A Love Song
As I mentioned earlier - Valentine's Day was yesterday. There's always a lot of talk about love in our culture. And by association, the flipside as well - "hate". And people have conflicting ideas about what love is. I'm sure you've seen the slogans, "Choose love, not hate" & "Hate has no home here". And much of the discussion is based on the physical expression of love. However, since the world focuses so much on romantic love, especially at this time of year - I want to instead focus on God's love.
For instance - as a mother of 6 children, over the many bedtime routines - I know my wife Erin has sung the song 'Jesus Loves Me' thousands of times. The words to that song first appeared in a book as a poem to comfort a child who was ill and dying. I based a message on those words years ago - and seeing the cultural divide grow on what love is and looks like, I thought it would be appropriate to do so again.
We usually think of "Jesus loves me" as a song for little kids, but I'm going to ask you to sing it with me now...
"Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me - the Bible tells me so."
Through Jesus' death on a cross, His burial, and ultimately His resurrection, it is loudly and clearly proclaimed that…
I. Jesus loves me!
Now for those who fill in the blanks, some of these are going to be pretty easy today - but I want you to remember this...
There are many world religions with their own books of scripture, but only the Bible, God's Word tells us that the God who created everything loves us! He loves us so much that He came down from Heaven to be one of us in the person of Jesus Christ.
Buddhists have their sacred writings – but traditional Buddhism does not include the concept of a singular, omnipotent deity who created the universe - let alone a god who would love you. Hindus have many books and many gods… but from what I could find, their 'gods' aren't exactly described as overly loving. Muslims have the Koran that tells of Allah who is described as a merciful god, but one whose favor has to be won – so he's not really known as a loving god.
In fact - whatever world religion we could discuss - if their 'gods' love anybody, they only love "nice" people, righteous people. Love, in those religions, is reserved only for the ones who deserve it.
We know that God loves us; Jesus loves me, because – of course…
A. The Bible tells me so
What makes the Bible - God's Word - so distinctive is that it claims in no uncertain terms that God loves us! It doesn't say that He created us and then just left us to struggle through existence alone. The Bible tells us that God loves us! It's not hard to find multiple scriptures that talk about God's love. But let's look at the Apostle Paul's words in Ephesians 3:16-19 (NIV)...
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, (17) so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, (18) may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, (19) and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
We could go on and on looking at scriptures that tell us about God's love for us. And it's not the kind of love we find in other religions where we have to do a list of 'right things', say the 'right words', act the 'right way' in order to earn this love. The Bible is very clear that…
B. He loved me first
It's easy to understand a plan where good people get to go to Heaven. That makes sense, even to the 'un-churched' - that sounds fair. But according to the Bible we see that God made a plan, where even sinners - those who are God's enemies – also have the opportunity to go to Heaven. That seems contrary to what should be – but that's the beauty of God's grace. God loved me first and asks me to respond to that love.
It wasn't that I reached out to God first. It wasn't because I was just so lovable. Paul's words again from Romans 5:8 (NIV)...
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The Bible tells us that even when we weren't deserving of love - God loved us anyway. While we were still sinners – even as we were directly disobeying God's commands, defying God – God still chose to show us love. Paul continues in the verses that follow…
Romans 5:9-10 (NIV)
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! (10) For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
God didn't wait for us to love Him and then respond in kind – He loved us first; even when we weren't all that easy to love. Why does He love us so much? We see the answer illustrated in the words from the song…
II. Little ones to Him belong
God created us and desires to have a relationship with us. Our purpose is found only in God! As God's creation, we belong to Him. Let's look all the way back to a verse we just referenced a few weeks ago…
Genesis 1:27 (NIV)
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
This past Thursday, February 12th, was what is known as "Darwin Day". It's a day that celebrates Charles Darwin's theory of evolution - of how humans evolved from apes. It exalts rational scientific thought over religious belief. But science doesn't hold all the answers...
If we don't acknowledge God as our Creator, nothing else in this life really makes sense. If we decide that we just evolved, because we can't wrap our minds around the incredible nature of creation – if we decide it's easier to have faith in a 'big bang' rather than a Divine Creator - then there's no real authority other than ourselves. And if there's no Divine Authority - then each person can decide what's right or wrong based on his or her own opinion.
And that's how we get so many conflicting definitions and views of what love is or isn't. If there is no Creator God, then I answer to no one but myself. And then how could anything that I choose to do ever be wrong? If I choose to murder, lie, steal, rape, whatever – if there is no Creator God, no authority but myself – who's to say it's morally wrong?
But nature itself attests to the fact that God is our Creator! We were created for His pleasure, His purposes – us 'little ones', we belong to Him! It is in this relationship that we then understand another line from the song…
A. They are weak
A few years back, I was talking to a woman about her adult son. I commented that I didn't think he liked me very much. She said, "No – he likes you. He just thinks you're a wimp." Oh – well that's so much better…?
