Who Is Building Your House?

Some thoughts on Father's Day...

Psalm 127:1–5 (NKJV)

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

Unless the Lord guards the city,

The watchman stays awake in vain.

2 It is vain for you to rise up early,

To sit up late,

To eat the bread of sorrows;

For so He gives His beloved sleep.

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,

So are the children of one’s youth.

5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;

They shall not be ashamed,

But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.  

• Your house/dynasty will not be defined by your labor, but by God's.
• Any perceived gains are only gains so long as the Lord protects them.
• Hard work and diligence are not the most important thing. Trusting in God, allows us opportunity to relax.
• God's greatest earthly gift to us is our children.
• Children are weapons. Be careful where you aim them.

How Many Resurrections Are There?

What Does The Bible Say?

The promise of Jesus' coming is a great blessing to believers who are living on that day. But what about the dead? One might live one hundred years, and die the day before the Lord comes, and miss that blessing. But those believers who have died aren't left out in the cold. The Lord promises them a blessing all their own. Resurrection!

The resurrection is plainly is described as necessarily preceding the catching up (rapture) of the saints in Paul's first letter to the church at Thessalonica.


1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (NKJV)

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.  

In this passage we're told of a single resurrection. Paul's purpose here was to remind this church that those who they had lost in death were in a way would not be short changed in the least at Jesus' coming. In fact, they take precedence over living saints in order of rapture. While the passage defines order, it doesn't speak directly to when on the larger scale.

However among the Jews, those who had not been led astray by the Sadducees, there was indeed believe in a coming resurrection. And they did have an idea when it would occur. They expected it on the last day. Consider Jesus' conversation with Martha concerning the resurrection.


John 11:20–24 (NKJV)

20 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”  

Martha only seems concerned with a single resurrection. And she is confident that Lazarus will rise on the last day. Why did she thing that? Likely because the books of Isaiah and Daniel both prophesied of a time of great stress on God's people to be consummated with the resurrection of the dead.


Isaiah 26:16–19 (NKJV)

16 Lord, in trouble they have visited You,

They poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them.

17 As a woman with child

Is in pain and cries out in her pangs,

When she draws near the time of her delivery,

So have we been in Your sight, O Lord.

18 We have been with child, we have been in pain;

We have, as it were, brought forth wind;

We have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth,

Nor have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

19 Your dead shall live;

Together with my dead body they shall arise.

Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust;

For your dew is like the dew of herbs,

And the earth shall cast out the dead.  

Daniel 12:1–3 (NKJV)

1 “At that time Michael shall stand up,

The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;

And there shall be a time of trouble,

Such as never was since there was a nation,

Even to that time.

And at that time your people shall be delivered,

Every one who is found written in the book.

2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,

Some to everlasting life,

Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

3 Those who are wise shall shine

Like the brightness of the firmament,

And those who turn many to righteousness

Like the stars forever and ever.  

So, Isaiah and Daniel both describe a time of trouble, both using language of Jesus' discourse in Matthew 24 in referencing birth pangs and a time of trouble like has never been before. What follows in Isaiah is the Lord coming "...out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity" followed by the restoration of Israel. Daniel is actually given some time frames.


Daniel 12:12–13 (NKJV)

12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.

13 “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.  

Both Isaiah and Daniel were expecting to be resurrected at the end of this period right before the Lord came to fight for them. For them, it was the last day. So its quite understandable why when the Jews spoke of the resurrection, they looked to the last day. Jesus didn't correct Martha's understanding of the resurrection coming on the last day. In fact, he reaffirmed it.

John 6:38–40 (NKJV)

38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”  

Jesus teaches that those who believe in Him will be raised the last day. Same author. Same book. Five chapters apart. We can't get into Martha's head, but she likely expected her brother's resurrection to be at the same time as Isaiah's and Daniel's. And by the consistent use of the phrase, we can probably conclude that whatever Martha meant by the last day is what Jesus meant by the last day.

