I really enjoy reading John 17 while the sacrament is being passed. That and I really enjoy during the Sacrament pondering what the Savior has done for me and the rest of humanity. I find it a great time to contemplate and as Alcoholics Anonymous put it in the 4th step to recovery, take a "fearless and searching inventory" of how I made mistakes over the week and how I might try to do better the next week. I always feel the presence of the Holy Ghost during this 15 minutes or so of peace.
Recently as I was reading that 17th chapter (also known as the intercessory prayer) verse 23 stuck out to me and I read it over, and over, and over! "That the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me" Read that over and over until you memorize it! Now the real question is not how much does God love us, but rather how much does he love Christ?! Well...how much do YOU think God the Father loved his sinless Son? I think it is infinite, he loved him enough to give him all power and glory (John 3:35; 16:15) So if God loves his perfect son that much, how much does he love us even though we are imperfect? "That the world may know that thou (God) hast sent me (Christ), and hast loved them (us), as thou (God) hast loved me (Christ)" This may be my new favorite scripture in the New Testament. If God loves us as he loves his Son no wonder he "So loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son" John 3:16
May we all try our best to emulate the Savior in everything we do. To know him is to love him. To love him is to keep his commandments. "We love him because he first loved us" 1 John 4:19 and remember what the Savior said about loving him "If ye love me, keep my commandments" John 14:15.
