When reflecting on what Jesus said about love as found in John 13-17 it’s obvious that God the Father is a loving God. He loved Jesus. This theme permeates these chapters. While Jesus was here on earth He remained in His Father’s love. What amazed me is the Father loves those who love His Son. He identifies them by observing their lifestyles. If they have Christ’s commands and obey them He knows they love Jesus, His Son, and He in turn will love them.
In Jesus Christ’s High Priestly prayer it says in John
In John 16:27, Jesus says, “the Father Himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” The two references to “love” here is “phileo,” which means a natural affection for. God has a natural affection for you because you have a natural affection for His Son and believe that He came from God. This ties into the promise He makes in verse 26 regarding answering our prayers. If we have a natural affection for Jesus and believe in Him, the Father promises to answer our prayers.