“THE FATHER LOVES THE SON”

John 3:35; 5:19,20 to “himself does”; 21:15 to “… attached to thee” and footnote to “attached to”

I was encouraged by what our brother has said to bring before the brethren an impression we had on Lord’s day morning as to these two statements in John’s gospel, “The Father loves the Son”. How crucial these statements are. The fact that they are repeated in the gospel emphasises that. These verses came to mind as we were together to remember the Lord: “The Father loves the Son”. Think of the love of the Father for that One who is most precious to Him, that love resting freely upon the Son. I read from the note in chapter 21 because, as we know, the Bible that we have in our hands is a translation. Sometimes the original words convey differences of meaning that may not be obvious in the language in which we read the Bible normally. I think the note to John 21:15 (to “attached to”) is important in understanding these two verses in chapters 3 and 5.

In John 3:35, we read: “The Father loves the Son”, and the note makes clear that the word translated “love” there is ‘agapao’ in the original, which the note says is love as the ‘settled disposition of a person’, in this case, the settled disposition of God. Think of that settled disposition of His: “The Father loves the Son”. It is something that can never be gainsaid or taken away; it is settled. Flowing from that, we read that God “has given all things to be in his hand”. One of the results of that love of the Father for the Son is that “all things” have been given to Christ, to be in His hand.

Our brother has spoken about Joseph as a great type of the Lord Jesus, and has read in Hebrews about the Lord Himself. It says there that “we see not yet all things subjected to him, but we see Jesus” (ch.2:8,9). These words “not yet” are important because all things have been given into His hand. We can read about that in Corinthians: “Then the end, when he gives up the kingdom to him who is God and Father”, 1 Cor.15:24. We also read that “he must reign until he put all enemies under his feet. ... For he has put all things in subjection under his feet” (vv.25,26). We can anticipate that; we know from the Scriptures that all things being in subjection to Christ is already in God’s thoughts. It is as if it has already been done. I would suggest from this verse in John 3 that God’s thought to put all things in subjection to Christ flows from the love of the Father for the Son.

Think of that, the love of the Father for the Son! Think of the result, all that has been done, all that is placed in the hand of Christ, because “The Father loves the Son”, the Son of His love. Joseph, who has been spoken of, had great favour in his father’s sight. His brethren hated him for it, but here we read of the settled disposition of God the Father, which can never change or be taken away. “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things to be in his hand”. We see now something that soon the whole universe will be brought to see. As the objects of the Father’s love, and as appreciating the Father’s love for the Son, we can give “thanks to the Father, who has made us fit for sharing the portion of the saints in light, who has … translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love”, Col.1:12,13. It says that “we see not yet all things subjected to him” – in time all things will be subjected to Him. The whole universe will behold that One, the Son. All may not know Him in that way, but the name of the Father has been revealed to us, and so has the love of the Father for the Son. This is a wide thought of God’s love, the word ‘agapao’ suggesting His disposition. We see that wide thought, and we see the public, very wide effect that flows from it, that the Father “has given all things to be in his hand”.

In John 5 we read the Lord’s own words that He spoke: “For the Father loves the Son and shews him all things which he himself does”. The original word for “love” in this verse is ‘phileo’, which is the more intimate, intense thought described in the note we read. “The Father loves the Son”: think of that; such love in all its complacency resting on Christ, the love of the Father for the Son. What grace that we should even be presented in the Scriptures with these thoughts of the love of one divine Person for another. And yet we are brought in not only to know it as a fact, as something revealed in Scripture, but brought to share in the joy of that love, the secret of that love. I suggest that this scripture implies more of the secret side of love, the intimate side, the side of nearness. This is implied by the words which follow: it says, “and shews him all things which he himself does”. Every thought of God, every purpose of the Father, all that was in the Father’s heart has been brought to light by the movements of the Son, because Christ has been shown “all things which he himself does”. The Lord says, “The Son can do nothing of himself save whatever he sees the Father doing: for whatever things he does, these things also the Son does in like manner”. The Son is able perfectly to fulfil the will of the Father. He is the One whose devotion to the Father’s will was so perfect, the One in whom the Father delighted, the One who is shown the things that the Father does, and does them Himself in like manner. He is the Son of the Father’s love. What love exists between the Father and the Son!

We are brought into this intimate thought of the love of the Father. The note in chapter 21 refers back to John 16:27. It says there, “for the Father himself has affection for you”. That is again the Greek word ‘phileo’, the intimate, intense thought of love: “the Father himself has affection for you”. What affection is expressed in believers being spoken of as the brethren of our Lord Jesus Christ (see John 20:17; Rom.8:29; Heb.2:12). We are brought in to know that thought of being His brethren, of being made like Him. And if we are made like Christ, conformed to that One, the name of the Father must be made known to us. We have that in this gospel in that wonderful word of the Lord Jesus to Mary: “I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God” (chap.20:17). The Lord Jesus made known the Father’s name to His own, to those who are Christ’s and who are made like Christ. As a result, this secret side – the side of nearness and of intense affection of the Father for Christ’s own – is brought out.

What was secret is now made manifest. It has been expressed by Christ. It is all centred in Him. The love of the Father rests upon Him freely and we are brought in to share in that, brought near to the Father by Christ. How blessed these things are. I feel how poorly and feebly I can speak of them, but I bring these two verses before the brethren to encourage our hearts by these great thoughts. The settled love of the Father for the Son has resulted in everything being placed in Christ’s hand. Then Christ’s wonderful movements and activities, even His movements at this very moment where He is on high, appearing before the face of God for us (Heb.9:24), all flow from the things that the Father does and which He has shown to the Son – the result of that intense love of the Father for the Son.

I commend these thoughts to the brethren, for His name’s sake.

Edward McLaren

Words in a meeting for ministry, Kirkcaldy

31 July 2024

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