Book Review: Love Came Down at Christmas
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Love Came Down at Christmas
Book Author: Sinclair B Ferguson
Review Author: Danielle
Mount Nasura Free Reformed Church
Pro Ecclesia Bookshop
Love Came Down at Christmas
by Sinclair B Ferguson
2018/142 pages
‘Love came down at Christmas’. When I read this title for the first time, I must admit that in the back of my mind I did think that this book sounded like another ‘yuppy’ Christian book about love and how God is love etc. etc. and just conveniently & prettily packaged for Christmas. Then I read the author's name – Sinclair B Ferguson, and I already began to doubt those very thoughts. I’ve heard of this man, listened to some of his speeches on the Ligonier Ministries platform and generally thought he was a solid, no-nonsense reformed theologian. I wouldn’t expect him to write something just to make us feel good about love and Christmas. So now that I’ve finished the book, let me be the first to assure you that this is no shallow ‘feel good’ Christmas advent read!
In this book, Sinclair Ferguson takes us through an in-depth meditation on 1 Corinthians 13 (you know – that well known chapter about love!) and divides it into 24 digestible chapters for daily advent readings leading up to Christmas Day. He challenges the way we think about love and gifts (the talent kind, not present kind), what it means for how we live with God and others, and never fails to bring us back to the One who is the true embodiment of love – Jesus! The chapters aren’t long and each discuss a verse or part of a verse from 1 Cor. 13. They then end with introspective questions for personal reflection and a prayer – usually a poem, hymn or passage from historical poets, writers, or theologians.
The first several chapters discuss various ‘gifts’ and how they were, are, and should be used. Ferguson highlights how we can often be in awe of and respect gifted people and can be prideful of our own gifts. But if gifts aren’t used with love, they are worthless! He points out that “when Christ gives you a gift, it will be a blessing to you; but the gift isn’t primarily for you. It is to enable you to express your love for Him by serving others.” Christ Himself gives us the supreme example of sacrifice, service and humility. And this is what is meant by Love coming down at Christmas.
Following that, each of the many attributes of love (longsuffering, kindness, not envious etc.) gets its own chapter, delving into the deeper scriptural meaning, application and embodiment in God and Christ. These are often interwoven with anecdotes and historical stories which lend the book a relatable feel and give us examples of how love is often correctly or incorrectly expressed. I found myself often confronted and challenged by many of the truths that Ferguson uncovers, but was also often reminded of how perfect a Saviour we have been given! Christ’s very coming down at Christmas was a great act of love, and when we consider His life, death and resurrection, we see He perfectly fulfilled all these attributes of love.
So, all in all, I’d have to say that though this book might not be what you expect from an advent meditation read – all the more reason to pick it up! Spice up your Christmas in a great way and open this thought-provoking, humbling and encouraging book. It will lead you beyond the surface of Christmas to the treasures of our Saviour’s great love in His birth, life, death and resurrection.
In this season of worldly love and joy, we should all remember that “we see humble love in its perfect form at the first Christmas. The incarnation means that ‘though He was in the form of God…[Christ] made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men’ (Phil 2:5-8). That is what love looks like. That is what love is. And that Love came down at Christmas.”
Danielle vandenDolder, Mt Nasura