“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:9 (NIV)
My childhood Christmas season always began with a feast. A love feast — following the Moravian tradition of a shared meal and church service to begin the holiday.
My memories are filled with glowing candles, sparkling Chrismon trees, and evergreen wreaths. My taste buds still tingle with the long-ago flavors of sourdough bread and creamy coffee, a part of the ceremonial gathering. The sounds of old carols sung by a choir ring through the halls of my mind.
But mostly I remember the way I felt, wedged tight between my parents, overflowing with the anticipation of everything surrounding Christmas — family time, gifts, and laden tables. I felt safe, secure, and most of all loved.
Love. That’s what Christmas is really about. Before all our modern trappings existed, the meaning was found in a baby who came to show God’s immeasurable love for us.
When the Apostle John wrote his Gospel, he told us exactly why Jesus came: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NIV).
Later, when he was old, John was compelled to write again to remind us: “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).
In both of these passages, John used the Greek word agape, which is an expression of God’s lavish, unconditional love. And there's more — as I read about the meanings of agape, the word “feast” also jumped out at me. Yes, agape is the mystery of God’s boundless love, and it can also refer to a feast. A love feast.
God sent His Son to bring a feast of His love — we are meant to be filled to overflowing. But often we’re starving instead. The table is laid, but we hang back, sure we’re unworthy or uninvited, and we choose the deprivation of our aching, hollow hearts because of our skewed view of God. The enemy of our souls makes us think, Surely God can’t be as good for me as He is for others.
But He is! In sending Jesus to be born, live a sinless life, and trade His perfection for our sin on the cross, God has shown us His true nature. God is a feast-thrower, not a crumb-giver. He offers us a full life in Jesus that will truly satisfy us.
This festive season is also a feast season, so let’s use every meal as a chance to remember. Through Jesus, God gives a love feast to show the world just how much He longs to satisfy our starving souls.
Lord, thank You for this beautiful season. I’m grateful for all the sights, sounds, and scrumptious foods that remind me of Your abundance. But mostly I praise You for the feast You sent in Jesus, the only food that satisfies me from the inside out. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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1 John 4:10, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (NIV).
John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (NIV).
How have you viewed God as a feast-thrower or a crumb-giver in your life? Make a list of all the ways God has shown Himself to you and blessed you.
Write out a prayer asking God to help you focus on the evidence of His goodness in your life, and watch how His abundance becomes more and more apparent. Share your list or your prayer in the comments!
© 2025 by Amy Carroll. All rights reserved.
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