The Greatest

Every Christmas, we’re guaranteed to see at least one of the many film versions of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. It’s an absolute classic, quintessentially Dickensian, and its depiction of a mean and miserly heart turned into one of sympathy and love touches something within us all. But if we want to learn the real meaning of both Christmas and love, we should turn to a contemporary of Dickens: Sir James Young Simpson (1811-1870).

Born in Bathgate, central Scotland, Simpson seemed destined for greatness from a young age, completing his medical studies aged just eighteen. He is best known today as the first surgeon to use chloroform as an anaesthetic, but in his day, he was well known for his Christian faith. His understanding of the gospel meant that he understood why Paul wrote that love is “the greatest”. Today’s chapter discusses his testimony, which you can read here.

Sinclair writes, “In the incarnation the Son of God became ‘a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief’ (Isaiah 53:5). But we are not justified, or adopted into God’s family, or sanctified, or glorified simply because the Son of God shared our flesh and our sorrows. Yes, that means he can sympathise with us on our weakness because he experienced it. But he came to accomplish much more—something we could never do for ourselves—he came to die for us. Only when we can say, ‘He was wounded for [my] transgressions’ have we grasped the meaning of the gospel and the wonder of love.”

This is what Sir James Young Simpson saw clearly, and what we should never forget on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Jesus, the Son of God, was born for us so he could die for us. When we see that, we begin to understand the love that came down at Christmas and which lives in our hearts today.

Today, as we come to the end of our time in 1 Corinthians 13, look back over the whole chapter. Which description of love have you been particularly struck by? What difference does it make to know that this is how Christ has loved you? Praise God for his love in sending Jesus to live and die for you, and pray for your heart to be filled with love for others.

Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair B. Ferguson (published by The Good Book Company) available to buy at Eden Christian Bookstore or Amazon.

“The Well-Known Three”

Paul refers to the trio of faith, hope and love many times in his letters (see 1 Thessalonians 1:3, Colossians 1:4-5), but why do they belong so well together? His fullest explanation is in Romans 5:1-11, a passage which contains a refrain of Christian rejoicing: in hope of the glory of God (v2), our sufferings (v3) and in God himself (v11).

We can rejoice “in hope of the glory of God” (v2) because we know we are destined to spend eternity with him through our faith in Christ; we will see Jesus face to face, and worship our triune God without sin.

We can rejoice “in our sufferings (v3) because we know they have a purpose: God works through them to produce endurance, character and hope in us (v4). This year particularly, we have all felt the sting of disappointed hopes, but we can be sure that the hope of heaven will never disappoint because we now enjoy a foretaste of it through the love that the Holy Spirit pours into our hearts (v5).

And ultimately, we can rejoice “in God” (v11). The first question and answer of Westminster Shorter Catechism express this well:

Question 1: What is the chief end of man? [That is, what is the point of our existence?]

Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

Those who don’t know the Lord may find this hard to understand, as to them, God seems like a spoiler of pleasure, rather than its source. But the truth is there is no lasting contentment in life without enjoyment of God; we were made for loving relationship with him. We can know this is true because God has proved his love by sending Jesus to die for us (v8).

Sinclair summarises, “Faith in Christ leads us to the hope of glory. That hope is anchored in God’s love for us in Christ. Our love is simply the overflow of the love he has poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.”

Today, think about how you might express the fact that God’s love has been poured into your heart this Christmas. How can you show your faith, hope and love? Rejoice in God, and pray for opportunities to demonstrate your faith, love and hope.

Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair B. Ferguson (published by The Good Book Company) available to buy at Eden Christian Bookstore or Amazon.

The Part is Not the Whole

A few days ago, we thought about Jesus’ expression of love as he washed his disciples’ feet, how it was a beautiful picture of what he had already done in being born as a man, and what he would do by dying on the cross (John 13). Simon Peter protested, but Jesus response was significant: “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterwards you will understand” (John 13:7). This not only applied to the foot-washing, but to Peter’s whole experience with Jesus, and could also be said to a multitude of other people in the Bible. We only ever get full understanding “afterwards”.

Sinclair points to the experience of Naomi as an example. Her life was marked by the loss of her husband and sons, yet these tragic events led to her daughter-in-law Ruth coming to know the Lord (Ruth 1:16-17). In turn, this led to Ruth’s marriage to Boaz and the birth of their son, Obed. But Naomi didn’t “know fully” the impact her life would have: she never read the end of the book of Ruth, which revealed that Obed was to be the grandfather of David, Israel’s greatest king. And of course, we know now that, through David, God was getting things ready for Jesus.

