I was sitting across the table the other day from someone
who was talking about the technicalities of his work. Now, I have no personal
experience with his vocation nor have I ever spent any time learning about it.
So, while I played along, like I knew what we were talking about—head bobbing,
with an idiotic smile on my face, grunting at what I hoped were appropriate
moments—it was basically like hearing a foreign language. There were lots of
acronyms, technical terms, jargon, and shorthand phrases. That was OK. Often
when I get together with someone and they share about their work, my
inexperience with what they do every day means that I can’t always follow
everything. Usually, I get enough of the gist to know if they are happy or not,
and that helps me pray for and minister with them.
However, at the end of our meeting, this particular fellow
says something that sounds like: “Given what I do at work every day, I think
about your sermons like beedlebopinshine, ha, ha, ha!” Knowing nothing of his
work or what “beedlebopinshine” is, I was at a total loss, not sure if I had
been complimented or insulted.
In John 15, Jesus tells His disciples that He has loved them
“as the Father has loved me”. OK. On one level, I can understand that. That
makes sense. While we know little of the inner-workings of the Trinity, the
fact that the Father loves the Son is not surprising. And, in this passage,
Jesus is affirming to His disciples that He loves them like He is loved by the
Father. Most of us would be able to track with that—we love like we have been
loved. So, the fact that Jesus loves us like He is loved by the Father is
completely understandable.
So, that’s good—the Father loves the Son. Clear enough.
Until I slow down and think about it for a second… How DOES the Father love the
Son? Or, more accurately, how do I know
how the Father loves the Son? After all, I haven’t really seen it happening,
the Father loving the Son. Sure, I guess it happens, but I don’t know what that
is… do I? Thinking about it, it is suddenly “beedlebopinshine” all over again.
So, how does the Father love the Son? Here’s a big word (or
two): Theologians describe this by means of a Greek word, perichoresis, or its Latin equivalent, circumincession. Two big terms that refer to one marvelous
mystery—the fact that the Persons in the Godhead (the Father, Son, and Spirit)
all “mutually indwell” one another. That is, they each are so a part of the
other, that they are seen as permeating one another completely so that the one
is always in the other two. Yikes! Try wrapping your head around that one. The
existence of God, through all eternity, is such that the Persons of the Trinity
are different, yet totally mutually indwelling.
What does this mean for the love of the Father for the Son?
Well, that love is eternal. It always has been, and always will be. And, so is Jesus’
love for us. The Father’s love is constant and is never in doubt; so also
Jesus’ love for His followers. God’s love for His Son never falters. Jesus’
love for you never fails. The Father loves the Son as an expression of His
whole being (God is love); and that is how Jesus loves us.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” (John
15:9). What a great, great promise! Let us rejoice in that deep, abiding love
together.
As we prepare together for worship this Sunday, read John
15:9-17.
1. What is the connection between Jesus’ discussion of love
with the vine image that immediately precedes it?
2. What would “abiding in love” (John 15:9) look like? What
would NOT abiding in love look like?
3. What is the link between obedience and love as described
in this text? Look at the various ways it is spoken about.
4. In John 15:16, suddenly Jesus is talking about “choosing
me” and “choosing you”. How does this factor into His discussion of love?
5. The same question for prayer in John 15:16. It seems out
of place, no?
6. What is the difference between John 15:12 and John 15:17?
Notice that they don’t exactly say the same thing… what is different here, and
so what?
