near — Will You Draw Near?

God’s love for the world—His creation—and His giving of Jesus Christ isn’t just a beautiful love story; it is a declaration that our Creator God—the God we sinned against—is also our Savior.

Friend, this Advent, let us never forget that God so loved the world—and He showed the world His love.

His love is near.

It is eternal.

It brings hope.

That love is near to my grandson, and it is near to you as well—no matter what you may be walking through.

God's love has drawn near.

Are you drawing near to it?