GOD IS LOVE

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (1 John 4:8-10)

[NOTE: I lost my original notes. This recreation does not have the many footnotes I usually have. I apologize for all the quotes without a source of attribution.]

When Scripture says God is love, it is not offering a mere description—it is giving us a definition of God’s very nature. God does not have love the way we have attributes. God is love. I increasingly lean toward the idea that every attribute we ascribe to God is an attribute of His love. God’s love is:

·  omnipotent

·  all-knowing

·  holy

·  just

·  merciful

·  gracious

These are not competing qualities such that we would have to say, “God is love -but God is also Justice!” as if somehow God stopped loving when God acted justly. There is no expressions of whom God is or what God does that is not a reflection of divine love.

Right away in Scripture, we learn that a key aspect of  God’s love – and the attributes of it - is that it endures. It’s in some of the most ancient confessions of Israel. I’ve introduced you before to The God Creed in Exodus 34:6–7. When God reveals Himself to Moses, He also tells Moses what He is like.

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.”

This is Scripture’s own summary of who God is. We see versions of it scattered throughout the Old Testament.

Psalm 103:8 - “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”

Psalm 138:8 - “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.”

Lamentations 3:22–23 - “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”

Notice what is absent in these texts. There is no expiration date. No asterisk. No sneaky clause that says, “Well, unless you fail Me one too many times!!!” God’s love is not presented as fragile, or easily revoked, or dependent on our consistency. It is presented as durable, stubborn, even relentless.

There are many images the Old Testament gives us to create a picture in our minds of what this loving God is like. These are two that stood out to me this week.

God’s Love Looks Like a Shepherd (Psalm 23)

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He takes me to lush pastures, he leads me to refreshing water. He restores my strength. He leads me down the right paths for the sake of his reputation. Even when I must walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff reassure me.

You prepare a feast before me in plain sight of my enemies. You refresh my head with oil; my cup is completely full. Surely your goodness and faithfulness will pursue me all my days, and I will live in the Lord’s house for the rest of my life. (NET)

So what does this shepherd do?

· The shepherd provides

· The shepherd leads

· The shepherd restores

· The shepherd protects 

· The shepherd pursues

There is nothing that chases away the shepherd’s presence. And notice how the psalm ends—not with the sheep clinging to God, but with God’s goodness and faithfulness pursuing the sheep. This reminds of something Paul wrote:

“I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

This next image is going to sound like a stark contrast, but it’s not. It is still an expression of love.

God’s Love Looks Like a Crucible

Proverbs 17:3 - “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts.”

Zechariah 13:9 - “And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested, they will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is My God.’”

Malachi 3:3 - “He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness.”

 Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest provides a beautiful illustration.

“The picture here is of an ancient goldsmith who puts his crude gold ore in a crucible, subjects it to intense heat, and thus liquefies the mass. The impurities rise to the surface and are skimmed off. When the metalworker is able to see the reflection of his face clearly mirrored in the surface of the liquid, he takes it off the fire, for he knows that the contents are pure gold…. This, above all, God the Father desires to see. Christlikeness is God’s ideal for His child.”

God does not refine in order to discard. He refines because He intends to keep. The fire is not a sign of rejection—it is a sign of commitment. He who has begun a good work in us will be faithful to continue it. (Philippians 1:6)

Fast forward to the incarnation, in which the ultimate expression of God’s love has a human face. What God’s people had previously only confessed in word is now revealed as a person: the Word become flesh. This Incarnation of God, Jesus, is what we celebrate at Christmas. And as far as a revelation of God goes, this one could not be better.

· Colossians 1:15, 19 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation… in him all the

fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

·  Colossians 2:9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

· John 10:30 I and the Father are one.”

So we can expect to see in the life of Jesus the full expression of God’s love. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. If you want to know what God’s love looks like in action, look at Jesus. Now we don’t just hear words and envision images about the Shepherd and the Crucible and all the other things, we see them in action.

Let’s take three main events in Jesus’ life, as well as the final vision in John’s Revelation, to see what God’s love is like as expressed through the life, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus.

