Life-spark: Father God loves you like He loves Jesus. (John 17:13-40)
The cross is getting closer. Jesus talked to His Father about His followers and He made several requests. He asked, on their behalf, for six things: joy, protection, purity, unity, uniqueness and purpose. Then He extended that request to cover all who would believe in Him because of their testimony.
Jesus went on to say that He brought the disciples into the Father/Son/Spirit circle of relationship “…so that the world will know you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me.” (John 17:23b, TLB)
That sentence stopped me in my tracks. Jesus is reminding Himself, just before the cross, that the Father loves Him. And He is saying that the Father loves those that follow Him “as much as” He loves the Lord Jesus. I just now stopped and said, “God loves me just like He loves Jesus.” It almost sounds like heresy, but it lines up perfectly with Christ’s prayer (and with John 3:16).
Bolstering Himself for His crucifixion, Jesus basically said three times to the Father, “You love me.” He put on His bullet-proof ‘I am loved’ vest just before He charged hell to set captives free.
Perhaps you and I need to follow the Lord’s example and remind ourselves over and over that the Father loves the Son, and that He loves equally all those who are in the Son. Literally and amazingly, if Christ is in me, then God loves me just as much as He loves His firstborn Son.
Jesus closed His intimate prayer with these words: “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17:26, NIV) That staggers me. The love the Father has for the Son can literally be in me as well.
Life – Challenge: Write this note where you will see it. “God loves Jesus and me.” Say it several times today.