Jesus: The Son of God's Love

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10)

Each of these verses tell us of the love that God has for all who are lost in sin. “While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” In this teaching, I would like to draw your attention to the love of God that was demonstrated in the death of Christ. Let’s begin by looking at Ephesians 2:4-7.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

The Amplified Version of verse 4 says, “But God- so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us,”

Think about that: Jesus gave Himself for you to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love that God has for you. God is satisfied. This is why I do not think that Christ’s death appeased God in the sense that we often consider appeasement.

The purpose of the death of Jesus was not to satisfy God’s anger against sin but rather to satisfy God’s love for the sinner.

Isaiah 53:12 says, “He shall see the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied.” It wasn’t his anger or His wrath but rather His love that was satisfied.

The Apostle John refers to Jesus as the Son of the Father in truth and love (2 John 3) and Paul calls Him God’s dear Son or the Son of His love as stated by the Amplified Bible (Colossians 1:13). Think about that - Jesus is the Son of our Father God’s love. God has a Son and He was born out of God’s love for you and me. Jesus was and is the perfect love of God personified. He was born into this world to reconcile us to God by taking away our sins.

“…God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Reconciliation is restoration. It is defined as “changing from enemies to friends.” When sin entered into the world through Adam, man spiritually died and became separated from God. I like to use the illustration of the light going off. The Bible says that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. Man was created to walk with God, but when sin entered into the world through Adam’s disobedience the light went out and man found Himself in darkness - a slave to sin and death and no longer able to see God in all of his goodness. Man could no longer see God in the light, for sin had brought death and darkness had blinded his eyes.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” ( Romans 5:12)

The phrase “for that all have sinned” is more literally translated “in whom all have sinned.” In Adam all have sinned. According to Romans 5, the effects of sin was catastrophic – death and condemnation came on all, and all became sinners. The effect of death, condemnation, and sin was that we all became by our very nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). We became children of disobedience (Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6). We became alienated and enemies in our minds by wicked works (Colossians 1:21).

Thank God for Jesus! In Him, the love of God prevailed over sin. Jesus turned the light back on. The Apostle John tells us in John 1:4-5, “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” The Amplified Bible says, “And the light shines on in the darkness and the darkness has never overpowered it.” In 1 John 1:5, the same John says, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Jesus brought the light of God back into the world so that “all men through Him might believe” (John 1:7). The Apostle Paul says, “[the Father] has delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). This “dear Son” is the same “Son of His dear love” – Jesus Christ!

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)

The “forgiveness of all trespasses” mentioned in verse 13 is described as “blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us.”

The Amplified Bible translated verse 13 as follows: Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the hand writing of the note with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us. This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of the way by nailing it to the cross.

Because of the blood of Jesus, our sins have been cancelled, blotted out, wiped away, and cleared completely, and God did this
• because of His love for us (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1John 4:9-10; Ephesians 1:4-5; Jeremiah 31:3).
• because of His good pleasure (Ephesians 1:9-11; Luke 2:14; 12:32; Hebrews 13:20, 21).
• to fulfill his plan and purpose (Ephesians 1;4,9-10; 2:10; 3:1-11; 1Peter 1:2, 18-20; 1Timothy 1:9-10; Romans 8:29).

Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. (Ephesians 1:4-5)

May the love of God and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.