In this was manifested the love of God towards
us
The love of God here spoken of, and instanced in, is not his
general love to all his creatures, which is shown in the make of
them, and in the support of them in their beings, and in his
providential care of them, and kindness to them; but his special
love towards his elect, and which was before it was manifested;
it was secretly in his heart from everlasting, and did not begin
to be at the mission of Christ into the world, but was then in a
most glaring manner manifested: there were several acts of it
before, as the choice of them in Christ, the appointment of him
to be their Saviour, and the covenant of grace made with him on
their account; these were more secret and hidden; but now the
love and kindness of God appeared, broke forth, and shone out in
its glory; this is a most flagrant and notorious instance of it,
in which it is exceedingly conspicuous; this is a most clear
proof, a plain and full demonstration of it:
because that God sent his only begotten Son into the
world;
the sender is God the Father, who is distinguished from the Son
that is sent; of which act of sending, (See Gill on Romans
8:3) and (See Gill on Galatians
4:4); and for him, who is that God against whom we have
sinned, and is that lawgiver that is able to save, and to
destroy, and of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, to send his
Son to be the Saviour of sinful men is an amazing instance of
love; and which appears the more manifest, when it is observed
that it is "his only begotten Son" that is sent; of which (See
Gill on John
1:14); and the place he was sent into is the world, where
his people are, and where their sins are committed, he came to
expiate; and where he was treated with great indignity and
contempt, and suffered many things, and at last death itself: the
end of his mission was,
that we might live through him;
who were dead in Adam, dead in sin, and dead in law, and could
not quicken themselves; nor obtain eternal life for themselves,
by their performances. Christ came, being sent, that they might
have life, and that more abundantly than Adam had in innocence,
or man lost by the fall; and accordingly they were quickened
together with him; when he was quickened, after he had been put
to death, they were virtually and representatively quickened and
justified in him; and in consequence of his death and
resurrection from the dead, they are regenerated and made
spiritually alive, and live unto righteousness; and through his
righteousness wrought out for them, and imputed to them, they are
in a legal sense alive unto God, and alive and comfortable in
their own souls, living by faith on Christ, and have a right and
title to eternal life; and which they also have through him, and
which is chiefly intended here; for the design is not only that
they may live spiritually and comfortably here, but eternally
hereafter.