Jesus' teaching on resurrection also expands on what Daniel had said about two resurrections, one to everlasting life, and the other to shame and everlasting contempt.


John 5:28–29 (NKJV)

28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.  

Luke 14:14 (NKJV)

14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”  

At this point, there really hasn't been put any sort of time gap between these two resurrections. If these were the only passages to study, one might easily conclude a single "general resurrection",  whose outcome was different for different people. But it has been divided into two ideas. A resurrection to life and a resurrection to condemnation.

Paul speaks of the resurrection this way and gives this sequence: Christ's resurrection, those who belong to Jesus' resurrection, the Kingdom which he identifies with the end. What do you call the day of the end? The last day?


1 Corinthians 15:22–24 (NKJV)

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.  

We find the greatest clarity of these two resurrections being separated in time in the book of Revelation.


Revelation 20:4–6 (NKJV)

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.  

If one accepts these words literally, then the gap of time between resurrections becomes clear. These souls, who at least some of which had gone through the tribulation, live! And everyone else, the rest of the dead, won't be resurrected for a thousand years.  Then John says, this is the first resurrection. Are there any resurrections before the first resurrection?

Which brings the beginning passage back into view. The rapture is no doubt described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, since the catching up there is the very source of its usage in English. But the catching up can not happen, except something else happen first. Resurrection. Does the resurrection described here happen before the first resurrection of Revelation 20? How many resurrections does the Bible speak of? A resurrection unto life and one unto condemnation would be two resurrections. Is the resurrection in Revelation 20 a latter phase of a previous, truly first resurrection? How many phases are there?

Its something to think about. What does the Bible say? How many resurrections are there?

Are the Rapture and the Return of Christ the Same Event?

Dare To Ask The Question

The goal here is not to definitively answer the question, "Are the Rapture and the Return of Christ the Same Event?" Rather, it is to entertain the question as one worth asking. So, does it matter? It does. If the Return of Christ is the same event as the Rapture, then believers should be prepared to recognize the man of sin when he is revealed and be prepared to suffer his wrath. If the two events straddle the tribulation period, then believers can be certain that no matter how many of the Antichrist's characteristics a world leader may fulfill, if they have yet to be raptured, then it certainly cannot be him. 

Once an opinion is formed, the question doesn't get asked. Among a certain crowd, such a question is near heresy. But believers opinions and feelings should always be pushed into the background, so the Bible can speak. And if the Bible does not come out and explicitly say that the two are one in the same nor that they are separate events, believers should look at what the Bible does say. And what the Bible does say about the Rapture does sound at least similar to what it says about the Return of Christ.

The Parousia

First, both the Rapture and the Return of Christ are referred to as Jesus' "coming". When used like this, it is not an action, but an event. It is not saying "Jesus is coming", but rather something about "Jesus' coming". The word that is translated that way is the Greek word parousia.

From the Lexham Theological Wordbook:

παρουσία (parousia). n. fem. presence, arrival, advent. In the New Testament, it can refer to the future arrival and presence of Jesus at the end of the age.

This word has a general sense of “presence” or “arrival” (i.e., becoming present). In non-Christian literature it sometimes has the special sense of a visit from an important figure, such as royalty or a deity. In the New Testament it sometimes refers to merely human visits (e.g., 1 Cor 16:17, Phil 1:26), but often has a specialized sense referring to the advent of Christ’s presence. Christ’s coming (parousia) will be obvious (Matt 24:27; 2 Thess 2:1) and sudden (Matt 24:37–39), though with some warning signs (Matt 24:3). This advent (parousia) will be for judgment (e.g., 2 Thess 2:8; 2 Peter 3:11–12), and believers should be prepared so they can be blameless and rejoice at Christ’s arrival (parousia; e.g., 1 Thess 2:19; 3:13; 4:15); in the meantime, they wait patiently for it (Jas 5:7–8; 2 Peter 3:4).

