THE FATHER'S LOVE FOR SINNERS

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," JOH 3:16.

How can the human mind even attempt to fathom the love of the Father in giving His only begotten Son to redeem those who nailed Him to the tree?

While the Lord Jesus was hanging on the cross, He said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do," LUK 23:34a.

Do we realize it was for the very people who crowned Him with thorns and hung Him on the cross, mocking and scourging Him, that the Father gave His Son? How do we find words in our human vocabulary to express such love?

ACT 2:22-23 says, "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."

It was by God's "determinate counsel and foreknowledge" that His gift was given for His Son's bride; it shows the intimate love and relationship God had for His church before the world was ever created. Thereby He came to that determinate counsel to give His Son.

With wicked hands they crucified and slew the Lord of Life and Glory who demonstrated time and again that He was the Son of God.

Those were the same men who were pricked in their hearts, came to Peter, and said, "...Men and brethren, what shall we do?" ACT 2:37. Not only these men, but three thousand were added to the church in one day, ACT 2:41.

Can we fathom such love as the Father had from eternity that He predetermined in His counsel for such hell-deserving sinners?

He gave His Son for such scourging, mocking, and suffering. Why? He had an unspeakable love for you and me. We were among those who nailed Jesus to the cross; even though we weren't there in person, our wicked hands crucified Him; if we are saved, it was our sins that held Him to the cross.

By "...the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God," the Father decreed to allow His only begotten Son to stand in the sinners' room that they might stand in His.

2CO 5:21 says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Who made the Lord Jesus to be sin? It was God, the Father, who made His Son to be sin and to come under His own wrath; Jesus knew no sin, but He became sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Can you talk of the unspeakable gift He gave in giving His Son for your own soul? His Son was placed in our place—made sin before God's holy bar of justice so you and I can spend eternity in the Father's bosom with Him.

Oh!  What love! Remember the words of our text, "For God so loved..." and use this great love of God as a source of daily encouragement, humility and blessing.

Amen.