READ: LUKE 15:11-32; ROMANS 5:6-8; 15:7; 1 JOHN 4:9

As a kid, the one thing I wanted for Christmas—every Christmas—was a puppy. Sometimes a collie, sometimes a German shepherd, sometimes a cocker spaniel. But always a puppy. Every year I got what was second on my list. One year it was the doll I wanted. One year it was a wristwatch. But never my puppy.

Looking back on those days, it’s obvious to me that it wasn’t a puppy I wanted at all. It was love. Someone to happily greet me—no matter what mischief I had been into that morning. Someone to follow me everywhere—even when my best friend wasn’t speaking to me. Love. It wasn’t until years later that I learned every Christmas is a reminder of love. Real love. Love that will never die. Love that accepts me with all my faults. Love that will never let go. The love of Jesus.

God took on human flesh and lived among us. He humbled Himself to be born where the animals were kept. Imagine! Livestock bleating and pooping and chewing their cuds. It was probably noisy and smelly, but He came with one purpose in mind: to die on the cross. An excruciating death. For me! For you! For people who did not deserve to even untie the straps of His sandals (Luke 3:16). He would lay down His life. But that wouldn’t be the end. After three days in a tomb, He would rise from the grave, defeating sin and death so everyone who trusts in Him could live with God forever.

That love remains. The love of Jesus for this world He created and bodily inhabited—and will return to one day. His love for you. His love for me. Much greater than the love any puppy or any person could give. A love that will never die. A love we can never lose. • Carol Raj

• Can you remember a time you felt truly loved and accepted? What was it like? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this.

• We all want love. We want to know we are loved. We want to be told we are loved. We need to believe we are loved. The good news is, that’s who Jesus is for us. He assures us of God’s love. God longs to accept us into His family, and He made this possible through Jesus’s death and resurrection. His desire is for everyone to know His unending love through trusting in Jesus (Psalm 136:1; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). If you want to know more, check out our “Know Jesus” page.

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 (NIV)