What Manner Of Love!

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. 1 John 3:1

I have been thinking a lot about this text recently.  Here we are called to "Behold", or as we would say:  "LOOK!"  I have been really "looking" at the thought God is trying to get across to me here and I share some of my insights with you. 

Usually in reading this text the thought we get seems to be: "look at how much love God has for us as revealed in His calling us His children."  We are reminded of the love God has shown us in sending His Son Jesus, as in John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...."  And the wonderful truth that if we believe in Him we can also be born into His family and be His children.  In many different ways God tells us this and it brings hope and assurance to us in our lives here on this earth.

But today I want us to think about  "what manner of love", the "what possible sort" or  "what is the way"  or  "how is God's love exhibited" - the "manner".

I have recently endeavored to show some of this in different ways.   Let me share another illustration that may help to show this.

Rose and I had not been married too long when one day I pulled the car door closed not realizing one of her fingers was partly in the jamb. As the door closed it caught the end of her finger.  I will never forget the look on her face that seemed to say: "you hurt me, how could you hurt me, you betrayed my trust in your loving care" as she began to cry from the pain.  I of course threw open the door and sought to comfort, apologize,  and console her.  But my main thought was that I never wanted to ever do anything to her that would ever bring a feeling of betrayal and pain such as I saw then on her face.

Now look at Jesus on the cross.  He hangs there suffering physically, yes, but even more is the mental agony.  He hears jeers, curses, perhaps the thief that did not ask for salvation said something like: "yeah, it's easy to promise pie in the sky, but why not save us now?" And then perhaps some choice words about fraud and charlatan.  Then Jesus hears the religious leaders say:  "He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God."  Matthew 27:43 

Oh how those words must have burned in the ears of Jesus as He hung there, because it was true - God would not have Him then. In Gethsemane, when Jesus fell dying to the ground as the weight of all sin was being laid on Him, God sent an angel to strengthen Him.  But the strengthening was so that He could drink the entire cup of God's wrath. {see DA 693} It was so He would not die then but would continue to live and suffer even more!  Now on the cross God was forsaking Him and punishing Him as His Righteous Wrath will eventually destroy all sin.  The cry of Jesus:  "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"(v.46)  was not make believe.  "He trod the winepress alone..."  He was forsaken by God!!!  There was no comforting thought, or impression, that God sent His Son to help Him in His suffering.  At that time God would not have Him.  He had not just taken my sin as a garment, but Scripture says "He became sin",  "For He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; 2 Corinthians 5:21  Sin is so horrible that it broke up the love and unity of the Divine Godhead.  That which the individual members of the Trinity had shared from all eternity was now broken as the Father punished the Son as He will punish all sin and those who cling to it.  No wonder the cross will be our science and song for all eternity.  I cannot comprehend these words I am typing. 

And all was done because of love for humans. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"  Romans 8:32   We who have chosen to sin are loved so much that all this was done: "That we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."  2 Corinthians 5:21

We are going to look at 1 John 3:1 some more, but for now I urge you:  Look at "what manner of love,"  how it has been exhibited, in what way has God revealed His love to us.  Spend time, a lot of time every day, thinking about it.  What is your response to this love?