Song: Praise Him, Praise Him
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, Our blessed Redeemer! - YouTube
Reading: Psalm 13, verses 13 to 18
Song: How firm a foundation
How Firm A Foundation with Lyrics by Grace Community Church - YouTube
Reading: First letter of John, chapter 2, verse 28 to chapter 3, verse 10
Song: Loved with everlasting love
Loved With Everlasting Love - YouTube
First letter of John, Chapter 3, verse 1 says:
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (New international version)
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (New King James version)
See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (Amplified Bible)
If you have ever seen the film “King Kong” (1933) you may remember that a group of explorers went to Skull Island. Not wanting to spend too long in description, it was no place to take a holiday! They discover many marvellous things, including Kong.
He is brought back to America and put on display before a crowded theatre. The compère announces, “Behold Kong! The eighth wonder of the world!” Kong is disturbed, and breaks free from his chains, escaping and rampaging across New York.
In the verse from our reading, the writer says “Behold”, This means much more than “See”, it means “Gaze upon”, or “Take it in”. Isaiah and John the Baptist both use the word. With the implication that they are talking about something spectacular, a Holy God. A Holy God who is making known to his people the way of salvation.
The letter was probably written to counter a false teaching, prevalent at the time. The teaching was known as gnosticism. This preached the existence of an elite, who which people (men) could be promoted by learning certain knowledge. Part of their teaching was to devalue the deity of Christ.
So, what are we to “Behold”. Paradoxically, it is something which we cannot actually see, but that we can know or feel, perhaps apprehend is a good word, by faith. The love that the father has for us.
What is the nature of this love?
It is a great love, because it is a forgiving love. We are also expected to demonstrate this forgiveness, in the well known story, we are told to forgive, not as many as seven time, but seventy time seven! God expects no less from his people that he himself gives.
It is a sacrificial love. “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.” (John 3: 16) It is worth noting that this was for “everybody”. In Romans 8:, verse 32 we read “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
It is an eternal love. Jesus is shown as the object of God’s love in eternity.
It is a boundless love. It is not contained by human boundaries, in Galatians chapter 3, verse 28, we are told “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” No sinner is beyond the love of God, neither racer, sex nor status can separate us from God’s love. The disciples demonstrate this, they were an extremely disparate group.
It is a tender love. The Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus went out of his way to meet her. The rich young ruler, Jesus looked at him and loved him. Jesus wept over Jerusalem, He understands us.
It is a matchless love. He takes us from being wretched to being treated like royalty. This is not a reward for thing done well, it is “Lavished upon us” (NIV) Jesus walks with us on our path. He helps us succeed. He lifts us up when we fail, and when we fall. We are His children. Why would we turn away?
Song: Blessed assurance,
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