The Depth of His Love

The Mariana Trench is the deepest point on Earth—36,000 feet into the heart of the Pacific Ocean. The Veryovkina Cave goes 7,000 feet into the heart of the earth. The Dead Sea sits 1,400 feet below sea level. These are plumbable depths. They can be measured.

But there is a depth in John 15:9 that cannot be plumbed.

Scripture Focus: John 15:9; John 13:1; 1 John 4:7-11

"Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love."

"Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end."

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God."

Jesus says in John 15:9, "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you."

Think about that. How much does God the Father love God the Son? Well, that's the God who is love—from everlasting to everlasting, He is love before there was anyone else to love but God. The Father loves the Son infinitely, perfectly, boundlessly.

And Jesus says, "Just as the Father has loved Me—I have also loved you."

That is not a depth we can plumb. And your strength and vitality as a Christian is inevitably going to be anemic if you have a shallow understanding of God's love for you.

This whole section of Scripture since John 13:1 is saturated and marinated with this reality. It says Jesus, "having loved His own who were in the world, loved them to the end"— meaning, "to the max", eis telos, no more love to offer. He wasn't rationing off His love. He was extending it to the max.

And He demonstrates that love as He stoops down—think about this—the Creator of the universe taking off His outer robe, girding Himself with a towel, on His knees before His disciples, scrubbing the grime between their toes. This is a task not even required of a servant. This was the work of a slave.

And then from that posture He gives them a command: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you."

Love is all over this section. John 14:21, 14:23, 14:28, 14:31, 15:9, 15:12. Over and over. Because no matter how many times we are told to love one another, we are prone to live in disobedience to the simplicity of that command.

Here is how First John 4:11 puts it: "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." It's logical. It makes sense. It's reasonable.

You've been loved like the Father loves the Son. And Jesus says, "Abide in My love." Don't go far from this. Don't go a day without this. The love of God for Christians becomes the love of God between Christians.

Stay dialed in