God’s Love Is Like a Manger

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Titus 3:4–7 “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

I like this summary from Thomas Watson:

“See here [in the Incarnation]… the infinite love of God the Father; that when we had lost ourselves by sin, God, in the riches of his grace, sent forth his Son… to redeem us. And behold the infinite love of Christ, in that he was willing thus to condescend [and] did not disdain to take our flesh. Oh, the love of Christ!”

In Bethlehem, the first statement God makes about Himself in Christ is not aloofness, but proximity. Not distance, but nearness. In the Incarnation, God leads by displaying that God’s love shows up in vulnerability, humility, empathy, and genuine relationship.

 God’s Love Looks Like a Cross

Romans 5:8 “But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

1 John 4:9-10 “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

A scholar named William Barclay wrote,

“The coming of Christ and the death of Christ, is the proof of God’s love. Sometimes the thing is stated as if on the one side there was a gentle, loving Christ, on the other an angry and vengeful God; and as if Christ did something which changed God’s attitude to [people]. Nothing could be further from the truth…. Jesus did not come to change God’s attitude to [people]; he came to show what it is and always was.”

Philip Keller grew up in a missionary family in Africa, and later became a pastor and prolific author who often focused on Jesus as the Good Shepherd. He once wrote this.

“Here we commemorate the greatest and deepest demonstration of true love the world has ever known. For God looked down upon sorrowing, struggling, sinning humanity and was moved with compassion for the contrary, sheep-like creatures He had made. In spite of the tremendous personal cost it would entail to Himself to deliver them from their dilemma He chose deliberately to descend and live amongst them that He might deliver them…

He knew He would be exposed to terrible privation, to ridicule, to false accusations, to rumor, gossip and malicious charges that branded Him as a glutton, drunkard, friend of sinners and even an imposter. It entailed losing His reputation. It would involve physical suffering, mental anguish and spiritual agony.

In short, His coming to earth as the Christ, as Jesus of Nazareth, was a straightforward case of utter self-sacrifice that culminated in the cross of Calvary. The laid-down life, the poured-out blood were the supreme symbols of total selflessness. This was love.”

It's important to remember that the cross did not persuade God to love us (see John 3;16). The cross reveals that God already loved us. If, “while were yet sinners Christ died for us,” and Christ died because He loves us, it follows that God loved us before the cross. And on that cross, we see that God’s love is cruciform. It is selfless, life-giving sacrifice on our behalf, so that those who are far from God will come near to Him.

God’s Love Is Like an Empty Tomb

Raising yourself from the dead is a pretty convincing way of demonstrating that you have the power to do whatever you claim to be able to do. Jesus claimed to be able to love us in all the ways we have already covered. Contained in His death and resurrection is a promise. C.S. Lewis once wrote:

“In the Christian story God descends to re-ascend. He comes down … down to the very roots and sea-bed of the nature he has created. But he goes down to come up again and bring the whole ruined world up with him.”

 This empty tomb is the culmination of Jesus’ life ministry. It’s another variation on the theme we have been covering. I know some of you enjoy reading A.W. Tozer’s devotionals. He has this to say about the life of Jesus:

“When Jesus died on the cross the mercy of God did not become any greater. It could not become any greater, for it was already infinite. We get the odd notion that God is showing mercy because Jesus died. No--Jesus died because God is showing mercy. It was the mercy of God that gave us Calvary, not Calvary that gave us mercy. If God had not been merciful there would have been no incarnation, no babe in the manger, no man on a cross and no open tomb.”

God’s Love is Like A City Whose Gates Are Never Shut

John writes of a city whose gates are never shut in Revelation 21 and 22.

And in the city, there is no need for the sun to light the day or moon the night because the resplendent glory of the Lord provides the city with warm, beautiful light and the Lamb illumines every corner of the new Jerusalem. And all peoples of all the nations will walk by its unfailing light, and the rulers of the earth will stream into the city bringing with them the symbols of their grandeur and power. During the day, its gates will not be closed; the darkness of night will never settle in.

He’s describing the unending, welcoming, and secure nature of divine love. There is no fear, sin, or sorrow, only perpetual invitation and rest for the redeemed.

