The Father Himself Loves You: The Glory of Returning to God
In John 16:26–28, Jesus proclaims a profound truth about the relationship between believers, Himself, and the Father: "In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
This passage unveils the glorious access granted to those who love Jesus and believe in His divine origin. No longer is there a veil between humanity and the Holy God.
The Father does not love us because of any merit of our own, but because we love His Son and believe in the truth of His mission—Jesus came from the Father into the world and returned in glory.
This promise echoes Hebrews 4:16, which encourages believers to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence,” and Romans 5:1-2, which declares that “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are not merely praying through a distant mediator—we are welcomed into the Father’s presence because we are united with Christ through faith and love.
Jesus emphasizes that the Father’s love is personal and relational. As 1 John 4:10 declares, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” And yet, this divine love becomes manifest in those who reciprocate it by loving Jesus and keeping His commands (John 14:21).
To truly understand the weight and promise of John 16:26–28, one must love God wholeheartedly and obey the teachings of Christ.
As Deuteronomy 6:5 commands, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Only those who walk in this deep communion with God can grasp the intimacy Jesus describes.
Jesus’ departure from the world is not abandonment but elevation—He returns to the Father so that believers may receive the Spirit (John 16:7) and live in divine fellowship. As John 14:23 says, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”
Only those who love God with all their heart and soul, keep Jesus’ commandments, and do the Father’s will can deeply comprehend and live out the revelation of John 16:26–28—the joyful assurance that the Father Himself loves us and welcomes us into His presence because of our love for His Son.
