Give Love

We (I) usually put up our Christmas tree on the day after Thanksgiving.  For me (us) Black Friday is for decorating for Christmas. This year, however, I drove to Atlanta and back on Thanksgiving Day, so Friday was a day of rest, and Saturday we watched Clemson beat the Gamecocks.  On Sunday after church, I told my husband, I guess we need to put the tree up, right?  He didn’t really answer, but I said, “Part of me doesn’t want to even up a tree this year, but if I find out I can have Christmas without a tree, then I’ll never put up another Christmas tree.”  I went upstairs for a while and when I came back down he had taken everything out of the Christmas closet, everything - even the St. Patrick’s wreath!  He just didn’t know when to stop!  Since it was out, I took the opportunity to decorate for Christmas.  And it is beautiful!  

A few years ago, I wrote a blog about how I felt when my stepdaughter introduced me as someone who did not like Christmas.  I am very much on-guard now, because I don’t want to give off that sentiment, but I do become frustrated by what I perceive as Christmas expectations.  I am committed to paying off each year’s financial damages by the end of the calendar year, as I do not want to carry debt into the new year.  I do this by paying my credit card balance down to zero, usually by Oct. 31.  Property taxes on one car are always due Nov. 30 and another Dec. 31.  For the past several years, I have had my son’s college tuition due mid-December, but this year I have two sons in college so both tuitions are due - there goes any savings!  Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not sore about these realities!  It’s a blessing to have vehicles that are in good, running order, and taxes just come with the territory.  It’s a huge blessing to have two children in college, and if I want them to return in January, their fees are due in December.  What’s left for me to give?  Love!

One often-quoted Scripture about love is John 3:16.  “For God so loved the world that He gave is one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   While we often quote this verse, do we know the context of the passage in which it is recorded?  This verse, in a red letter Bible, would appear in red letters because they are the actual words of Jesus Christ. 

In this passage, John 3:1-21, one of the Pharisee’s, Nicodemus, comes to Jesus under cover of night to have a conversation. We read in this passage how Jesus engaged Nicdemus in conversation. The backstory is that the Pharisees were against Jesus’ teachings.  The Pharisees were a part of the governing body of Jewish leaders.  They knew the 600+ laws in Torah, taught the law, and were ready to prosecute anyone who broke the law.  We read in many passages of Scripture that the Pharisees took issue with Jesus.  In Matthew 22, we read where the Pharisees tried to trick Jesus with a question.  In Matthew 23:13, Jesus called them hypocrites 7 times!  In Matthew 3:7, John the Baptist calls them a “brood of vipers,” which is an indication of their evil intentions.  Now it John 3: 1-21, one of the Pharisees, Nocodemus comes to Jesus for a conversation.

The fact that Nicodemus came at night may indicate that he was attempting to come in secret.  The fact that he came apart from any of the other Pharisees may indicate that he had questions he didn’t want the other Pharisees to hear.  It can also indicate that he was experiencing an internal struggle.  Being a Pharisee, he should have been totally against Jesus’ teachings.  Nicodemus admits that he knows Jesus has come from God, and he acknowledges that no one could perform the miracles Jeus performed apart from God - sounds like Nicodemus was beginning to doubt his own legal knowledge and beliefs.

Rather than ignore him or send him away, Jesus engaged Nicodemus in conversation.  Nicodemus asked Jesus to explain how someone could be born when they are old.  Jesus explained, but Nicodemus still did not understand.  Jesus admonished him a bit asking how he could be Israel’s teacher and not understand these things! (v.10) Jesus explained again, in a different way, that it’s impossible to understand things of the spirit when you think only in the flesh.  Jesus went on to explain that it was because of God’s love for the world that He was sent to offer eternal life to those who believe in Him. (v. 16)  Jesus challenged the beliefs and possible teachings of the Pharisees with the next statement - that He did not come to condemn people, but to save them. (v.17)  He explained that people don’t need Him to condemn them, because by default, they are already condemned.  Jesus further explains in this passage that He represents light and truth, and that people are put off by him because they love their sinful ways and don’t want to be exposed nor do they want to change.  

Jesus did not have to continue this conversation.  He could have been in his feelings and ignored the text.  He could have seen the need, but chosen to drive on past.  Jesus, both man and God, had a choice, and he chose to engage.  Jesus chose to love.  This Christmas season, while your budget may not allow you to buy a gift for everyone you know, you can still choose to love people and engage them in conversation - particularly conversations about Jesus.  So far, I have purchased only 1 Christmas gift, but I have worn Christmas attire every day of December, and plan to until Christmas Day.  And yes, it starts conversations!   Give love this Christmas, as I wrote last week, there’s great need in our community.  Spend some time volunteering with organizations that help those in need and have conversations out of your Lord for God.  Tell people why we celebrate, and it’s not because TV’s are on sale, it’s because God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.   Amen. 


Thank you for reading!
Please share with someone you know and love.
Kim
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John 3:1-21 
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

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