(21:3-6) And I heard a great voice, coming from the throne: “See, the home of God is with His people. He will live among them; they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them. The prophecies are fulfilled: He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning no more, crying no more, pain no more, for the first things have gone away.” And the One who sat on the throne announced to His creation, “See, I am making all things new.”

(22:16-21) Then Jesus said, “I, Jesus, have sent My messenger to show you and guide you so that you in turn would share this testimony with the churches. I am the Root and the Descendant of David, the Bright Morning Star. The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let everyone who hears these words say, “Come.” And let those who thirst come. All who desire to drink, let them take and drink freely from the water of life.

* * * * *

So what is God’s love like?

· It is like a Shepherd who pursues us even when we wander.

· It is like a Crucible that refines without rejecting.

· It is like a Manger, choosing nearness over aloofness

· It is like a Cross, laying itself down for the sake of the beloved.

· It is like an Empty Tomb, refusing to let death, sin, or fear have the final word.

· It is like an Eternally Open City, inviting all into the Light of Christ with joyful entry and eternal rest.

When Jesus arrived, it was The Light of the World shining into the darkness. And the darkness did not—and will not—overcome it. This is the love we celebrate this Christmas, and all the year.

Harmony #49: “I Am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:1-21)

“I tell you the solemn truth, the one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.[2] The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

When he has brought all his own sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not recognize the stranger’s voice.” Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

The story from the previous chapter is continuing. The once blind man is the sheep who hears Jesus’ voice; those who kicked him out of the synagogue are the thieves and robbers;[3] Jesus is the good shepherd whose voice the healed man is following.

So Jesus said to them again, “I tell you the solemn truth, I am the door for the sheep.[4]  All who came before me were thieves and robbers,[5] but the sheep did not listen to them.[6] I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.[7]

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them.  Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, he runs away.

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold.[8] I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd.[9]

 This sheepfold is the Jewish people; the other sheep are the Gentiles.

 This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This commandment I received from my Father.”

Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people because of these words. Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind! Why do you listen to him?”  Others said, “These are not the words of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, can it?”

We learn something about shepherds and sheep in this passage – that is, about Jesus and humanity. There is potentially a lot to unpack from this passage, but I am going to focus on two main points.

The first point is this, and we will circle back to it at the end: Jesus is the Good Shepherd. We are on Episode 49 in his life, so I suspect this point is clear by now J He contrasts himself sharply with the false shepherds, the hired hands and the wolves; that is, those inside and outside of the flock who are there to plunder the sheep rather than bring them life.

The second point is this: sheep recognize and respond to the voice of our shepherd. This is apparently a thing with sheep. They know the voice, or the shepherd blows a whistle or plays on a flute, and the sheep will follow. Court cases where someone’s sheep were stolen have been decided by having the shepherds in question call to the sheep. On the flip side, the same instinct that enables a sheep to recognize the voice of the true shepherd also prompts it to flee from a stranger.[10]

Do you want to know who your shepherd really is? Ask yourself which voice you follow and which voice you flee.

I want to walk us through some scenarios. This isn’t about the initial response to the call of Jesus to follow him. That is obviously an important part of the parable. As we have been going through the life of Jesus, we have noted how many times he identifies himself through his words and actions as the promised Messiah, the Savior. Just last week we saw the blind man hear his voice, respond, and worship him. There’s a reason we keep coming back to the reality of Jesus as the Savior of the world: the Bible keeps reminding us of it!

But there’s a second part to this parable. There’s a rhythm of the sheep ‘going in and out’, which I think is another way of saying that life goes on J If they share a pen with other flocks or are in fields with other flocks, there’s going to be other shepherds calling out. There might still be thieves breaking in to attempt to plunder the herd, or wolves lurking about. The sheep must remain attuned to the voice of the shepherd. It could literally save their lives. So here we are this morning, sheep :) Let’s do a little self-assessment How are we doing listening to the voice of the Shepherd who brings us life vs. the thieves and wolves that would plunder us?

