“”I am the good Shepherd. I know my own and my own know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me – because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again.” John 10:14-17 NET https://bible.com/bible/107/jhn.10.17.NET

Why does the Father love the Son? Because the Son lays down His life to save others. The Father wasn’t looking to lose His Son through the laying down of His life as a sacrifice. He was looking to sacrifice His Son and receive Him back again, along with all those who follow the Son. The Father never loses but gains through sacrifice. What we see as loss is God’s gain and ours, though it may appear otherwise. The Father loves those who lay down their lives for His sake. Those who take up their cross, dying to self so that others may come to faith in Him, are most pleasing to God and will receive His greatest reward and praise. Other people are yet to be reconciled to the Great Shepherd Who gave His life so that all can live. Those who will give their lives to find and reconcile these sheep are doing the work of the Shepherd and will receive the praise of the Father for living like the Son. The Son lives through His people to reconcile other people to Himself, bringing all praise, glory, and honor to Him and to the Father, Who sent Him through those who love Him and lay down their lives for Him as He laid down His life for the Father. To do God’s work and love people unconditionally and sacrificially, we must deny ourselves and die to ourselves so that others may live forever with God. This is the invitation to all those who love Jesus are offered so that they may celebrate with Him and in Him the joy of all those restored to Him through His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.