Austin, B. M. (2014). Divine Presence. D. Mangum, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, & R. Hurst (Eds.), Lexham Theological Wordbook. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

• Rapture Passages
• For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 1 Thessalonians 4:15 (NKJV)
• Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 Thessalonians 2:1 (NKJV)
• And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (NKJV)
• Return of Christ Passages
• For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Matthew 24:27 (NKJV)
• For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 1 Corinthians 15:22–23 (NKJV)

Trumpets

Trumpets figure prominently into the Bible's description of the Rapture and of the Return of Christ.

• Rapture Passages
• in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:52 (NKJV)
• For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NKJV)
• Return of Christ Passages
• And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31 (NKJV)
• So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. ...Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” Revelation 8:6, 11:15 (NKJV)

Clouds

Jesus is coming in the clouds! At the Rapture. And at the Return of Christ!

• Rapture Passages
• Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NKJV)
• Return of Christ Passages
• Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory Matthew 24:30 (NKJV)
• Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 1:7 (NKJV)
• Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. Revelation 14:14 (NKJV)

Angels

Angelic beings are named in both the Rapture and the Return of Christ.

• Rapture Passages
• For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NKJV)
• Return of Christ Passages
• And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31 (NKJV)
• For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 (NKJV)
• And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Revelation 14:15 (NKJV)

Gathering Together

Finally, at both the Rapture and the Return of Christ, Jesus will gather his people together.

• Rapture Passages
• Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NKJV)
  Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 Thessalonians 2:1 (NKJV)
• Return of Christ Passages
• And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31 (NKJV)
• And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Revelation 14:15 (NKJV)

His coming, trumpets, clouds, angels, and gatherings, oh my! Please note, this is not an answer to the question, "Are the Rapture and the Return of Christ the Same Event?" But it does demonstrate there are a great number of common elements in the descriptions of both events. Are they the same event? This is a conclusion that an individual will need to come to as they study everything the Bible has to say on the subject(s). But given the similarities, it would seem absurd not to at least ask the question. 

Feeding and Following - Signs You Love Jesus

Do you love Jesus? Of course you do! But do you really? How can you tell? 

We love lots of things. I love ice-cream. I love the Ford Mustang. I love the Galaxy S4. So adding Jesus to such a list seems like a no brainer. Of course I love Jesus. But what do I mean? That I like Him? That I enjoy Him? 

Love is more than a confession. A man who beats his wife may express words of "love" when the morning comes. But does he really "love" her? Love that can only be stated but not seen isn't real love at all. Love means affection, fondness, and preference (See 1 Corinthians 13 for a full definition). And our choices will reveal what we have affection for, what we are fond of, and what we prefer.

So, do you love Jesus? You can tell by whether you do what he says to do. If his commands guide you. If finding yourself in disobedience grieves you. If His words motivate you to action. Then confessional love becomes visible and tangible.

Jesus teaches Peter exactly this lesson on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias after His resurrection. After a night of fruitless fishing, the disciples find the risen Lord waiting for them on the shore. They catch 153 of fish at Jesus' command. Peter jumps ship as he rushes to see his master.

After enjoying a meal together, Jesus asks Peter a question, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" Peter replies in the affirmative, to which Jesus commands, "Feed My lambs." The formula is repeated no less than three times. Jesus and Peter use variations of the words "love" (agapao, phileo), "feed/tend", and even different "sheep/lambs." No doubt there are some subtle nuances to these words - but step away from the lexicon for a second.

Do you love me? Serve others.
Do you love me? Serve others.
Do you love me? Serve others.

Three times, Jesus drives this home. I am of the opinion, that he is referring to the fish when he asks, "more than these." Peter was at a crossroads. He had been on an amazing spiritual journey. He had witness amazing things. And now, things were about to get real normal, real fast. The Lord would soon ascend. Persecution would become great. And Peter would have to choose a route. He could fish... or he could feed. And his choice would be the revelation of his love toward Jesus.