Weakness is not a popular characteristic. We usually don't hold up those who are weak as role models or heroes. But God sees things very differently than we do. His love for us, our value to God, is not dependent on our strength. That's why Paul reminds us…
2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)
That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
One of the oldest questions in the human experience is, "Why does God allow suffering?" I'm not going to claim I completely understand by a long stretch, but I have gained a small bit of insight into the answer. One thing I've noticed – it's relatively easy to stand up here and proclaim the power and love of Jesus. It's quite another thing to live it out. And it's yet another thing still to proclaim the power and love of Jesus while you're in the midst of suffering.
It's one thing to stand and say, "God is good" when things are going well. But what about after you've experienced the loss of a job, or a home or loved one? What about when you lose physical strength or mobility? What about when you're lying in a hospital bed - or a hospice bed? If, at that point, you can still boldly and confidently proclaim that God is still on His throne, that 'God is still good' – that's a testimony!
Many times our witness for Jesus is strongest when we are weak, when we speak from a position of brokenness. God specializes in turning things upside down. My ability to be used by God for His purposes is completely independent of my strength. We may be weak, but— and I'm sure you saw this coming…
B. He is strong
We belong to Him and He is strong! Peter talks about that strength in 1 Peter 2:22-24 (NIV)...
"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." (23) When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. (24) He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
Jesus was strong enough to take our punishment and to give His life for us on that cross. And then Paul talks about the strength given to him by Christ in 2 Timothy 4:17-18 (NIV)...
But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. (18) The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
We can know, without a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus' strength is more than enough to accomplish anything He desires through us – if we will submit our will to His. "They are weak, but He is strong!" - And to again affirm it…
III. Yes! Jesus loves me!
The fact that Jesus, God in the flesh, gave up the glory of Heaven, came down as a man, and willingly gave His life for mine on that cross screams, "Jesus loves me!" He didn't have to do that, but He did – out of love. Jesus died to save you and me from an eternity of separation from God our Father.
His sacrifice on the cross shouts out, "My child, the only way you are going to Hell is over my dead body!" The sacrifice He made was for you and for me. Yes, Jesus loves me! - Despite my flaws and failings...
It's hard to wrap your mind around the fact that the Creator of the entire universe - the Perfect One who has existed before time began - actually knows who I am and loves me. I find it hard to believe on some days that my own wife could love me. Do you really understand what that means? Jesus loves you so much that He would give His own life for you!
Years ago May Walker gave me a little drink coaster for my desk; I still keep my Snapple on it – it says, "Jesus loves you… but I'm His favorite." I'm sure that's not true - but I think maybe He does get a lot of entertainment watching me sometimes...
I want to look at one of the most well known verses in the Bible – and there is a reason it's so well known. It's the words of Jesus Himself foreshadowing His own sacrifice in John 3:16-17 (NIV)...
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. (17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Jesus loves me. He came to this world with the express, singular purpose of saving you; of saving me. If we believe in Him, we can be saved for eternity – but, along with that belief must come action. Jesus really does love me, and His love is unconditional - but He does want me to change.
We read John 3:16 and 17, but let's continue with John 3:18-19 (NIV)...
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (19) This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
"Their deeds were evil." Yes, Jesus loved us first, while we were still sinners, but He doesn't want us to stay that way! He came to free us from the bondage of sin. He came so that we would be free to do 'good' and to tell others of His love for them! He came to let us know that He loves us and He wants us to tell others that "Jesus loves them!"
So What?
One of most harmful things a parent could do to a child is to tell them they are unloved, unwanted - a mistake. Where our Heavenly Father is concerned – no one is a mistake, no one is unwanted, not one of His children is unloved. God created you, intentionally, for His specific purposes and He has an incredible plan to use you to make an eternal difference in people's lives – if you'll let Him.
You could make all sorts of excuses as to why that's probably not true for you – you're too young, or too old, too timid, too rough around the edges, too much baggage, not the right season in life – all sorts of reasons. But I could point to a whole bunch of broken, flawed people in the Bible who made the same excuses until they let the power of God's love move them to do incredible things for His Kingdom! Jesus' love for us makes all the difference.
The original poem "Jesus loves me" included several other verses that are not often sung. Verse 4 says…
"Jesus loves me! Loves me still, though I'm very weak and ill -
that I might from sin be free, bled and died upon the tree."
And remember, Jesus didn't stay dead! He rose again and is coming back! And He has a very real plan to use you! You can just stick to your plan, play it safe and see how that goes. Or - you can let the love of Jesus move you to change other people's eternal destiny. You can choose to let Him use you to bring other people to a saving knowledge of Jesus!