40. The Wonderful Love—

John 15:9 (NRSV) As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; 

abide in my love.

Here Christ leaves the language of parable, and speaks plainly out of the Father. As much as this parable teaches us, it cannot teach the lesson of love. All that the vine does for the branch, it does under the compulsion of a law of nature: there is no personal living love to the branch. We are in danger of looking to Christ as a Saviour and a supplier of every need, appointed by God, accepted and trusted by us, without any sense of the intensity of personal affection with which Christ embraces us.

Christ seeks to point us to this.

Q: And how does He do so?

… He leads us once again to Himself, to show us how identical His Own Life is with ours. Even as the Father loved Him, He loves us. His life as Vine dependent on the Father was a Life in His Father's Love. That love was His Strength and His Joy. It was in the Power of that Divine Love resting on Him He lived and died. If we are to live like Him we must share in this also. Our life must have its breath and being in a Heavenly Love as much as His. What the Father's Love was to Him, His Love will be to us. If that Love made Him the True Vine, His Love can make us true branches. 

"Even as the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you."