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Devotional 12.19.2025


Fourth Sunday of Advent — Love Revealed

 

1 John 4:9–10

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

 

Scripture Reading – John 1:1-5

Love is not an idea God explained; it is a Person God revealed. “God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” Advent draws our eyes to the astonishing truth that God’s love did not remain distant or theoretical. It took on flesh and entered the darkness of our world. John’s Gospel echoes this truth as it opens with a cosmic declaration: “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). The eternal Word—fully God, Creator of all things—did not remain removed from human suffering. Instead, the Light stepped into the darkness, not to condemn it, but to overcome it. God’s love is revealed not in our ability to reach Him, but in His decision to come to us.

1 John reminds us that love begins with God’s initiative. “Not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). At Christmas, we celebrate more than a birth—we celebrate the miracle that God’s love moved toward us when we could not move toward Him. Advent love is sacrificial, initiating, and transforming. It invites us not only to receive that love, but to reflect it as people shaped by the Light.

These songs teach us that love is revealed not through power, but through humble presence. Here I Am to Worshipreminds us that Christ stepped into the darkness so we could see the light and respond in surrender. O Little Town of Bethlehem points to the quiet miracle of God’s love entering the world unnoticed yet unstoppable. Grace declares that this love meets us in our brokenness, offering mercy we did not earn. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus anchors our hope in the promise that God’s long-awaited love has arrived to redeem and restore.

Further reading: Romans 5:6–8; Isaiah 9:2–7;  John 3:16–21

 

Reflection Questions:

1.     How does understanding God’s love as something He initiated change the way you view Christmas?

2.     Where might God be inviting you to reflect His sacrificial love to others this Advent season?

 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Your heart by sending Your Son into the world. When I was unable to reach You, You came near to me. Help me to receive Your love more deeply this Advent and allow it to shape how I live, speak, and serve. May Your light overcome the darkness in my heart, and may Your love flow through me to others. Amen.

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