Sinclair writes, “What the Lord said to Peter he could have said to … Naomi: ‘What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterwards you will understand.’ … The same is true for us, as Paul says here: ‘Now I know in part; then I shall know fully’ (1 Corinthians 13:12). Perhaps, as you look back at the end of another year, you find yourself asking, ‘Lord, what are you doing?’ It might be that you can see glimpses of the good that he is doing—you know his purposes ‘in part’. But take comfort in the thought that one day, when you look back on your life from the vantage point of eternity, you will know fully. You will at last see the details of your life in the context of God’s great narrative.”

But there is something else in this verse we might miss—something which can bring great comfort. We may only partially understand the Lord and his ways, but he knows us completely and perfectly. Paul says, “I have been fully known”; our hearts are laid bare before God. For those trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice on their behalf, this is a source of great encouragement and solace, because we are not only “fully known”, but fully loved.

Today, consider when you have asked, “Lord, what are you doing?” this past year. Why is it a comfort to know that you “have been fully known” by God? Praise God that he has good plans for you, even though you may not know them now, and pray for your heart to rest in the knowledge of his love for you.

Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair B. Ferguson (published by The Good Book Company) available to buy at Eden Christian Bookstore or Amazon.

Face to Face

We can all agree that seeing someone on a screen feels very different to seeing them in person; many of us have been starved of the latter this year. Why does Paul contrast two ways of seeing in this verse, and what does it have to do with love?

Until Jesus came, no one had ever seen God (John 1:18). At the incarnation, the Word that was face to face with God from before the beginning of time came to be face to face with us. And though this happened more than 2000 years ago, we are still able to see Jesus now—in the pages of the Bible. When we read the Bible, we see Jesus’ reflection and come to know him by faith. But no matter how wonderful the Bible is, how clear a picture of Jesus we get in its pages, it is not Jesus himself. Sinclair writes, “The Bible was not born for us, nor was it crucified for our sins; nor did it rise and ascend into heaven for our justification and glorification. Only Jesus did that.”

One glorious day in the future, we will no longer need the Bible. We won’t need the mirror, because we will see Jesus face to face. What a day that will be! The glory of the Lord will be everywhere: “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:22-23) And all of this is made possible by God’s love for us.

Jesus’ first coming is meant to make us long for his return; the joy we experience at Christmas is just a reflection of the joy we will have forever in his presence, and the frustrations we feel will disappear in the glory of his love.

Today, reflect on the fact that the Bible is a mirror through which we see Jesus. What difference should that make to the way you approach it? How can your celebrations this Christmas point you to the joy of seeing Jesus as his second coming? Pray that you would fall more in love with Jesus as you read God’s word.

Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair B. Ferguson (published by The Good Book Company) available to buy at Eden Christian Bookstore or Amazon.

Growing Up

Toddlers are often more interested in the wrapping paper a gift comes in than in the gift itself: that’s normal, and pretty cute! But if an adult ignored their present in favour of the large box it came in, we might be worried about them. Paul says that we are often, spiritually speaking, like adults playing in cardboard boxes.

Part of Paul’s ministry was helping people grow in spiritual maturity. Of course that doesn’t happen overnight; Paul spent eighteen months teaching and helping the Corinthians, but didn’t see the growth he expected. They didn’t see the need to give up their “childish ways”, things like ranking preachers, preferring the more impressive spiritual gifts and ignoring blatant sin in their church. They didn’t realise how these things revealed their immaturity and lack of discernment.

The Corinthians also had the tendency to think that they could do whatever they wanted as long as it was “lawful” (1 Corinthians 6:12). But Paul saw this attitude as belonging to immature Christians, as it doesn’t ask the really important question: is this for the glory of the Lord? Sinclair writes, “Earlier [Paul] had suggested ways in which they could tell whether that was true or not: Will this really help advance our Christian life (6:12)? Will this have a tendency to enslave me (6:12)? Will this help me to become a mature believer (10:23)? Will this be a real help to my fellow Christians (10:24)? These are the kinds of questions that we ought to ask as we decide where to spend our time, how to use our money, and what our plans are for the year ahead.”

Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus matured both physically and spiritually through his life? As he grew from a boy into a man, he increased in discernment and in his Father’s favour. If we haven’t thought about this before, it suggests we might see Jesus as more of an idea than a real person. Jesus grew in physical stature, in experience and obedience throughout his life, until he faced the final test: “[obedience] to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). If our Master kept on growing, what does that say about us, his servants? We shouldn’t settle for speaking, thinking and reasoning like children, but should give up being childish, and focus on living for the glory of God.

Today, think about ways in which your Christian growth might be “stunted”; how might you apply the questions above to your life choices? How will you ask God to grow you? Praise God for how he has already grown you in maturity through your Christian life, and ask for his help to make godly and helpful choices.

Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair B. Ferguson (published by The Good Book Company) available to buy at Eden Christian Bookstore or Amazon.

