Oh How He Loves Me

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/qxxaL)

“For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came out from God.”

John 16:27

It’s the central Truth on which everything else hinges.

Everything was in an uproar.  It seemed like every which way they turned there was growing unrest and opposition to them.  And, in some ways it seemed like Jesus was bent on self-destruction, especially after having openly returned to Jerusalem, knowing that the chief priests and Pharisees wanted to get rid of them all (Jn. 11:8, 16, 45-57; 12:10-11).

Yet, Jesus seemed unfazed by it all.

Instead of getting upset by the threats, He seemed like a “Man on a Mission,” calmly and quietly going about His way and continuing to teach them of deep, spiritual truths they couldn’t quite grasp.  They also noticed there was a sort of “faraway look” in His eyes that night in the upper room as He talked about His Home and how He would soon be “going to prepare a place for them” (Jn. 14:1-3).

But, again, there was no heightened tone of anxiety in His Voice.

Neither was their the look of terror in His Eyes.

Instead, there was “Peace, not as the world gives” (Jn. 14:27a).

And He wanted them to experience it, too (Jn. 14:27b).

So, He talked to them about “abiding in Him” (Jn. 15:1-7).  He talked about their unique Love relationship and why they shouldn’t be distressed when others “hated them for no reason at all” (Jn. 15:12-25).  He talked about the “coming Comforter Who’d guide them into all Truth” (Jn. 15:26; 16:7, 13), Who’d also convict them of “their sins, their need of Righteousness and Judgment to come” (Jn. 16:8-11).

But, it was His comments on “in a little while you shall not see Me and, again, in a little while you shall see Me” that really got their attention (Jn. 16:16-18).  That’s why Jesus became much more direct in His dialogue and spoke plainly to them (vv.19-30).  He knew in the midst of their perplexity and confusion they needed to have one simple, bedrock Truth to cling to.

And, it was today’s Manna:  “For the Father Himself loves you.”

Then He told them why:  “Because you have loved Me and have believed that I came out from God.”  Glory!!

Do you see it, Pilgrim?

What a simple wondrous Truth!  The Father loves us simply because we love the One He sent to us from Heaven.  And, what a wonderful Love it is!  This same God Who gave a caterpillar 228 separate and distinct muscles in its head and around six million leaves to the average elm tree is the same One Who’s set His Love on you and you and you and me.  Hallelujah!!  Why not spend a few minutes right now basking in this Love and the assurance that He’ll “never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5b)?  Then, find someone else today and let them know He loves them, too.

By Tom Smith Morning Manna Dated June 17, 2010