Grandpa Yahweh loves me

One of the thrills I enjoy as a grandfather is the open-hearted love from my grandchildren. I recounted in an earlier column how my granddaughter was flying to visit us and told her mom, “that’s Grandpa Ken; he loves me.” I can only wish Grandpa Yahweh hears the same sentiments echoed from me.

Jesus’ declaration “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11) leads me to wonder about God’s boundless love for us. As a grandfather, I can understand better how the Father loves me.

When I ponder the love of a grandparent for a grandchild some truths reveal themselves. As a parent we feel great love for our children, our flesh and blood. So it’s easy to understand God’s love for Jesus, his son. But then we puzzle, how can God sacrifice his own Son and have him suffer such a cruel death?

God must have a great love for us. He must feel a great bond with us. We must be like family to him. That might help us understand the sacrifice of a son or daughter for their children. This is the great self-sacrificing love of a husband and wife for each other and for their children.

Notice the close bond; how Jesus loves us in this analogy – we are a son or daughter to him. And that makes God as dear as a grandfather or grandmother to us. “That’s Grandfather Yahweh. He loves me!”

We come closer to understanding God’s love for us when we ponder the great “I ams” declared by Jesus: “I am” the Good Shepherd, the Bread of Life, the Gate, the Vine, the Door, the Light and the Way.

So often it seems like we fail to “get it”. Perhaps we just need to remind ourselves by letting the Word of God speak to us through scripture.

Everything on this earth pales when compared to the love of the creator for us. God’s love for us is more than the human bond we get to experience as parents.

God loved us when we were sinners. No human failings can stop God’s love for us. The only obstacle to God’s love is our freedom. We can choose to miss out on this great relationship.

Jesus tells us how we are connected to God through Christ. Christ is the vine that feeds us the living water. Christ is the bread that nourishes us. Christ is the door that opens to heaven; he is the way to the father.

And when we are lost, Christ is the light in the darkness. He is the shepherd who will seek us, find us, and sacrifice even his life to protect us. How can we miss out on this message of love Jesus came to bring us from his father, from Abba.

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