‘In The Bleak Midwinter’ is a favourite Christmas carol of many, even though its first-verse lyrics may well reflect more about the English weather than they do of Christian truths. The last verse, however, often resonates with many as we reflect on what Jesus means to us and how we want to bring our gifts to Him.

‘What can I give him?
Poor as I am.
If I were a shepherd
I would give a lamb.
If I were a wise man
I would do my part.
But what I can I give him,
Give him my heart.’ (‘In The Bleak Midwinter’, Christina Rosetti)

Christmas is about God’s great gift to us. Jesus gives us a glimpse into God’s heart of love. John’s Gospel does not contain any of the traditional stories about the birth of Jesus, but introduces us to Jesus as ‘the Word’, the One present at the beginning, our Creator God. John goes on to explain that Jesus reveals who God the Father is to us: ‘No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.’ (John 1:18) We now know that God is love, because Jesus reveals love to us in all He does.

Mary and Joseph were not rich people. We know this because the offering they gave when they presented Jesus at the temple was the one that only the poor gave (Luke 2:21-40). Many people believe that love is measured in financial terms through the cost of the gifts given, and Christmas can easily become a time of debt and anxiety rather than a time of peace and love. In our society where credit is often available, it can be easy to spend now and worry about paying later (and indeed, that seems to be the economic philosophy of governments which is causing so much heartache nowadays.)  But love is not simply about money and gifts.

Mary and Joseph showed their love for God in this passage today, following the rules of God’s law and expressing gratitude for the miraculous gift of their son. They understood the principle that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it (Ps 24:1) and more specifically that ‘every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord.’ (Ex 13:2, 12) Jesus gave us a new rule of thumb when He said, ‘If you love me, keep my commands.’ (John 14:15) The best way to show God’s love is to do what He says. Love isn’t about expensive gifts; it’s about simple obedience to God.

In Luke 2:25-38 we meet two more ‘incidental’ characters in the Christmas story, Simeon and Anna. Simeon was an old man who was righteous and devout and full of the Holy Spirit. Anna was an old widow, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. Both were deeply in love with God and were waiting for His Messiah to come. Of Simeon, Luke tells us, ‘It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.’ (Luke 2:26) Of Anna, we learn ‘she never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.’ (Luke 2:37)

Their love for God was rewarded by seeing Jesus as His parents brought Him into the temple. Simeon knows the peace of God as he holds the baby in his arms and prophesies over him. (Luke 2:28-32) Anna ‘gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.’ (Luke 2:38)

We know nothing else about these two people, but their love for God shines through these verses. May our love for God shine through to our families and communities; may our words this Christmas time be all about the child who brings redemption to the world.

Dave spoke tonight on the third Advent theme of love, speaking from 1 John 4:7-16. We are called to love one another as Christ has loved us, but we must not simply love other Christians. God wants us to reach out to others in love, just as Peter did when moved to speak the gospel to Cornelius and other Gentiles. Love ultimately originates with God and His love is what must be seen in our lives, not simply our love. This goes far beyond a feeling; it requires the sort of commitment shown by God at Christmas, for He so loved the world that He gave His only Son. (John 3:16)

Despite the evil in the world and the sin in us all, God still chose to give His Son. He did this so we can feel the warmth of His love and can come to have eternal life. His love is shown not only in the fact that the Son came to earth, but also in the fact that the Son died for us. Justice was tempered by mercy.

Others can only see God’s love through God’s people. We are called to love even the difficult and the unlovable. It’s the challenge God sets before us all: to love as He does.

I was interviewed by Radio Sheffield this afternoon as part of their virtual tour of South Yorkshire, which today landed in Goldthorpe. One of the many blessings of Goldthorpe is having the wonderful outdoor space at the Railway Embankment, which was the scene for a joint ‘Churches Together’/ Embankment group meeting this afternoon. We had hot drinks, sang carols and did Christmas crafts.

It was great to have so many people out and about on such a cold afternoon.

We also had a star trail, which turned up not only hidden stars but a hedgehog!