Love is Why He Came - 1 John 4:9-12

An Expository Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Advent

It was a cold night in Bethlehem when eternity stepped into time. The streets were quiet, the stars luminous, and a weary world unknowingly braced for the moment that would forever alter its destiny. The cries of a newborn pierced the silence—a sound both ordinary and extraordinary. For in this child lay the fullness of God wrapped in the frailty of human flesh. Love, eternal and unchanging, had descended to earth. Love had taken on a face, a voice, and a name: Jesus.

Love is not a mere sentiment or passing emotion. Love is the very essence of God, the driving force behind creation, the undercurrent of redemption, and the promise of eternal restoration. Advent—the season of waiting, hoping, and remembering—is the story of love made manifest. It is the story of why Christ came: He came from love, He came in love, and He came for love.

As the apostle John writes in 1 John 4:9-12:

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”

These verses do not merely describe love; they define it. Advent is the embodiment of this love. It is the love of God stepping into the brokenness of the world. It is the love that sent Christ to us, the love with which Christ came, and the love that transforms us to love God and one another.

Let us consider these three great truths: He came from love, He came in love, and He came for love.

1. He Came From Love

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world…” (1 John 4:9).

At the heart of Advent is the reality that Jesus Christ was sent. His coming was not a cosmic accident or a divine afterthought. It was the fulfillment of a plan set in motion before the foundation of the world. And what was the motivation for this plan? Love.

The sending of Jesus was not driven by obligation or coercion; it was an act of divine generosity and delight. God the Father, in His infinite love, sent His only Son into the world. This was the ultimate expression of His heart—a heart that longs not to condemn but to save, not to abandon but to redeem.

A Love Beyond Comprehension

Consider the magnitude of the Father’s love in sending His Son. It is one thing to give a gift of great value; it is another to give your most precious possession. For the Father, there was no greater gift He could give than His Son. Jesus was not merely sent as a messenger or a servant—He was sent as the Beloved Son, the second person of the Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.

This sending is the essence of John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The sending of Christ was the apex of divine love, a love that goes beyond our comprehension.

The Father’s love was not reserved for the righteous or the deserving, for there were none. His love was for sinners, rebels, and those far from Him. It was a love that saw us at our worst and gave us His best.

The Manifestation of Love

John tells us that in sending Christ, God’s love was “made manifest.” In other words, it became visible, tangible, and undeniable. Love is not an abstract concept or a fleeting emotion—it is action. And there is no greater action than the sending of Christ into the world to save sinners.

The incarnation—the very act of God taking on flesh—is the ultimate demonstration of this love. God did not remain distant or detached. He entered into our world, our pain, and our story. He sent His Son to dwell among us, to reveal His heart, and to accomplish our salvation.

God’s love is not merely an idea to be pondered; it is a reality to be experienced. In the sending of Christ, love became flesh and dwelt among us.

2. He Came in Love

“…not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

Jesus did not come to earth reluctantly. He did not come out of mere duty or obligation. He came willingly, joyfully, and in perfect obedience to the Father. His coming was motivated by love—His love for the Father and His love for us.

The Love of the Son for the Father

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus repeatedly affirmed His love for the Father. He declared, “I always do the things that are pleasing to him” (John 8:29). His entire life was marked by joyful submission to the Father’s will, even when that will led Him to the cross.

In John 10:17-18, Jesus says: “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.”

The love of the Son for the Father was not passive or superficial. It was active, sacrificial, and unwavering. It was a love that compelled Him to leave the glory of heaven, take on the form of a servant, and humble Himself to the point of death—even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8).

The Love of the Son for His Sheep

Jesus did not come merely to fulfill a mission; He came to rescue His sheep. In John 10:11, He declares, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” His love for His people was not an afterthought or a secondary motivation—it was central to His coming.

This love is personal, intimate, and sacrificial. It is a love that knows each sheep by name (John 10:3), a love that leaves the ninety-nine to pursue the one (Luke 15:4), a love that lays down its life for the sake of the beloved.

The cross was not a tragedy—it was the triumph of love. It was the ultimate expression of Christ’s love for His sheep, a love that bore the penalty of sin so that they might be brought into the fold of God.

3. He Came for Love

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11).

Jesus did not come merely to demonstrate love; He came to transform us by His love. His coming enables us to love rightly—to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Love Restored

Sin has fractured our ability to love. It has turned our affections inward, making us selfish, prideful, and incapable of loving as we ought. But through Christ, this brokenness is restored.

In His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus not only reconciles us to God but also enables us to reflect His love to others. As John writes, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). His love is the fountain from which our love flows.

Love Perfected

John goes on to say, “If we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12). The love of God is not static; it is dynamic. It is perfected, or brought to completion, as we love one another.

The love that was demonstrated at the cross becomes the love that defines our relationships. It is a love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:7). It is a love that forgives, serves, and sacrifices. It is a love that reflects the heart of Christ.

A Call to Respond

Advent is a season of reflection, anticipation, and response. As we behold the love of God in Christ, we are invited to respond in three ways:

1. Receive His Love

The love of God is a gift—a gift that must be received. Have you opened your heart to His love? Have you embraced the One who was sent from love, came in love, and died for love?

2. Reflect His Love

The love of Christ compels us to love others. Who in your life needs to experience the love of Christ through you? How can you be a vessel of His love in your family, church, and community?

3. Rejoice in His Love

Advent is a season of joy—a joy rooted in the unshakable love of God. Rejoice in the reality that you are deeply, eternally, and unconditionally loved by the God who sent His Son for you.

Conclusion

Love is why He came. Love is why He lived, died, and rose again. Love is why we have hope, joy, and peace. As we celebrate this fourth Sunday of Advent, may we be captivated by the wonder of His love—a love that came from the Father, a love that dwelt among us, and a love that transforms us to love as He has loved us.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)