The Christmas Story Calls Us to a Deeper Love

December 22, 2025

A man sent his friend a cryptic Christmas card. It said: A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z. The recipient puzzled over it for weeks, finally gave up and wrote asking for an explanation. In July he received the explanation on a postcard: “No L.”

Christmas bombards us with images of love with couples kissing under mistletoe, families hugging by the fire, commercials promising perfect gifts to show you care, and Christmas cards that seem to promise unending friendship. But what if love is deeper, harder, more divine than that?

The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, gives God’s blueprint, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It dishonors no one, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” This is more than Christmas good feelings, this is a call to action, especially at Christmas when God’s ultimate love gift arrived in a manger.

The Old Testament ends with a promise in Malachi 4:5-6: “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” Then—silence. For over 400 years, no prophets spoke. God was active, but quiet, preparing hearts for love’s arrival. The Jews expected literal Elijah to return, as in 2 Kings 2:11 where he ascended in a whirlwind. But Jesus clarified in Matthew 11:13-14: “For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.”

John the Baptist denied being Elijah when asked (John 1:21), yet Luke 1:17 reveals he came “in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, in order to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”Not reincarnation, but symbolic fulfillment. John prepared the way for Jesus, turning hearts toward repentance and love. At Christmas, this reminds us that love often arrives in unexpected forms, calling us to prepare our hearts for God’s surprising work.

What does this love look like today? Parental love comes close, as parents sacrifice sleep, money, and dreams for their kids.This is love, but it’s flawed love, tainted by self-interest or impatience. Many look to do selfless acts like packing Christmas baskets for the needy. Jesus says in Matthew 25:40: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Yet, even these selfless acts can be flawed if done for applause.

True love demands sacrifice, like bearing a cross. Jesus modeled it, entering our world as a vulnerable baby, destined for Calvary. In our lives, it means forgiving the unforgivable, and serving the ungrateful. As 1 John 4:18 declares: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” God’s love frees us from fear, enabling us to love boldly and sacrificially.

The mom, who was a church pianist, urged her son to learn piano, so he could play the world’s greatest message hidden in the C major scale. He wanted to play ball instead. Years later, after her death, he sat at the piano trying to remember her words, “Play the C Major scale backwards, and pause after the first, second, fourth, sixth, seventh, and last notes.As he played the scale he recognized the opening line of “Joy to the World!” Amid the rush of Christmas, see people through God’s eyes, beloved and redeemable. Love them as He loves you, patiently, kindly, and without keeping score.

God’s love in Christ wasn’t flashy; it was a baby in a barn, a savior who dined with tax collectors and sinners, a cross on a hill. It never fails because it perseveres through silence, rejection, and even death. This season, ask, “Am I loving like that?Pause, listen, and serve. The greatest message awaits in the quiet.

Which part of 1 Corinthians 13’s love definition is hardest for you this Christmas?Who needs your Mary-like service right now, putting their needs before your spotlight?Where can you add “pauses” this week to hear God’s love message in your chaos?(To learn more about Al Earley or read previous articles, see www.lagrangepres.org. You can purchase my book, My Faith Journal, at Amazon.com, a compilation of 366 articles as a daily devotional. Check out my podcast on YouTube, called “My Faith Journey”).