Love is the power that leads to a transformed life.
We know for a biblical fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah in Israel. It is also a biblical fact that Joseph, a Jewish man who loved God, wasn’t Jesus’ biological father, though a wonderful example to all fathers raising children by another man.
Ephesians 1:3-10 tell us why.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Messiah, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Messiah.For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Messiah, in accordance with his pleasure and will –to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One He loves
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Messiah,to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment – to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Messiah.”
The day of Jesus’ birth is a true love story. Take a minute and read the above passage again to identify who is who. Verse three is crucial to all the hes and hims. Then think about what is being said.
This passage is a love story within the single-plurality of God – the Father and the Son, Jesus.
Scripture tells us that our followship should be based in love for the person we follow with Jesus being the example (Jn. 14:31). God the Father loved the world so much that He would send Jesus.
Jesus as God knew the full impact of that decision – what His creation, humans, would do to Him. Jesus as a man knew the cost of following that decision would end with a cross. Both times He chose to love God, His Father, and followed.
We know love is a continual choice to let it grow and deepen. Let your love grow. Jesus did. And by the way, so did Joseph.