Eucharistic meditation, Second Sunday after Epiphany

1 John 4:9: By this the love of God is manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

John Bunyan very honestly describes in his autobiography, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, how he was plagued by doubts for many years prior to a final conversion. He knew the gospel story, knew the promises of God, studied the Bible, but he worried that Christ might not "take a liking" to him.

Many believers over the centuries have felt similar doubts. Perhaps you're one of them. You know that Jesus died for the sins of His people; you know that God promises to save those who turn to Him in faith. But you wonder if that is really yours. God is love, but He's love in general, and you don't know that He's taken a liking to you.

What does John say? Does he say that we should expect some whispering voice to make our salvation certain? Does he say that we should hope for some "roll" like Bunyan got in Pilgrim's Progress, his ticket to the celestial city?

No, John points us back to the historical events of the gospel. How do we know that God is love, and that He loves? How do we know that God loves us? John says that He loved us when He sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. He loved us when He sent His Son as the propitiation of the world. Love is displayed not in our love for God, but in God’s love for us, which He has shown in Jesus.

But, how do I know that's for me? What more do you want? What more are you looking for? God sent His Son as a propitiation, to give life. Believe it.

But God has given more: He has seated you at this table, where we commemorate the Son's propitiation for the world. God gives Jesus to you, here, so that you might have life. He gives His Son once-for-all in the cross, and He gives His Son again and again through the Spirit at this table. If He didn't love you, would He be inviting you back, feeding you week after week?

So, believe the promise that's made here at this table, the promise that God in Christ has in fact "taken a liking" to you.

posted by Peter J. Leithart on Sunday, January 14, 2007 at 09:05 AM

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