Here’s a new concept.
John has already given all sorts of rationale to help his concerned
students grasp the concept that there is nothing to fear from Jesus and his
blossoming ministry. It’s his time to
shine. God has ordained it. As Jesus begins to broaden his ministry, it
becomes necessary for John’s ministry to take a back seat. All these are valid reasons for making room for
Jesus to take center stage in the master plan set in motion by the Father of
all.
But now John pulls out a trump card he has not used
yet. This does not make reference to
some divine declaration or master plan initiated by heaven. He simply says, “God loves his Son, and
because of this he gives him everything.”
Period. How do you argue with
that? God loves Jesus! It seems obvious, but now it becomes
foundational. All the evidence attesting
to the supremacy of Jesus as the Word of God, Son of God, God in the flesh,
take a back seat to the “love factor”.
When you begin to think about what John is saying it becomes
more than a bit difficult to grasp. Love
compels God the Father to place everything in Jesus hands. OK.
Everything? What does that
mean? Power? Glory?
Authority? All these are
appropriate. But this also means other
things are placed in Jesus’ hands.
Submission? Hunger?
Suffering? Pain? Death? These are also given to Jesus because
His Father loves him. Loves him enough
to give him these things? That does not
make sense. But loving Jesus is in the
truest sense loving himself, isn’t it?
He loves himself? And because he
loves himself he loves us. That’s the
great commandment turned back on itself.
He loves us as he loves himself.
God is once again modeling for us what he asks us to do—to love Him
above all things and to love our neighbor like ourselves. That’s pretty awesome.
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