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Christian encouragement, christian journey, christian walk, Christianity, devotional, devotions, discipleship, encouragement, falling in love with Jesus, family devotions, God, God the father, God's child, God's love, lavish love, love
If someone were to ask you how much God the Father loves Jesus, what would you say? Would you go to John 17 where Jesus describes how the Father has loved Him from the beginning of time? Would you mention when Jesus was baptized that God Himself spoke words of affirmation over Him? Would you describe how a good parent loves their child? Would you remember that Jesus and God (and the Spirit) have been one from before time began? Would you remember that their relationship is indescribable, a perfect unit, a synergy of light and love that simply is unknown to us? I dare say words would eventually fail. The more we would think we could describe it, the more we would realize how short we come in the description. God’s love for Jesus is indescribable. No words, no thoughts, no descriptions could even come close and we would realize that very quickly.
Now, if someone were to ask you how much the Father loves you, what would you say? Would you remember all the Bible verses you have been taught over the years? Would you get a concordance to look it up, or ask Siri? Would you allow yourself to melt into the fact that His love for you is amazing and lavish, or would you kind of shrink back unsure? Would you quote the verses about love, but not quite absorb them? Would you know it mentally, but struggle with it emotionally?
Do you realize that Jesus Himself says that Father God loves us as much as He loves Him? Yes, you read that right. Jesus Himself in John 17:23 says that God loves us just like He loves His own Son. These are His words: “I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me.”
“…even as Thou didst love Me!”
Jesus in all His perfection.
Us in all our imperfection.
Jesus is all His splendor.
Us in all our filthy rags.
Jesus in all His fulfillment.
Us in all our need.
Jesus – the precious Lamb of God.
Us – the ones needing the Lamb.
Jesus in all His sinlessness.
Us in all our sinfulness.
Jesus – the same yesterday, today and forever.
Us – the ever changing ones.
Jesus – loved for all eternity.
Us – loved for all eternity, equally, the same.
How can it be?! It’s simply mind-boggling!
All my life I have known that Jesus loves me (at least to some degree). After all, He died for me, right? As I little girl I would belt out the precious song, “Jesus, Loves Me. Yes, Jesus Loves Me”, but, I didn’t usually think about the Father’s love as much. When I would think about it, I could never grasp how a parent (humanly speaking) could sacrifice their Son for others and then there’s the fact that Jesus talks about laying down His own life. So, it was easier at times to just remember Jesus died for me instead of thinking about the Father’s role in it all. But as I came across this verse in John 17, I couldn’t help but be in awe of the Father’s love for us, for me. I couldn’t deny it any longer. Things made more sense. Why would you sacrifice your child for anyone? You would sacrifice them only if you loved the person that needed the sacrifice as much as you loved the child being sacrificied. That’s the only reason. Not because it’s the plan, or the right thing to do, but only if you loved the thing being sacrificed for as much as the sacrifice itself. Jesus Himself confirms this in John 17. He tells us that His Father (and ours) loves us as much as He loves Him. I honestly think if Jesus Himself didn’t say it, I would still be making excuses. Only Jesus could make me believe the truth of this. Will Jesus be honored and glorified more than us? Of course, He’s God and just like any big brother who sacrificies all so the family can be safe and secure He alone deserves it, but as far as love from the Father? We have just as much. Amazing!
First John 3:1 says, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…”
Galatians 4:4-7 says,”but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”
Just as any parent of an adopted child will tell you, the love for biological children and adopted children do not vary, so it is with our God. A child is a child to Him. Jesus. Me. You. Loved the same. Loved for all time and beyond. Loved lavishly and completely. Absorb that to the marrow of your bones. Rest in that today. You are loved.