Simple application. If you love Jesus, it will be visible in your service to others. In fact, we can be a little more concrete. If you love Jesus, it will be evident in your service to his church. "My sheep," right? "My lambs." The old argument of "I love the Lord, but I can't stand His people," is not only wrong thinking, its an out and out lie. If we aren't looking to the needs of His people, then we aren't loving Jesus. Our mouth can say whatever it likes, but our actions betray us.

Jesus asked him three times. It appears that the third question reminded Peter of his previous denial. It hurt. Peter testifies - he's more of a feeder than a fisher - and appeals to the omniscience of Christ. The Lord who knew everything, surely knew the depths of Peter's soul. So Jesus give Peter a personal glimpse into the future. He would grow old, and then he would be killed. Executed, likely by crucifixion, "another will gird" him, and carry him, "where you do not wish." At the possibility of death, Peter had ultimately fled at Jesus' arrest. Now, it is certain. He will die in a horrible fashion. The very Lord that he just testified to "know all things," had told him so.

After assuring him of his death, Jesus says, "Follow me." There is only one reason why Peter would embrace this. He loved the Lord more than he loved his own life. He loved the Lord in spite of anything and everything. And losing all, he would gain everything.

Absolute abandonment to Christ. We don't give a lot of time to subjects like that. Telling people they may have to sacrifice everything may scare them off. Plus, it may ring shallow, as we live in such a time of abundance and comfort, that we are merely tossing around impossible scenarios. But whether we have much or we have little - we must put someone first in our lives. Is it ourselves? Some ideology? Some person or group of people? Or is it Jesus?

Peter's course was not changed by the 153 fish in the net. He was facing pain and hurt. Indeed the Bible teaches that "...all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." (2Ti 3:12) One way or another, we all find our way out of this life. We all have our low spots, no doubt some lower than others. Most of us don't foolishly assume that good fortune today, means good fortune forever. Absolute abandonment to Christ means that there "ain't no mountain high enough... ain't no river wide enough" to separate you from Jesus' love.

Peter's final plea - what about this other guy? He's referring to John. Peter had just learned he would die a brutal death, and he began to do what we often do, compare himself to others. What about John? Would he be killed too? Perhaps Peter was simply looking for a little fellowship in his fate. Maybe he was just curious. Whatever it was, it didn't matter. Jesus suggested that even if John lived until the second coming, "what is that to you." And He repeated His previous command, "You follow Me."

The fact that we let other people become a barrier to our service to God is one of the great tragedies in the Lord's churches today. Some people leave church because of a person. Some won't go to church because of the people there. At its essence, the argument is thus: Lord, my distaste for these individuals is greater than my love for You. So much of what goes on among God's people is the result of focusing on the service of others rather than ourselves. So what if the other person doesn't give like they aught to? Are you giving? Then why concern yourself with them? So what if another person seems to have it easy, while you are hurting? Is your hope in the Lord? Then why concern yourself with them?

Peter wasn't wishing John ill. But he was introducing an unnecessary element into his service to Christ. He loved Jesus, so he was to serve in His church. He was to follow Jesus, even though it meant certain death. And no other individual played any factor in what Peter was to do.

This is a valuable lesson. Do you love Jesus? Then serve in His church. Follow Him, no matter what that means, abandoning yourself to Christ. And don't let the situation of individuals get in the way of your service.

Do you love Jesus, then feed and follow.

Jesus Prays Promises - Will the Father give the Son a serpent when He asks for fish?

The prayers of Jesus are promises. What father gives his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or a stone when he asks for bread? The fervent prayer of our the Righteous One can not be to no avail. Indeed everything Jesus asked was according to God's will. So, for God to deny the prayers of Jesus would be to deny Himself as well. Of course, Christ's deity makes this all the more apparent.

So, if Jesus' prayers are promises, what has he promised? John 17 offers some timely and applicable guarantees that we can take to the bank.



