“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
My mother was a big fan of holidays, from the big ones like Christmas and Easter to the smaller ones like Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day, she would put up decorations, make seasonal foods, and give us children appropriate presents. On Valentine’s Day that meant candy. Sometimes it was the little conversation hearts with phrases such as “BE MINE” or “LUV U.” Other times it could be red jelly hearts. Or, if it was a really great year, Mom would give each of us our very own heart-shaped box of chocolates. Those were my favorite. And the bigger the box the better.
Mom never said, “I’m giving you this chocolate to demonstrate my love for you.” We didn’t need candy to know that we were loved. But every year the candy appeared anyway, and we received the benefit of our loving mom.
God also didn’t need to give us anything to prove his love for us. The gift of life, the beauty of creation, the food on our table, the joy of music, the wonder of a child…these are ample evidence of a loving God. But God didn’t stop there. One day, God gave us a gift beyond all gifts. Like the biggest heart-shaped box in the world, God gave us Jesus. “For God so loved the world.” For God so loves you and me.
Whether you get any candy this year or not, you’ve already been given God’s heart, so have a happy Valentine’s Day. No gift is greater than Jesus.
Pastor Mark