As you observe the lighting of the second candle of Advent today you will hear again and again the word LOVE related to God’s promise for a renewed life to those who will believe in the Son. Although there is not a clear tradition across the spectrum of Christian beliefs, whether some call this second candle the candle of hope, of love or of peace, ever since the 4th century when these traditions were formed, each Sunday builds on the next culminating with the celebration of Jesus’ birth. As the first candle was HOPE, it is only natural to me that to the HOPE people had for the coming of Messiah, the actual arrival erased all doubts of the fact that indeed God LOVED the human race in spite of all its faults.

You see, although for centuries there was hope and although for centuries people have seen clear evidence of God’s love in the history of the nation of Israel, the period between the last book of the Old Testament and the coming of the Messiah is of about 400 years. Long enough for people to, just as they did in Egyptian slavery, focus more on the circumstances and come to the conclusion that God may have finally had enough and has indeed abandoned them.

In the arrival of Jesus, more than just HOPE happened. LOVE came to the scene in a way never expressed before in the history of religion between deity and humans. It wasn’t just the fact that God was willing to sacrifice Himself for His creation. That concept was not new. What was new was the fact that in Jesus, humanity saw God being willing to go against the norm and sacrifice His SON for humanity. Parents sacrificing themselves for their children, children sacrificing themselves for their parents was not an unusual occurrence. However, a parent sacrificing a child could only happen out of deep love for the child on whose behalf the other child died.

As a father of three children I find God’s decision in regards to Jesus’ sacrifice pretty unbelievable and a COMPLETE assurance of HIS love, a love that drives out fear and pushes me to my knees out of awe and respect and, yes LOVE.“For GOD SO LOVED the WORLD that He gave His one and only SON…” (John 3:16) No wonder this is by far the most recognized verse in the whole Bible. It is truly the complete sum of the entire Bible and human history. You see, there was a hand to stop Abraham’s hand from cutting into his son’s throat on that altar long ago and I am sure Abraham felt the entire volume of emotions that goes with such an act. There was no hand to stop the hands that brought suffering, pain and death to God’s SON. None at all, and I am persuaded to believe that on that day, Abraham looked to God the Father with tears in His eyes knowing fully the depth of pain in the Father’s heart at the events taking place in our world, fully assured of the depth of God’s love. I’ve been guilty of asking the question, especially when hardship comes my way or when I fail to be the man I imagine God wants me to be; “God, do you really love me still?” and then I feel ashamed because Jesus’ birth & death & resurrection have certainly happened not because of my faith but because of God’s CONSTANT LOVE.