John has a good deal to say about love. It is clearly a most important idea for him. But his ideas on the subject must be clearly understood according to his own expressions and not according to modern thought. And he rates love specifically to the Cross.
John3:16.
''For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.''
John15:13.
''Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down His life for his friends.''

Jesus knowing that His hour was come that He should depart out of this world, He loved them unto the end.
John13:1.
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
In these three passages there is manifestly the thought that it is the Cross which shows us the love. But the Cross is not thought of as simply a demonstration of love. It is more than that. It is the means of bringing men life. It saves men. Apart from the Cross they would PERISH. In other words the Cross shows us also the concern God had for righteousness, and the peril that men are in on account of their sin. Love as John sees it, is not indiscrimate sentimentality.

Again there is the thought that God's love is not indifferent to moral considerations. However we understand the Divine Love we must not regard it as a way of taking sin lightly as esteeming sin a things that can simply be ignored. Love is to be the characteristic thing about Christ's followers.
John13:35.
''By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.''
This is not a truism; Christ calls it ''a new commandment.'' that He lays upon them. Love is the kind that He displays, a love for sinners which at the same time does not condone the sin, but bears it and makes atonement for it, is a new thing in the world.
John13:34.
''A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you love one another.''

The Law that the disciples should love as Christ loved was radically new. John14:15, 23. ''If you love Me, keep My commandments.'' 23.Jesus answered and said to him, ''If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home in him.''
There is a moral energy in love which is of the very essence of love as John understands it. All this means that when John thinks of the atonement as proceeding from the Divine Love he does not think of it along the lines of the moral or subjective theories. For him the love of God is seen in saving men from a very real danger. It copes with the situation posed by man's sin in such a way that neither the Divine Demand for Righteousness nor the sinners best interests are overlooked.

Hmm... I see. Often times, one misses the real essence of divine love. 'Thine rod and thy staff, they comfort me.' Love is the 'rod of guidance' we receive on our backs for straying by the Lord. It is acutely painful yet it causes a soothing afterwards like the 'balm in Gilead'.

Love has a due regard for moral purposes and for moral law that sinners have broken. It also has a concern for the attitude of the beloved. John14:21.
''He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself
in him.''
Christ told the disciples that He loved them as the Father loved Him, and urged them to abide in His love. How?
By keeping His commandments. John15:9.
''As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.'' This does not mean that God does not love all mankind. We already know that He does.
But these passages mean nothing unless they mean that our reaction to that love of God is Significant for us to come within the shelter of its provisions for men.