Many people think of the Bible as a rule book, when in reality it is a love story. In fact, it is the greatest love story every told, because it defines love for us in the truest sense of the word. Starting with Adam and Eve, mankind has been living in active rebellion of God’s original plan. God loves us so much that He granted us free will to choose, just as a Father would allow his own children. He knew that we would never be able to live up to His standards as a result of sin. Our God is a just God, and in order to achieve justice, there must be a punishment for our actions. But God wanted to spare us that burden, which is why He became fully human – so that He could bear the punishment for us.
This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and send His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
1 John 4:10
Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for his friends.
John 15:13
There is often much speculation about the character of the man Jesus Christ, but we need only to turn to the Bible for an accurate representation of Who He really is. He is our Provider, Protector, Deliverer, Healer, Comforter, Defender… He is the Son of God, but He also is God. He is the intermediary between ourselves and the Holy Living God, and He alone is able make intercessions for our sins.
For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,
1 Timothy 2:5-6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:6
Jesus is able to provide for all of our needs – not our wants, mind you; although He easily could provide us with anything our hearts desire. Jesus knows what we need before we need it, and often times it’s not exactly what we think we need. The Bible tells us that the human heart is wickedly deceitful – we may not even be aware of it, but our greatest need is forgiveness.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.
Daniel 9:9
The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Word of God, and that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We read in the Gospel of John that in the beginning the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were created through and for Jesus, and that He chose the children of God even before the foundation of the world. Jesus loves us as a father loves his children, and He guides and disciplines us as such.
…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:4-6
One only has to read the Gospels to receive a vivid picture of the character of Jesus – He was fully man, as well as fully God. He endured the entire gamut of human emotions and experiences, yet he remained kind; compassionate; forgiving; humble; gentle; faithful; patient; dignified; restrained. We are called to emulate those qualities. But most importantly, Jesus loves us. He suffered unspeakable pain and agony for our sake – pain that most of us would not endure even for a good person, let alone a sinful one. We are called to love and forgive one another, to have mercy on one another, as God loved, forgave, and has mercy on us. There is no more beautiful expression of love than that.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
1 John 7:10-11
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldy to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.
Hebrews 4:15-16