The Lord God Almighty, our Heavenly Father, had it in His heart to provide a Savior for all mankind.\u00a0\u00a0A\u00a0Redeemer who would save us from eternal damnation and would be THE Way to eternal life and grace for all time.\u00a0 God purposed throughout mankind\u2019s history to bring His plan into existence.\u00a0 Nothing ever thwarted or deterred our God from bringing His perfect plan\u2014a plan of love and grace\u2014into fruition. And His Son, our Lord, willingly sacrificed Himself to execute His Father\u2019s plan.<\/p>\n
From early in His earthly ministry, Jesus told His disciples about this.<\/p>\n
…but there is One Who has come down from heaven\u2014the Son of Man God\u2019s Son came to the earth and lived His life on this earth single-mindedly to do His Father\u2019s Will.\u00a0 God\u2019s plan was one of Love, and Jesus\u2019 life was all about Love\u2014Love to the end<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n [Now] before the Passover Festival began, Jesus knew (was fully aware) Jesus purposed to share a final last meal and communicated many important things with those closest to Him.\u00a0 The Gospel of John records just some of Jesus\u2019 words to them (and to us) that He spoke during this Last Supper just prior to His betrayal, His persecution, and His death.\u00a0 He spoke to them (recorded in chapter 13) about loving one another in the same way that He had shown His love to them (verses 2-19), and demonstrated it through the lowly task of washing their feet…He clearly pointed out exactly who His betrayer was (verses 20-31)…He again commanded them to love one another (verse 34).<\/p>\n In chapter 14, Jesus shares with them about the Comforter\u2014the holy spirit\u2014Who He was sending to take His place.<\/p>\n In chapter 15, Jesus shows the importance of dwelling with<\/b> Him and abiding in<\/b> Him.\u00a0 He talked with them in so much detail about His and the Father\u2019s love…and how our love toward Them is proven by our obedience.<\/p>\n In chapter 16, Jesus is deeply concerned that they will be prepared for His leaving.\u00a0 He communicates, with encouragement as well as admonition, as He tells them again about the Comforter.<\/p>\n And in chapter 17, Jesus prays for them.\u00a0 We \u2018hear\u2019 as He speaks with the Father of His great concern and love that He had for them.\u00a0 How beautifully and compassionately He asks the Father to care for them.\u00a0 He truly loved them to the end<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n And, wondrously, He even spoke of us:<\/p>\n Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], Our Lord, Who knew exactly what was transpiring and how His betrayal was imminent prayed these final words for them:<\/p>\n I in them and You in Me, Perhaps this coming week as we are contemplating and considering just what it took for God to fulfill our redemption through our Lord\u2019s suffering and death, you could read the Gospel of John, chapters 13 through 17.\u00a0 Nowhere else in the Scriptures, is so much communicated to help us know beyond a shadow of a doubt of our Father\u2019s and our Lord\u2019s unconditional love<\/strong><\/em> for us.\u00a0 Our Lord\u2019s entire life was all about love<\/em><\/strong>…and He truly and completely and perfectly loved us to the end<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n
\nAnd just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert [on a pole],
\nso must [so it is necessary that] the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross],
\nIn order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him]
\nmay not perish, but<\/i> have eternal life and<\/i> [actually] live forever!
\nFor God so greatly loved and<\/i> dearly prized the world
\nthat He [even] gave up His only begotten Son,
\nso that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him
\nshall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
\nFor God did not send the Son into the world
\nin order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world,
\nbut that the world might find salvation and<\/i> be made safe and<\/i> sound through Him.
\nJohn 3:13-17<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nthat His hour had come to depart from this world and<\/i> return to the Father.
\nHaving loved those who were His own in the world, He loved them to the end<\/strong><\/em>.
\nJohn 13:1<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nbut also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me
\nthrough their word and<\/i> teaching,\u00a0\u00a0 That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You,
\nthat they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and<\/i> be convinced
\nthat You have sent Me. (verses 20 and 21)<\/p>\n
\nin order that they may become one and<\/i> perfectly united,
\nthat the world may know and<\/i> [definitely] recognize
\nthat You sent Me and that You have loved<\/strong><\/em> them
\n[even] as You have loved<\/em> <\/strong>Me.
\nFather, I desire that they also
\nwhom You have entrusted to Me [as Your gift to Me]
\nmay be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory,
\nwhich You have given Me [Your love<\/em> <\/strong>gift to Me];
\nfor You loved Me<\/em><\/strong> before the foundation of the world.
\nO just and<\/i> righteous Father, although the world has not known You
\nand<\/i> has failed to recognize You and<\/i> has never acknowledged You,
\nI have known You [continually];
\nand these men understand and<\/i> know that You have sent Me.
\nI have made Your Name known to them
\nand<\/i> revealed Your character and<\/i> Your very Self,
\nand I will continue to make [You] known,
\nthat the love which You have bestowed upon Me
\nmay be in them [felt in their hearts]
\nand that I [Myself] may be in them.
\n(verses 23-26)<\/p>\n