I am your Father and I love you
even as I love my Son, Jesus.

John 17:23
May they be brought to complete unity
to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them
even as you have loved me.
(NIV Bible)

It is easy for us to understand why God the Father would love His precious Son, Jesus. After all, He is the ideal Son that any Father would be proud of. He was sinless and perfect in every way and obedient to His Father's every wish, even when it meant yielding to His Father's will and dying on a cross.

In response to His Son's obedience, God gave Him a name that is above every name on earth or in heaven and declared to the universe. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased". Theirs is the ultimate love relationship...The perfect Son and the perfect Father.

It is easy for us to understand the Father's love for His Son, for His Son was worthy of such an incredible love. But in his final High Priestly Prayer before going to the cross, Jesus prays a prayer that will absolutely rock our concept of God's love for us. He prayed that we might know that God loves us even as He loves His only Son!

Because of the cross, we have the privilege to share in the same relationship with the Father that Jesus has had from the beginning. When the Father looks at us, He sees the life of His beloved Son! He declares over us the same words He declared over Jesus. "This is my beloved son/daughter in whom I am well pleased".

We may not be able to comprehend this incredible love, and it is not something that we could ever earn, but it is ours nonetheless through Jesus Christ. It is true that Father loves you and I even as He loves Jesus!

PRAYER
Father, I am thankful that You love me even as You love Your Son Jesus. I cannot grasp this amazing truth in my own understanding, but by faith I believe it to be true. I pray that I will be rooted and grounded in Your love and that I will be able to comprehend how deep and high and wide and long is Your love for me expressed in Your son, Jesus Christ. In the name of Your beloved Son Jesus I pray, AMEN.