We have arrived at the end of our advent destination! With the lighting of the fourth candle on advent wreaths, we celebrate the concept of “love”. Some churches will add in a fifth candle as well, but our focus is on the depth of God’s love for mankind, a measure of love that remains inconceivable to the human mind, yet understood by embracing humility and surrender to His sovereignty. 

The flame burning on the fourth purple candle also draws us in to ponder and embrace that through the sacrifice of Christ’s life all who put their trust and faith in Him will enjoy eternity with God forever.

Four unique forms of love are found in Scripture. They are communicated through four Greek words (Eros, Storge, Philia, and Agape) and are characterized by romantic love, family love, brotherly love, and God’s divine love. In our English language, we often use the word “love” describing our feelings for a  variety of reasons…I love my family. I love being outside. I love a good meal. I love a good cup of hot coffee. Not so with God. His definition of loving us far exceeds reducing it to comparisons we make in our own minds.

This depth of love that God has for us is personified in His Son Jesus. Prophecy foretold of the birth for hundreds of years until the time came for a virgin to conceive and bring forth God’s one and only son. He was born in Bethlehem (Bet Lehem in Hebrew) which means “House of Bread”. Is it any coincidence that in ministry 30 some years later Jesus would refer to Himself as “the bread of life”?

Jesus’ birth was also one of great humility and commonplace circumstances. Joseph and Mary had traveled to Bethlehem to be counted in a census, thus returning to their hometown to register as direct descendents of David. Normally, they would have stayed with relatives but because homes were filling up with other families, they found lodging in a stable housing  animals. Time came for the birth of the Christchild and His mother laid Him in a manger which was literally an open box for fodder for stable animals. Mary also wrapped Him in swaddling cloths which was customary for new mothers to do with their newborns. These clothes consisted of strips of cloth tied together  to be wrapped around an individual much like binding a wound in a gauze bandage. Indeed, the Hebrew word, of which “swaddling” is the English translation, denotes clothes used in the binding of broken limbs (Ezekiel 30:21).

Also,  the significance of swaddling clothes was that EVERY Passover lamb was wrapped in swaddling cloths when born. Jesus was the ultimate Passover lamb. (1Cor. 5:7) Passover lambs as well as any lamb sacrificed at the temple had certain criteria to be met… they had to be certified.

This baby that Christians celebrate all over the world at Christmas was no ordinary child. From the beginning of time beyond human comprehension, God had in mind a need for man’s redemption from sin and darkness. This tiny baby Jesus–wrapped in swaddling cloths–would one day be bound with chains when arrested by the chief priests and turned over to Pilate. Chains were ultimately replaced with burial cloths, strips of linen. (Matthew 27: 1-2; 11-26) From swaddling clothes to chains, to burial cloths, lying on cold hard stone,  the body of Jesus was kept safe and secure for His ultimate purpose in leaving heaven and coming to earth–to love us and prepare us for eternal life. 

This Christmas, when you sing “Away in a Manger”, my prayer is that you can see the baby lying in a cold, stone trough…..I pray that as you imagine his tiny body being wrapped in swaddling cloths, that you connect with a mother’s tender love for a baby entrusted to her by her own heavenly father, that you realize a small innocent baby’s body will grow in maturity to that of a thirty year old man who will be bruised and broken for mankind. He will leave an empty manger behind. He will also leave an empty tomb behind because He IS the bread of life, He is the Light of the Word, and He is the literal personification of love!

Merry Christmas!