Wondrous love

See how much the Father has loved us! His love is so great that we are called God’s children—and so, in fact, we are. This is why the world does not know us: it has not known God. My dear friends, we are now God’s children, but it is not yet clear what we shall become. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is.
(verses 1,2)

Read 1 John 3:1-10

At Gallipoli in World War I the Australian soldier John Simpson kept returning with his donkey to the front line of the field of battle to carry one wounded soldier after another to medical help. In the end, he himself was killed in his service of love and sacrifice for his fellow human beings.

God our Father sent his only Son Jesus to earth to suffer and die for us. God loved us wretched, sin-wrecked human beings so much that he sacrificed his Son. He did this so that we could become his children and spend eternity in heaven with him. What wondrous love!

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul,
what wondrous love is this, O my soul!
   What wondrous love is this
that caused the Lord of bliss
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul?
To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing,
to God and the Lamb I will sing;
   to God and to the Lamb
who is the great I Am,
while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
while millions join the theme, I will sing.

American folk hymn, alt.
Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement 794 vv 1,3

by Grace Bock, in ‘Refreshment for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2003)

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