Future Perfect

Paul continues to challenge the Corinthians’ ideas about the importance of their gifts in this verse. Not only would there be a day when their prophecy, tongues and knowledge would cease, but even now they were limited in their scope and usefulness. They were not able to do or know everything, but their real problem was a lack of humility and love.

Sinclair writes, “‘When the perfect comes’, the extraordinary insights of the gifts of knowledge and prophecy and the ability to speak in other tongues will be seen for what they are—only partial, only little pieces. In fact, it takes all the gifts Christ has given to our church family to put him on display—and even then, we do that only partially. The day has not yet arrived when we will see him ‘face to face’ (1 Corinthians 13:12)—all in one piece as it were. Understanding this breeds humility because it underlines the ‘not-yet-ness’ of our present Christian experience.”

The gifts that Jesus gives enable us to serve one another, to pass on his love. Knowing that, in the world to come, we will not need gifts like tongues or prophecy should teach us that what really matters is knowing Jesus better and showing his love more consistently. All gifts are just means to that end. Even Paul, incredibly gifted in teaching and in tongues (see 1 Corinthians 14:8), focused not on himself, but on “Jesus Christ as Lord” (2 Corinthians 4:5).

Love is measured by the greatness of the one who loves; by the size of the gulf between the one who loves and the loved one; by what it is willing to do for the loved one; by how long it lasts. By these measures, Christ displayed love perfectly, but our love is an imperfect reflection. When we stand before God in judgement, he will not ask us to list the ways in which we were gifted, but will care about how we treated our fellow man (Matthew 25:40). The true measure of how we use our gifts is in whether we’re prepared to use them to love the least of our brothers and sisters.

Today, consider how God is calling you to show Christ’s love to others this Christmas. How is it encouraging and challenging to know that our gifts express only a small fragment of who Jesus is and how much he loves us? Praise Christ for his perfect love, and pray for a humble heart that consistently loves others.

Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair B. Ferguson (published by The Good Book Company) available to buy at Eden Christian Bookstore or Amazon.

Everlasting Love

Paul has already made it clear that our spiritual gifts are not the most important things about us—there is nothing bad about being able to prophesy, speak in tongues or having special knowledge, but they are not worth more than love. Love is of primary importance; gifts are secondary, just tools. All gifts will come to an end, but love never will.

Sinclair writes, “Love never falls or fails. But one day all of these spiritual gifts—no matter how important they seemed to the Corinthians—would come to an end. They would no longer be needed. But love will never be redundant. It will never pass away or cease. Does this all sound more romantic than realistic? Perhaps you know too much of broken hearts or cold relationships to believe that ‘love never ends’. But remember, Paul wants us to fix our eyes on Christ’s love—a love that didn’t float in romance and rose petals, but was grounded in reality.”

The night before he died, Jesus had a special meal with his closest followers. He knew exactly what the next 24 hours held for him: betrayal, abandonment, condemnation, death. If you or I were facing such a difficult experience, we would probably be fixated on it to the exclusion of other people and their problems. We probably wouldn’t be thinking about how we could love them. But Jesus isn’t like us: “He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it round his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped round him.” (John 13:4-5)

Jesus’ actions here were an analogy for his incarnation, when he came from his place of heavenly honour to the life of a lowly servant. Sinclair writes, “He was stooping down for them. Faced with their sin, and with his impending sacrifice for it on the cross, his love lasted ‘to the end’ (John 13:1). He was ready to do whatever it took, whatever the cost. The foot-washing was a dramatic picture of how much he loved his disciples.” Jesus has this same love for each of us, and he helps us to love others in the same way. When we feel our love might fail, we can call out to the Spirit, and he will fill us with never-ending love.

Today, reflect on how Christ’s never-ending love endured the cross for you. In what circumstances are you currently relying on God’s love to “never end”? Pray for a right understanding of Christ’s love for you, and for opportunities to share it with others.

Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair B. Ferguson (published by The Good Book Company) available to buy at Eden Christian Bookstore or Amazon.

Endurance Test

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul has been treating “love” like a beautiful diamond, with many different facets to be examined and explored. He has been slowly turning it round in the light, noticing things that most of us don’t and pointing out things we might usually ignore. As Paul says love “endures all things”, this might sound similar to the ideas of patience and bearing all things he’s already mentioned, but it is different. The word for endurance here is the Greek verb “to remain”, with an added prefix implying being “below” something: to “endure all things” is to stand up underneath them.

Sinclair uses the image of a weightlifting competitor to help us understand endurance. Imagine someone managing to lift and hold over 250 kilos above their head, arms shaking, body trembling under the weight—you’d have to be pretty cynical to say that all that person did was to remain standing! The tremendous pressure they’re under means that their ability to remain standing is rare and impressive, and this is what Paul is saying love does.

