Topical Bible: The Love of Christ: To the Father

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The love of Christ for the Father is a profound and central theme in the New Testament, reflecting the perfect unity and harmony within the Trinity. This love is characterized by obedience, submission, and a deep desire to glorify the Father. It serves as a model for believers, illustrating the ideal relationship between humanity and God.

Obedience and Submission

Christ's love for the Father is most clearly demonstrated through His obedience and submission to the Father's will. In the Gospel of John, Jesus frequently emphasizes His commitment to fulfilling the Father's commands. In John 14:31, Jesus states, "But I do exactly what the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the Father." This obedience is not out of compulsion but is a willing and loving submission, reflecting His deep love and respect for the Father.

Desire to Glorify the Father

Another aspect of Christ's love for the Father is His unwavering desire to glorify Him. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus consistently sought to direct attention and honor to the Father. In John 17:4, during His High Priestly Prayer, Jesus declares, "I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do." This statement underscores His dedication to fulfilling the Father's mission, thereby bringing glory to Him.

Unity with the Father

The love of Christ for the Father is also evident in the perfect unity they share. Jesus speaks of this unity in John 10:30, saying, "I and the Father are one." This oneness is not merely a unity of purpose but a profound relational unity that reflects the divine nature of the Trinity. The love between the Father and the Son is eternal and unbreakable, serving as the foundation for the redemptive work of Christ.

Expression in Prayer

Christ's love for the Father is frequently expressed through prayer. Jesus often withdrew to solitary places to commune with the Father, demonstrating His dependence and intimate relationship with Him. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prays, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39). This prayer reveals His willingness to submit to the Father's will, even in the face of immense suffering, out of love and trust.

Sacrificial Love

The ultimate expression of Christ's love for the Father is seen in His sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus willingly laid down His life in obedience to the Father's redemptive plan for humanity. In John 10:17-18, Jesus explains, "The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord." This sacrificial act is the culmination of His love and obedience, fulfilling the Father's will for the salvation of mankind.

Implications for Believers

The love of Christ for the Father serves as a model for believers, calling them to a life of obedience, submission, and a desire to glorify God. As followers of Christ, believers are encouraged to emulate His love by seeking to do the Father's will and living in unity with Him. The love of Christ for the Father is not only a theological truth but a practical guide for Christian living, inspiring believers to cultivate a deep and abiding love for God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 91:14
Because he has set his love on me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he has known my name.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 14:31
But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Christ Also Says, "If any Man Loves Me, My Father Will Love Him...
... Address 68: Christ also says, "If any man loves me, my Father will love
him? Christ also says, "If any man loves me, my Father ...
/.../address 68 0 0 christ also says.htm

"Love and I" --A Mystery
... Jesus would have it when he prays that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may
be in them, and I in them.'" His people love Christ as the Father loves him ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 28 1882/love and ia mystery.htm

Strength and Indwelling.
... "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our ... by His Spirit in the inner
man; that Christ may dwell ... that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be ...
/.../thomas/the prayers of st paul/viii strength and indwelling.htm

"Love that Passeth Knowledge. "
... yet, notwithstanding all our rebellion and foolishness, He says that if we are trusting
in Christ, the Father loves us as He loves the Son. Marvellous love! ...
/.../moody/the way to god and how to find it/chapter i love that passeth.htm

God's Love for Man
... Nothing less than the infinite sacrifice made by Christ in behalf of fallen
man could express the Father's love to lost humanity. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 1 gods love for.htm

Death and Life in Christ
... We look at Christ and we see justice, truth, power, love; we see the whole of the
divine attributes ... The immeasurable joy of Christ in his Father no tongue ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 9 1863/death and life in christ.htm

Introduction
... worthy of obtaining her every desire, worthy of being deemed holy, [819] and which
presides over love, is named from Christ, and from the Father, which I also ...
/.../ignatius/the epistle of ignatius to the romans/introduction.htm

Of Love to God
... love to God, that he will take the sacrificing knife, and let out Isaac's blood.
Our blessed Saviour speaks of hating father and mother (Luke 14:26). Christ ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/of love to god.htm

Have but one Eucharist, Etc.
... [908] Husbands, love your wives, as fellow ... Virgins, have Christ alone before your
eyes, and His Father in your prayers, being enlightened by the Spirit. ...
/.../chapter iv have but one eucharist.htm

Abstain from the Poison of Heretics.
... I therefore, yet not I, out the love of Jesus Christ, "entreat you that ye all speak
the same thing, and ... For they alienate Christ from the Father, and the ...
/.../the epistle of ignatius to the trallians/chapter vi abstain from the poison.htm