John 16:27—“For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
The Lord Jesus gave His disciples this remarkable assurance before He left the quietness of the upper room communion. Having encouraged them to pray confidently to the Father in His name, Christ now reveals the tender reason for that confidence. The Father does not receive believers reluctantly or merely through persuasion by the Son. Rather, “the Father himself loveth you”. This is a profound declaration of the Father’s personal affection for all who belong to Christ.
The Lord explains that the disciples’ love for Him and their faith in His divine mission distinguished them as God's redeemed people. Their love and faith were not the cause of the Father’s love in the ultimate sense, for God first loved His people before they ever loved Him (1 John 4:10, 19). Instead, their coming to the Father in love was evidence of their saving relationship with God through Christ. Those who truly believe that Jesus is the eternal Son sent by the Father will inevitably love Him (John 14:21, 23).
This verse also highlights the perfect harmony between the Father and the Son in the work of our redemption. The Father sent the Son in love (John 3:16), and those who receive the Son are welcomed into the Father’s own love and fellowship. There is no division of heart or purpose within the Godhead.
O what comfort this gives every believer! We approach God not as fearful strangers but as beloved children. The Father’s love assures us of His welcome, care, and faithful provision. Therefore, let us continue to love Christ, trust Him wholeheartedly, and draw near to the Father with joyful confidence, knowing that His everlasting love rests upon all who are united to His Son. As the Apostle John said in his first epistle, chapter 3, verse 1, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.”