Having a right perspective of God and his love for us will keep us standing no matter what pressures we face. Sinclair writes that, at the cross, Jesus “came under the crushing weight of God’s wrath against us, and it left him without any sense of his love … But [Jesus’] love endured all things. Rather than call on twelve legions of angels to deliver him, his arms remained outstretched like the cosmic weightlifter he was, bearing the sins of the world.”

Jesus always knew God’s plan for salvation: he knew that being born of Mary would lead to the agony of the cross. But because “Love … endures all things”, he did it anyway, willing to suffer that agony in order to bring us back to God our Father. No matter what pressure we are feeling or how circumstances are bearing down on us, we can be sure that we can endure all things, because Jesus endured all things for us: his love will keep us standing.

Today, consider how Christ was able to endure the cross, and how that enables your love to endure the circumstances you face. Pray for a love that “endures all things”.

Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair B. Ferguson (published by The Good Book Company) available to buy at Eden Christian Bookstore or Amazon.

Hope Springs Eternal

Christian hope doesn’t mean being a glass-half-full kind of person, or simply hoping for the best all the time. It means believing God’s promises and waiting patiently for them to be fulfilled. Christians are, by definition, hopeful people. This hope is produced in us by God’s promises; they are the lens through which we view the world and our own circumstances. When Paul says that love “hopes all things”, he means that we have an underlying confidence that, even when life is at its worst, God is walking alongside us and will continue to bless us, just as he has promised.

Paul faced plenty of hardship during his life; in his second letter to the church in Corinth, he wrote of the “countless beatings” he suffered for the gospel cause (2 Corinthians 11:23-27). Sinclair writes, “Paul was a realist, especially about the tough times he faced as a Christian. Yet he makes the striking claim that ‘hope does not put us to shame’; it doesn’t let us down or disappoint us. Why? Because ‘God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us’ (Romans 5:5).”

As Christians, our biggest hope is for eternal life with God. The certainty of this future changes everything about life now; it helps us to see the way through any darkness we might face. From heaven, a place of perfect love, God sends his Spirit into our hearts. Because of this, we know we are loved, and can be sure of our place in heaven.

By sending Jesus, God kept his oldest and costliest promise: Jesus came as the promised serpent-crusher of Genesis 3:15, destroying the power of the devil, but his victory came at the cost of his life. If God was pleased to keep this promise, we can be sure he will keep every promise he has made. Sinclair writes, “[God’s] love is the foundation not only for faith but also for hope. And that hope lasts; it will never fail. It is a hope that we can hold on to even when we are suffering, even when life seems to be unravelling at the seams, even when our worst nightmares are coming true. We can still have hope…”

Today, think about what difference the certain hope of heaven will make to how you live and who you love. Thank God for keeping his biggest, oldest and costliest promise by sending Jesus to die for you.

Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair B. Ferguson (published by The Good Book Company) available to buy at Eden Christian Bookstore or Amazon.

Believing Everything and Anything?

What does Paul mean when he says that love “believes all things”? We can be certain he doesn’t mean that just ‘having faith’ is all that matters, because his letters consistently emphasise the importance of believing the true gospel message. Sinclair offers two possible interpretations which fit with the general teaching of the Bible.

The first is that love always seeks to believe the best about people. This doesn’t mean we throw discernment out the window, but that we have a generous disposition and don’t leap to negative conclusions about people’s actions or motives.

The second is that love “always trusts” (1 Corinthians 13:8, NIV). We keep on believing in and trusting God, because he has proved himself to be trustworthy. Jesus always trusted his Father, even as he hung on the cross. He used the words of the psalms to express himself in those dark moments, saying, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:1) and, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46; Psalm 31:5).

It’s therefore not too much of a stretch to think that Jesus may have praised God with the words of Psalm 18 when he rose on Easter Sunday morning:

I love you, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold…

In my distress I called upon the Lord;

    to my God I cried for help.

From his temple he heard my voice,

    and my cry to him reached his ears…

He brought me out into a broad place;

    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

Psalm 18:1-2, 6, 19

Sinclair writes, “Psalm 18, when placed on the lips of Jesus, essentially says, Father, I kept my promises to you; and you have kept all your promises to me—and to all who will come to trust in me. The cross and the empty tomb tell us something. They prove that all of God’s promises can be trusted. For the promise that his Son would suffer in our place (Isaiah 53:4-6) was surely the hardest promise the Father ever made. And yet he kept it.”

God makes wonderful promises to those who put their trust in Jesus: to forgive our sins; to hear our prayers; to work for our good and walk alongside us through all the difficulties of life; to bring us safely into his presence. We can trust that he will keep all these promises, because he has already kept the hardest-to-keep one through the life and death of Christ.

Today, reflect on the ways God has proved his trustworthiness to you. Which of his promises do you most need to hold on to now? Pray that you would continue to trust and believe all that God says to you.

Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair B. Ferguson (published by The Good Book Company) available to buy at Eden Christian Bookstore or Amazon.