1. Future Believers
This does not begin a new prayer, for a new group of people, rather it imposes the supplications made on the current generation of believers on all future generations of believers. So all that was said previous is equally applied forward, including:

• His Glorification - It may seem like this isn't for us as much as it is for Jesus. But ultimately, we are the beneficiaries here. What does it mean for Jesus to be "glorified" - ultimate honor. Just as he gave the Father ultimate honor though his life and love and obedience, the Father would give Jesus the ultimate honor in raising Him from the dead, putting him at His right hand, and giving him authority over everything.
• Our Security - We may have confidence in hope, because it is completely of Divine origin. We are kept by God. If we were kept by anything else, it would be sure to fail. Eventually, everything fails. Cars, building, our bodies, even our character falters from time to time. But not God. You are secure as God is true.
• Our Joy - Certain resurrection from the dead and eternal life in the presence of God seems like enough to make us happy. But we often focus on the fact that they cancelled Jericho or how we feel. Jesus wants his joy in us. The joy, that when set before him allowed him to endure the cross. That's what we've been given. The joy we have!
• Our Protection - The evil one desires to sift us, devour us even. He tries and works at it. But he cannot have us. We are kept from power of Satan. Our souls belong to another.
• Our Sanctification - Jesus wants us to be completely set apart from the fallen world. So he doesn't simply command us to "be sanctified." He trusts it in the hands of the Father. Our sanctification is the outworking of God living in us. It can't be cultivated from the outside, but rather grows from the inside out. 
• Our Unity - Jesus desires a oneness between us. And this oneness can't be based on things like our character, behavior, or even our ideas. In fact, as we often observe, these things fail. Divorce, war, fist-fights, court cases. But though the name of God, we can be united.

2. Our Witness
How will it come to pass that there will be a future generation of believers? Through the word of this generation. That formula still applies today. Those who will one day believe in Jesus will do so through our witness.

Through the power of witness, generation after generation of believers will enjoy a certain oneness. This oneness transcends space, time, genetic makeup, and culture. It is found in the Father and the Son, or "Us" from Jesus' perspective. So no matter your location on the planet, the century your were born in, the color of your skin, or the practices of your people, you enjoy oneness with all those who put their faith in Jesus.

It seems it would take an impressive power to accomplish something like this, making masses of individuals united in faith and practice. What tool can produce results? Jesus accomplished it with "glory". By giving us glory, the same glory that the Father had given him, Jesus made it possible and indeed proper for us to be bound together across all conceivable boundaries. Its his life, his word, his resurrection that gives power and unity to our life, our word, and someday our resurrections.

He then expresses a formula backward from what we've seen before. In John 14:20, Jesus expressed that Jesus is in the Father, and that believers are in Jesus. Now he turns it around. Jesus in us, God in Jesus. How can it be both ways? Only if there is oneness. If there is truly oneness, then it doesn't matter how you express it. Jesus is in Us. We are in God. God is in us. We are in Jesus. It all means the same thing, if we are experiencing an eternal and righteous life.

The purpose of this witness? To inform the world. Our witness is found both in the form of our word and in the unity by which exhibit. So, why let doctrinal differences divide us? Well, if our word doesn't match, then what is our basis for unity?

3. Our Presence
Jesus wants us with him. I usually think it the other way around. I want to be with Jesus. And of course I do. But Jesus wants me to be with him. That's awesome!

He wants us to observe the high honor that God has bestowed on him. Isn't this where we see God's love, in Jesus? God loved Jesus. A radical, crazy love that seems hard for us to comprehend. Whats so radical and crazy about it? Think about what God did. He sent His son to die for the sins of the world. To let his Son be the sin-bearer. To take the penalty for sin. To die for sin. So there you had all the sin in the world - everything God hates -  layed upon this man, and he's lying dead in the ground. And God loves him. God doesn't stop loving him. This Father, never stops loving.

And this is Jesus' message. His declaration. His prayer. His promise. The love - that radical, crazy love - that the Father had for the Son - may be in you. We know that - experience it even - when the Son is in us.