The love of the Father for the Son is the ultimate of loves.
In John 17, the Lord Jesus speaks of the Father’s love for Him being before
the foundation of the world (v. 24), showing that it preceded all creation,
originating singularly in the Godhead, and being from eternity past. No other
love is like this—a love between the persons of the Godhead in eternity past.
The Father opened heaven twice to tell of this love that He has had for His Son:
"This is my Beloved Son in whom I have found my delight." (Mt 3:17,
17:5).
It is this love which the Lord Jesus uses to compare other
loves. He says, "Thou [the Father] hast loved them [the disciples], as
thou hast loved Me" (v 23). No greater statement could be made concerning
the Father’s love for us! The same love He has had for His Beloved Son, such
He has had for us, those He has chosen out of the world and given to His Son (v.
2, 6, etc). We would never dare to think this if it were not revealed in God’s
word; but it is true! And in this love we have seen His act, for "He has
not spared His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all" (Rom. 8:32)!
Again, in emphasizing the greatness of His love for His own,
the Lord Jesus uses the strongest of words, saying, "As the Father has
loved me, I also have loved you: abide in my love" (John 15:9). The love of
the Father for His Son has been extended towards us in every way and to its
fullest extent. The Father has loved us just as He has loved His Son, and the
Son has loved us just as the Father has loved Him.
And praise the Lord who does all things well, there is more!
The Lord Jesus says He has made known the Father’s name to the disciples
"and will make it known: that the love with which thou hast loved me may be
in them and I in them" (v. 26). Such a truth, if it were not said in the
Scripture, could never be imagined by a saint— that the very love of the
Father for the Son should be in me, so that I might love the Son as the Father
loves the Son! And such is the Son’s desire. What a glorious fellowship of
mutual love for the Lovely Son! "God is faithful, by whom ye have been
called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (I Cor.
1:9). He has given us the same Love for the Son, so that we might love Him as
well, and thus be full partakers in this glorious fellowship of love.
The Father has loved the Son. The Father has loved us as He
has loved His Son. The Son has loved us as the Father has loved Him. And the
love with which the Father has loved His Son is given to be in us. What a
glorious place we have! What marvelous ways God has!