“God loves you as much as He loves Jesus,” I heard the preacher say. I couldn’t believe my ears.
Blasphemy! I thought.
Then he read a Bible verse. Surely this verse was not in my bible or I would know about it. I have been reading the Bible most of my life and I couldn’t recall reading the verse. He must have some newfangled Bible version that was pushing it too far.
I grabbed my Bible and looked for the suspicious verse.
“I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”
John 17:23 (NLT)
“You love them as much as you love me.”
There it was in black and white. Or red and white if you have a red-letter edition of the Bible because not only is this a Scripture in the Bible, but these are the very words of Jesus.
I have read the book of John many times, yet somehow this verse had never registered in my mind. But there it was; Jesus talking to His Father.
After some contemplation, it made perfect sense. God sent Jesus to earth to die for us, so in His mind, we were worth such a Sacrifice. In this He proved He loves us as much as He loves Jesus.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16 (NKJV)
Mind boggling, this love our Father has for us.
If we ever feel forgotten or unloved, we can revisit John 17:23 and be assured of God’s love for us.
He loves us as much as He loves Jesus.
He loves us so much, He gave Jesus.