John Chapter 15, Verse 9
From BibleWiki
9: καθως ηγαπησεν με ο πατηρ καγω ηγαπησα υμας μεινατε εν τη αγαπη τη εμη
9: As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye
in my love.
9: As the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you. Abide in my
love.
As the Father hath loved me. The love of the Father toward his only-begotten Son is the highest affection of which we can conceive. Comp. Mt 3:17, Mt 17:5. It is the love of God toward his coequal Son, who is like him in all things, who always pleased him, and who was willing to endure the greatest sacrifices and toils to accomplish his purpose of mercy. Yet this love is adduced to illustrate the tender affection which the Lord Jesus has for all his friends.
So have I loved you. Not to the same degree, for this was impossible, but with the same kind of love -- deep, tender, unchanging; love prompting to self-denials, toils, and sacrifices to secure their welfare.
Continue ye. The reason which he gives for their doing this is the strength of the love which he had shown for them. His love was so great for them that he was about to lay down his life.
In my love. In love to me. Thus it is expressed in the Greek in the next verse. The connection also demands that we understand it of our love to him, and not of his love to us. The latter cannot be the subject of a command; the former may. See also Lk 11:42 1Jn 2:5 Jude 1:21