·      Repentance or hardness of heart? Do we follow the voice that leads us to see your sins and failures honestly and acknowledge them to God and others so we can bear the fruit of repentance (Matthew 3:8), or do we follow a voice that tells us to excuse ourselves, or not think of our sins as that big of a deal, or think that at least we aren’t as bad as THEY are!! (Luke 18:10-14)

·      Forgiveness or bitterness? Do we follow the voice that leads us to extend to others what God has given to us through Jesus and that we hope others will extend to us (Ephesians 4:31-32), or do we cling to unforgiveness and bitterness, keeping score of what’s been done to us, filing it away for future use in case we ever need to shame or control someone?

·      Humility or pride? Do we follow the voice that reminds us to see ourselves honestly, which is going to bring about humility (1 Peter 5:5) because not everything about us is awesome? Or do we follow that voice that lies about how amazing we are so that we can avoid having to see ourselves as God and others see us, because that might involve repentance and humility?

·      Kindness or callousness?  Do we follow the voice of kindness, an attribute of God that leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4) and that Paul described as spiritual clothes in which to dress ourselves (Colossians 3:12)?  Are we looking out for others, purposefully saying and doing things that remind people that they matter and they are worthy of care? Or do we overlook or ignore those around us because we don’t think they deserve kindness?

·      Peace-making or peace-breaking? Do we follow the voice that leads us into spaces to bring peace to situations (Matthew 5:9), or do we follow the voice that leads us into unnecessary drama, silly arguments and destructive gossip? When we get into a fender bender with someone who apparently met their first roundabout, and we both get out of our cars, will we escalate or deescalate the situation? What about when the self-checkout doesn’t work? Or when our friends are in tension? Or when our spouse has had a long day and isn’t in the best of moods? Do we make it better or worse?

·      Self-control or indulgence? Do we follow the voice that leads us into discipline and health physically, relationally, spiritually (Proverbs 16:32), or the one that tells us anyone or anything that wants to put a boundary around some part of us is the problem? Do we love the saying, “You can’t have me at my best if you can’t handle me at my worst” because what we really mean is, “I don’t want to have to care if I hurt you by my lack of control”?

·      Hope or Despair? Do we follow a voice that reminds us God is with us – in the storm, in the sun, for better or worse, for rich or for poor, even through another round of elections (!)? We have hope, because Jesus rose from the dead (1 Peter 1:3). We serve a risen Savior who is King over even the most daunting of situations and adversaries.  Or do we hear someone say that the sky is falling, take our eyes off of Jesus, and begin to sink into a kind of clinging despair that keeps us anxious and fearful?

·      Community or isolation? Do we follow a voice that calls us into the rhythms of church community and relationship (Romans 12), or the one that tells us we can do this on our own?

·      Honest transparency or hiddenness? Do we follow a voice that leads us into being known not only by God but also by others (Galatians 6:2; Proverbs 28:13), or do we hide everything in us that we think others might not like or approve of?

·      Turn the other cheek or slap back? Do we follow a voice that does not respond to antagonism with antagonism but with generosity and kindness (Matthew 5:38-39)? Does it tell us to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21)? Or do we follow a voice that tells us an eye for an eye is absolutely our right?

·      Generosity or greed? Do we follow a voice that leads us into holding our possessions with an open hand, realizing it’s God’s anyway as we look for ways to bless others (Acts 4:32-33)? Or do we follow the voice that just keeps whispering that we don’t have enough yet, and we already gave God some so the rest is ours to do with what we want?

·      Hospitality or stinginess? Do we follow the voice that reminds us to think the best of others until proven wrong (Philippians 2:3; Romans 12:10), or do we lead with negative and judgmental assumptions until proven wrong? “That guy on the corner of 14th street should just get a job!” Maybe it’s not that simple. “I can’t believe that person ignored me at church today.” Maybe that person can’t believe they pushed through their anxiety and depression and made it to church today, and that’s the most they have to give this morning.

·      Gentleness or harshness? Do we follow the voice that reminds us that a soft answer turns away wrath (Proverbs 15:1)? Or when that other voice whispers, “Listen, if they can dish it out, they better be ready to take it!” are we ready to meet fire with fire?

·      Grace or merit? Do we follow the voice that leads us to extend undeserved mercy (Proverbs 3:3-4) in line with what Jesus did for us (Luke 6:36), or do people need to earn grace from us…which won’t be grace anymore if it’s earned.  

