Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas;
star and angels gave the sign.
Love Came Down at Christmas (UMH 242, stanza 1)
Christina G. Rossetti, 1885
The world was weary, hoping for a Messiah—a Saviour to bring peace to the chaos. Yet, when God answered, he did so in a way no one expected: not with royal splendour, but in a humble manger. Love arrived unnoticed, wrapped in the vulnerability of a newborn child.
God’s love manifests in the simple, the quiet and the overlooked. As the Magi followed the star and the shepherds heeded the angel’s call, we discover that true power lies in love, not in might.
When Jesus came to Jordan
to be baptised by John,
he did not come for pardon
but as the sinless one.
He came to share repentance
with all who mourn their sins,
to speak the vital sentence
with which good news begins.
When Jesus Came to Jordan (UMH 252, stanza 1)
Fred Pratt Green, 1973
The love that was born in Bethlehem continued to manifest as Jesus entered the Jordan River. He came not for his own repentance but to stand with us in ours. His baptism was an act of solidarity—a moment where the sinless One chose to enter the waters with those who were broken and burdened by sin.
Jesus, in his baptism, began his public ministry by identifying with the very people he came to save. His baptism points us to the kind of love he embodied—a love that meets us where we are, even in our repentance and brokenness, and offers us grace.
Jesus’ hands were kind hands,
doing good to all,
healing pain and sickness,
blessing children small,
washing tired feet, and
saving those who fall;
Jesus’ hands were kind hands,
doing good to all.
Jesus’ Hands Were Kind Hands (UMH273, stanza 1)
Margaret Cropper, 1975
The love that came down at Christmas and was revealed at the Jordan became visible in the hands of Jesus. His hands, tender yet strong, reached out to heal the sick, lift the broken and bless the vulnerable. These hands, filled with kindness, did not just perform miracles; they extended God’s love to everyone they touched.
From the manger to his ministry, Jesus’ hands were always doing the work of love. He welcomed children, healed the blind and even washed his disciples’ feet, showing that true greatness in the kingdom of God is found in humble service.
Just as Jesus’ hands were kind hands, doing good to all, we are called to follow his example. The love that began in the manger, manifested in his baptism, and was shown through his ministry, now invites us to use our hands to love and serve others.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, (UMH298, stanza 4)
Isaac Watts, 1707
After witnessing the love that came down at Christmas—the love that was revealed at Jesus’ baptism, manifested in his hands, and culminated in his sacrifice on the cross—we are left with one response: to give ourselves fully in return.
The love of Jesus is so profound, so boundless, that even if we could offer all of creation, it would not be enough. His love, from the manger to the cross, calls us to surrender our souls, our lives and everything we have.
This love demands more than words or rituals; it calls for a life lived in total devotion to God and in service to others. Just as Jesus’ hands were kind hands, serving and loving, so too must our lives reflect that love in every action, every word and every choice.
Just as Jesus’ hands were kind hands, serving and loving, so too must our lives reflect that love in every action, every word and every choice.
As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, let us not simply marvel at his love. Instead, let us ask how we can respond to that love with our own lives. What would it look like for us to offer our soul, our life and our all to him?
Jesus’ love—so amazing, so divine— demands not just our worship but our lives. Let us go forth to love God, giving all we have, living in the light of the love that has been given to us and sharing it with our neighbours and to the world.