·      Justice or injustice? Do we follow a voice that leads us into unjust places in the world to right wrongs and challenge corruption (Micah 6:8; Proverbs 31:8-9), or do we follow the voice that says either it’s not happening or it’s not important?

·      Serving or being served? Do we follow the voice and the life of the one who was broken and spilled out for others (Galatians 5:13), or the voice that keeps telling us that those around us are resources to be plundered to make us happy and comfortable?

·      Patience or lashing out? Do we follow the voice that tells us in moments when we want to lash out to take a deep breath and send up a prayer as we count to 10 (Colossians 3:12), or the voice that tells us it will feel really good to let that person have it?

·      Love or not-love (hate?fear?indifference?) Do we follow the voice of agape love into radical, self-giving care for those around us, either directly or by praying and hoping for their best, or do we refuse to invest our lives because we despise them, or are afraid of them, or we just don’t care?

To what voice do you listen? Who is your shepherd?

* * * * *

And now, let’s come back to the shepherd whose voice we are trying to hear.  What makes the Good Shepherd so good? There are some obvious points in the parable: 

·      His ability to save the sheep

·      His protection and provision for the sheep

·      His knowledge of the flock

·      His expanding of the flock

But as I was studying this week, a different aspect stood out to me. The Good Shepherd does not drive his sheep; He leads them.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing that I need. He makes a resting place in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The sheep want to follow the Good Shepherd – and why not? There is something compelling, safe, and nourishing about his presence. They don’t have to be coerced into the flock; they have been convinced. They don’t have to be frightened into the kingdom; they are fascinated. They don’t have to be pressured; they have been persuaded. They don’t have to be entertained; they have been entranced.

What does it look like to model this principle in our representation of the Good Shepherd to the world? If Jesus is leading his sheep, I wonder what it looks like for us to lead those around into the way of the Shepherd? How might we be compelling, safe and nourishing people like the Good Shepherd such that others want to follow us where we are going – which is to the fields and the fold of the Good Shepherd?

I think we just saw the list. When we listen to the voice of the Shepherd, and we follow Him – first into salvation and then into sanctification - our lives and relationships will increasingly reflect the character of the Shepherd:

·      Forgiveness

·      Humility

·      Kindness

·      Peace-making

·      Self-control

·      Hope

·      Community

·      Honest transparency

·      Overcoming evil with good

·      Generosity

·      Hospitality

·      Gentleness

·      Grace

·      Justice

·      Serving

·      Patience

·      Love

If that’s the community that emerges as we follow Jesus, that’s Kingdom gold. That’s the abundance of life into which the Shepherd has been leading us all along.

____________________________________________________________________________

[1] The most important background for this metaphor is Ezek 34, where God berates Israel’s false shepherds for fleecing God’s sheep rather than guarding, guiding, and nurturing them (cf. Isa 56:11; Jer 23:1–4; Zech 11).

[2] thief . . . robber. Symbolizes the Pharisees, who belittle and expel the sheep (see, e.g., how they treat the healed man in ch. 9). (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

[3] Jesus portrays some of Israel’s leaders in his day as being like the leaders of Israel who were condemned as exploitive shepherds in the OT (Jer 23:1 – 2; Eze 34:2 – 6,8). (NIV  Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[4] I am the gate. Because the hill country was cool during winter, shepherds kept sheep in pens close to home; during pasturing season, however, they used temporary shelter… some shepherds sleep across the entrance to a temporary shelter, guarding it themselves. (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[5] “ All professing to be themselves the door, to be the means by which men enter the fold, to be the Mediator between man and God.” (Ellicott’s Commentary)

[6] All who came before me may refer to messianic pretenders (e.g., Acts 5:36–37; 21:38). thieves and robbers. Compare Ezek. 34:2–4; see note on John 10:1.

[7] Jesus’ promise of abundant life brings to mind OT prophecies of abundant blessing (e.g., Ezek. 34:12–15, 25–31).

[8] The other sheep that are not of this fold are Gentiles (see Isa. 56:8).

[9]  Ezekiel 34:23, “I will set up one Shepherd over them, and He shall feed them, even My servant David; He shall feed them, and He shall be their Shepherd.”

[10] Believer’s Bible Commentary